Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2019 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

This November issue of Gardens Illustrated is plant rich and full of planting ideas for the colder months ahead. In West Sussex, the garden of a 17th-century farmhouse is one of bold geometric forms and gentle hues. A restrained palette of beautifully clipped yew, box and silvery foliaged Pyrus salicifolia is matched with pleached trees and espaliered Malus ‘Evereste’, bright with fruits. A contemporary planting of golden-hued Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea ‘Transparent’, Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and perennials in burnt tones, such as rudbeckias and heleniums, sit in juxtaposition to the historic house. Designed by Chris Moss, it’s on page 34. Hardy chrysanthemums are plants with flowering stamina. In coppers, rusts and fiery reds, it is newer, younger chrysanthemums that flower most prolifically. On page 74 nurseryman Jonny Bruce…

Festive fair The Beautiful & Useful craft fair returns to the Garden Museum this month just in time to pick up some gorgeous gifts for Christmas. Among the works on offer are Jane Crisp’s beautiful contemporary trugs, Bee Bowen’s naturally dyed silk scarves, woven willow baskets by Christiane Gunzi, and knives hand carved by nurseryman Graham Gough. The Garden Café will also be open for refreshments and lunch, making this the perfect early Christmas shopping experience. 17 November, 10.30am-5pm. Tickets for the event cost £5 in advance, which includes entrance to the museum’s collections (normally £10), Gardens Illustrated readers can buy tickets at the discounted price of £4. Simply enter the code GIBEAUTIFUL when booking online. gardenmuseum.org.uk…

ACAENA MICROPHYLLA ‘KUPFERTEPPICH’ I grow this charming plant for its copper-coloured foliage, which comes into its own in autumn and winter. In summer the finely feathered foliage is punctuated by small, yellow flowers that in autumn develop into attractive red burrs. It makes a wonderful groundcover plant but doesn’t like to be overshadowed by others. It’s best grown in a gravel garden with plenty of light and air. It can also be used to great effect between paving slabs, as it is robust enough to tolerate being occasionally trodden on. Height 10-20cm. Origin Garden origin (species from New Zealand). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 7a-8b† . Season of interest Interesting foliage throughout the year. MISCANTHUS NEPALENSIS Miscanthus is generally thought of as a robust and solid…

First plant love I got into horticulture through organic-vegetable farming so my first plant love was probably the first beetroot I ever grew. It blew me away that you could do that kind of thing and I thought the beetroots were so beautiful. Who has inspired your career? First, Gelene Scarborough at Wave Hill in New York who exposed me to a whole world of plants and why it’s important to care for a garden. And now, Fergus Garrett at Great Dixter who has been an incredible mentor to myself and others. Favourite landscape I love the colours in the landscape of the American West in places such as Utah, Montana and Colorado. I first saw wildflowers, such as the mountain paintbrush Castilleja miniata, while hiking in Glacier National Park…

It is a measure of the drive of Shirley Sherwood, four years shy of 90, that despite suffering from the debilitating effects of lupus she is spending the week we meet moving paintings. Precious botanical artworks from her collection are being prepared for exhibition in the gallery that bears her name in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She is busy curating it from both her London and Oxfordshire homes, confessing: “It is almost my swan song.” From a collection of more than 800 works stored in climate-controlled, carpet-lined shelves, 150 paintings have been chosen for the show, and 270 for an accompanying book. All works were either commissioned or collected by Shirley over 30 years from more than 35 countries that she has visited, thanks to the railway and hotel…

TRADITIONAL WOOD The Upright Coldframe, £1,015, Gabriel Ash, 01829 271890, gabrielash.com LIGHT AND BRIGHT Westminster Mini Greenhouse, From £329, Access Garden Products, 01788 822301, garden-products.co.uk CITY STYLE Patio Glasshouse, POA, Hartley Botanic, 01457 819155, hartley-botanic.co.uk EASY FIT Lean-to Coldframe, From £159, Harrod Horticultural, 0333 400 1500, harrodhorticultural.com ROOM TO GROW Victorian Tall Wall Greenhouse, £399.99, Bents, 01942 266300, bents.co.uk WALK IN Beamhurst Tall Coldframe, £2,145, Woodpecker Joinery, 01889 562610, woodpecker-joinery.co.uk COMPACT COVER Forest Garden Mini Greenhouse, £259.99, Two Wests & Elliott Ltd, 01246 451077, twowests.co.uk SPACE SAVER Juliana Balcony Greenhouse, £385, Greenhouse Stores, 0800 098 8877, greenhousestores.co.uk MIRRORED BACK Metal Wall Greenhouse, £1,450, The Worm That Turned, 0345 605 2505, worm.co.uk…

Helleborus x hybridus Your collection of hellebores will include a mix of flower form with singles and doubles, and colours from blotched pink to spotted white and sumptuous black. H 70cm. Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica Masses of star-shaped blooms in white with a pale-blue stripe up the middle, up to ten on each stem. Produced in March and April. H 15cm. Iris histroides ‘George’ This miniature iris works well in pots or under shrubs with its rich purple flowers marked in yellow, black and white. H 10cm. Fritillaria uva-vulpis Hanging, bell-shaped flowers in dark, purple-brown, which open to reveal a bold yellow interior. Plant in clusters. H 20cm. Scilla Twinkling Mix Abundant sprays of tiny, star-shaped flowers in pink, purple and white. Plant in drifts. H 20cm. Enjoy the sumptuous,…

Ferns have an enduring appeal to houseplant enthusiasts. Pteridomania or Fern-Fever was the first houseplant craze among Victorians, with fern motifs appearing everywhere. Plants were no longer labelled exclusively for the academic and the amateur naturalist was born. Ferns have always appealed; the exquisite detail of their fronds and varying green tones radiate a raw, forestry feel. Polypodiaceae is among the largest of the fern families, representing more than 60 genera. Within this Phlebodium aureum, the blue star fern is one of four Phlebodium species, which originate from the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas and are easily differentiated. All are exclusively epiphytic; they can be found clinging to parts of other plants high up in the canopy of forests. Growing to around a metre in height Phlebodium aureum…

Rod Leeds Rod chooses the best autumn-flowering colchicums, page 44. “Come drought or deluge, the vibrant and fresh colchicum flowers are a superb highlight for the autumn garden.” Eva Nemeth Eva photographs a contemporary farmhouse garden, page 34. “From behind the camera, I loved observing the quiet and beautiful way autumn embraced this garden.” Rory Dusoir Rory visits a garden designed by Chris Moss, page 34. “The scenery and the farmhouse were already breathtaking, and it was fascinating to discover how Chris was able to enhance this yet further.”…

Old Court Nurseries was established by Ernest Ballard in 1906, and from its inception has specialised in breeding new strains of asters. Percy Picton arrived in 1947 to assist Ballard eventually taking over the business. Today Percy’s son Paul runs the nursery, and attached Picton Garden, with his wife Meriel and daughter Helen. It still offers a huge diversity of asters available both to buy and see in a garden setting with other perennials and shrubs. Visit and you’re sure to come back with a great range of plants. Old Court Nurseries and the Picton Garden, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6QE. Tel 01684 540416, autumnasters.co.uk To understand the diversity of any group of plants, you need to find a place where you come away feeling more educated and competent in…

What Large, cormous plants with brown tunics that mainly flower in autumn. Commonly known as naked ladies, autumn crocus, and in the USA as false autumn crocuses, which is more accurate. Origins Asia and Europe, usually in high-altitude meadows. Size Flowers 10-30cm tall in autumn, leaves as tall and spreading in spring. Conditions Sunny or half-shady position in borders and shrubberies, ideal in long grass, which is only mown from June until the end of August. Hardiness rating Most have a rating of RHS H5 and are suitable for gardens in USDA zones 4a-8b. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. † Hardiness ratings given where available.…

1 Acanthus spinosus An architectural plant with glossy, dark-green leaves and statuesque stems, carrying multiple whorls of white flowers with purple bracts that make striking winter silhouettes. 1.5m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b† . 2 Eupatorium maculatum Loved by pollinators, the rose-purple, domed flowers of this late-summer stalwart die well and provide food for the birds in winter. 2m. RHS H7. 3 Calamagrostis brachytricha Low clumps of foliage sprout thin stems in early autumn, with fluffy, pinkish-grey plumes turning silver-buff in winter. 1.2m. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b. 4 Dianthus carthusianorum A semi-evergreen perennial, this top performer has grass-like leaves and wiry stems topped with bright, magenta flowers from early summer through autumn fading to attractive seedheads. 60cm. RHS H7. 5 Allium atropurpureum Some of the best seedheads for form are…

Prairie planting need not be a mess. More appealing still, it is reassuringly low maintenance. Within a framework of crisply edged beds, plants can look wilder, more themselves, than in a traditional herbaceous border. This garden is divided into triangles and rectangles, with short yew hedges planted diagonally across the latter. As they grow taller, they can be shaped or left straight. Around the garden’s perimeter, a beech hedge is cut into curves, mimicking the undulating farmland beyond the garden. It is in fact a double hedge, with copper beech planted directly in front, to be cut into complementary waves. Sue has planted cherry trees ( Prunus ‘Shirofugen’) as focal points around the grass grid. The most prominent formal element, however, is a still, black reflecting pool. As plants develop,…

For the past three years I have been part of the small team at the organic plant nursery, De Hessenhof, in the Netherlands. Walking on to its stock beds in October and early November, I’m still struck by the beacons of yellow, pink, orange, white and red that glow among frost-blackened foliage and brown skeletons. These hardy chrysanthemums are one of the specialities of De Hessenhof, which was started almost 40 years ago by Hans Kramer and his wife Miranda. While hardy chrysanthemums have suffered from the persistent myth of being fussy and tender perennials, in the past 20 years or so, they have been re-established as a mainstay of the autumn garden. Hardy chrysanthemums probably reached peak popularity in the UK before the Second World War, largely down to…

WILD ABOUT WEEDS: GARDEN DESIGN WITH REBEL PLANTS by Jack Wallington Laurence King Publishing, £19.99 ISBN 978-1786275301 Weed, wild or garden-worthy? This well-argued advocacy for rebel plants shows why we should all be growing a few in our gardens. Reviewer Ambra Edwards is a writer and garden historian. Jack Wallington wants us all to embrace weeds. They’re easy, they’re wildlife-friendly, and they fit with the modern enthusiasm for naturalistic ecological planting. But what exactly is a weed? The word, he suggests, is ‘merely a broad and negative term associated with any plant that pops up where we weren’t expecting it’. He settles on a definition as ‘a plant that reproduces seemingly uncontrollably’, and divides garden weeds into the ‘good, the bad and the unappreciated.’ The ‘good’ includes plants many of…

CLEM & CO Woodland inspired wreath decorated with a rich assortment of pine cones, emerald green faux spruce, seeds, bark and red berries. Pre-lit with battery powered LED lights. Requires 2 AA batteries (not included). Suitable for indoor or outdoor use. A range of wreaths are available from our online lifestyle store. clemandcolifestyle.com THE BUSHMATIC The Bushmatic is a manual versatile brush cutter that can be used in both garden and wood to efficiently clear bushes and scrub by cutting stems up to 4cm in diameter. It is used in an upward motion avoiding damage to the blade. When cutting stems above 2cm in diameter it helps to bend the stem with the other hand. 01494 881479 logmatic.co.uk BACKDOORSHOES Step out in style! Lightweight, waterproof, durable outdoor garden clogs featuring…

1. BLUEBELL ARBORETUM & NURSERY Specialists in hardy trees, shrubs and climbers including a huge selection of unusual species and varieties. Informative website and a reliable mail-order service is available. bluebellnursery.com | 01530 413700 2. MEADOWGATE NURSERY A family-run, independent Nursery, specialising in Ornamental Grasses. Over ten years experience in growing a diverse range of grasses. We offer tailored advice on the use and care of the grasses we sell. meadowgatenursery.co.uk | 07736 523262 3. RV ROGER LTD Traditional third-generation nursery, growing a huge range of heritage roses, fruit trees and hardy nursery stock in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire. Multiple RHS Gold Medal awards. Containerised roses available now. rvroger.co.uk | 01751 472226 4. HARDY’S COTTAGE GARDEN PLANTS We supply a wide range of home produced herbaceous perennials, which are grown outdoors…

James Basson James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design with his wife Helen, specialising in low-maintenance and dry gardens. He is a fervent advocate 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 programmes at Dixter and worldwide lectures. He was awarded an RHS Associate of Honour in 2008 and an RHS Victoria Medal of Honour in 2019. 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.…

The Outer Hebrides are a remote and outstandingly beautiful and diverse chain of islands off the northwest of Scotland. Scientists describe their sustainably managed, species-rich dune grasslands as one of the rarest habitats in Europe and they have been awarded Site of Special Scientific Interest status. For much of the year this land provides sparse grazing for the crofters’ livestock, but in summer the machair – the Gaelic name for a fertile, low-lying grassy plain – is a luxurious and abundant carpet of bright wildflowers buzzing with insect life and the air is full of threatened birds, such as corncrakes. The islands’ sand dunes are stabilised by banks of marram grass. They protect the flat, fragile thin-soiled land behind them, but during the thousands of years since the last ice…

One of the principal elements of the challenge in laying out this new garden was to create something contemporary and attuned to the uses of its owners, without jarring against the strong character of the existing structures, all glorious relics of the rural West Sussex vernacular. One contrivance that has helped Chris achieve this is the partial division of the garden into separate spaces. This staple of English domestic garden design was used perhaps most famously at Sissinghurst, where the subdivision of the garden allowed Vita Sackville-West to create gardens of different characters and colour themes. The old farmyard here is a case in point. The black timber cladding of the buildings, although traditional, encouraged Chris to re-imagine the space with a modern planting palette. Abstract rectangular blocks of yew…

• Avon Bulbs Burnt House Farm, Mid Lambrook, South Petherton, Somerset TA13 5HE. Tel 01460 242177, avonbulbs.co.uk • East Ruston Old Vicarage* East Ruston, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 9HN. Tel 01692 650432, e-rustonoldvicaragegardens.co.uk Open Wednesday – Sunday, 12-5.30pm, until 26 October. • Rare Plants PO Box 468, Wrexham, Clwyd LL13 9XR. Tel 01978 366399, rareplants.co.uk • RHS Hyde Hall Garden Creephedge Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. Tel 01245 402019, rhs.org.uk Open 10am-6pm. • RV Roger Ltd The Nurseries, Malton Road, Pickering, North Yorkshire YO18 7JW. Tel 01751 472226, rvroger.co.uk • Witton Lane Seeds 16 Witton Lane, Little Plumstead, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 5DL.wittonlaneseeds.co.uk *National Collection holders…

WARM THOUGHTS As the nights grow longer and temperatures drop, I like to remind myself of the hot summer days spent in the garden or travelling abroad. In this display the terracotta holds a rustic warmth that is complemented by the cool, monochromatic planting. Succulents are used throughout the entire display and reference their arid growing conditions, hopefully providing an uplifting contrast to the dark days of winter that will soon be upon us. How to achieve the look Container and composition The container is a classic, simple shape, importantly it has a wide top that allows for a generous arrangement. Warmth comes from the weathered terracotta, its subtle markings echoed in the mottled foliage of the sansevieria. Its glaucous tones are repeated throughout the planting, emphasising the texture and…

1 Miscanthus sinensis ‘Ferner Osten’ Arching, green foliage supports dark-red flower plumes in summer, and pale, feathery seedheads catch the light in winter. 1.5m. AGM*. RHS H6† . 2 Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ Provides movement in summer but also valuable interest in winter when golden tufts reflect the low sun. 90cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. 3 Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ Clouds of felty, whitish stems bear small violet-blue flowers in late summer and autumn. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b. 4 Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’ These branching sunflowers with small heads tolerate some exposure but benefit from the protection of other tall plants. 2m. AGM. RHS H4. 5 Hylotelephium ‘Matrona’ Pale, starry flowers on glaucous foliage through late summer and autumn. Prone to root rot in poor drainage, it thrives…

From a 12-acre plot outside Perth, Jo Campbell muses on the vagaries of the Scottish climate. “I’m not sure I’d want to grow here if I wasn’t in a walled garden,” she says. Jo is head grower of the garden that supplies Restaurant Andrew Fairlie on the Gleneagles Estate. The restaurant was opened in 2001 by the late chef Andrew Fairlie and in 2006 became the only establishment in Scotland to be awarded two Michelin stars. Size is incredibly important to Jo. The ‘Tokyo Cross’ turnips she grows are picked when they are size of a ping-pong ball; the chefs scoop out the middle and fill them with salted butter. A box of vibrant-pink stems turn out to be beetroot cress, which when nibbled releases a burst of sweet, earthy…

THE LAND GARDENERS CUT FLOWERS by Bridget Elworthy & Henrietta Courtauld Thames & Hudson, £39.95 ISBN 978-1760760380 A sumptuous insight into the Land Gardeners’ approach to flower growing and soil health. THE ARTIST’S GARDEN by Jackie Bennett White Lion Publishing £30 ISBN 978-1781318744 From Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny to the artists’ colony of Skagen, in the north of Denmark, Bennett explores the creative spaces that have inspired artists. RHS HOW CAN I HELP HEDGEHOGS? by Helen Bostock & Sophie Collins Mitchel Beazley, £14.99 ISBN 978-1784726218 One hundred practical ideas from the RHS on helping to make your garden a haven for hedgehogs and other sorts of wildlife. THE ALMANAC 2020 by Lia Leendertz Octopus, £10 ISBN 978-1784726751 This is the third of Leendertz’s seasonal guides to the year, helping…

1 NATIONAL TRUST, NYMANS Dramatic shows of vibrant colour in autumn with far reaching views across the woodland and Sussex Weald. In the garden, a muted tapestry of coppers, yellows and greens form the backdrop to topiary and statuesque grasses. Exuberant plant combinations last long into the season, with Salvias flowering well into darker days. West Sussex, RH17 6EB | 01444 405 250 | nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans 2 BLARNEY CASTLE The 60 acres of gardens are a joy to explore. Visit the prehistoric Fern Garden, our deadly Poison Garden, and our magical Rock Close. Make a wish on the famous wishing steps while the waterfall cascades alongside. Stroll by the lake, riverside and woodlands or in the dazzling arboretums in all their autumn splendour. Blarney, Co. Cork, Ireland | blarneycastle.ie…