Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2020 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

As a nation and as gardeners, we find ourselves in transient times. Where once we worked on our gardens now it feels as if our gardens are working on us. Garden – as much as home – is where the heart lies. The garden of designer Alasdair Cameron and his free-spirited family in Devon is bursting with colour and myriad inflorescence. Salvia involucrata ‘Hadspen’, Salvia confertiflora, the red velvet sage fill tubs; there are sweeping borders dotted with umbels – spare parsnips from the vegetable garden a metre high – an enclosed space of scented things, green-leaved, beehive beech and a camomile lawn. An idyll, it is quietly outward looking; new plants arrive in environmentally kind hessian and the design is grounded in Devon’s fields and farming. It is a…

* Be sure to check opening times and advice on possible travel restrictions in advance For lovers of flowers July is the month when many gardens are looking at their best. And combined with long daylight hours and, hopefully, warm, sunny weather July is the perfect month to visit them, especially this year when we’ve gone so long without a visit and large-scale gatherings at flower shows are still off limits. There are so many gardens now reopening, it almost seems unfair to single any out. But the gardens of siblings June and Jimi Blake, across the water in Blessington near Dublin, are two I would always make an effort to visit. Both are exceptional plantspeople who have made remarkable gardens in different areas of the old family’s estate, each…

First and second early potato cropping should be in full swing now. The main challenge is to get all the potatoes out without accidentally sticking a fork or spade through them – particularly challenging in our heavy clay soil. Any tubers that are left in the soil will pop up as weeds next summer, and could also spread blight. I am increasingly growing my potatoes in bags. It makes them very easy to earth up, and harvesting takes minutes. If space permits, try growing them in a one-tonne bag – the type you get with a bulk delivery of compost or bark. July is also the month of plenty when it comes to soft fruit. I am not a huge fan of freezing food – it is so easy to…

A careful and subtle approach to treating the hard surfaces here has gone a long way towards preserving and enhancing the special atmosphere of the garden. The design completely eschews the use of cement-based mortar to create a solid bed for the paving, or to point the gaps in between. This traditional approach to installing paving only works with traditional materials. Modern paving slabs are generally cut far too thin to be able to achieve the requisite stability without the use of any cement. Arne’s approach to the track that leads agricultural traffic around the gentle curve in front of the house was also quite organic. Here a self-binding gravel was laid, with planted areas at the verges sparingly and indefinitely marked by groups of cobblestones. As it was installed,…

1 Eremurus ‘Romance’ Its radioactive orange spires wave above a summer border, but needs really well-drained soil in a sun-baked spot. 1.2m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b† . 2 Angelica archangelica This wild celery is a delicious and aniseed-scented, architectural winner. Even grown from seed it can immediately create a flourish of electric-green parasols by summer. Grows almost anywhere so needs a firm hand on the self-seedlings. 2m. RHS H6,USDA 5a-7b. 3 Rhaponticum centaureoides Alasdair loves ornamental thistles, and these papery globes, which open into a classic thistle, are easily grown in sunlight. 1m. 4 Lychnis coronaria Ideal for a sunny border, this biennial has delicate, rose-pink flowers held above silvery grey, felted leaves. 90cm. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. 5 Cephalaria gigantea Known as the giant scabious for its sulphur-yellow…

When Caroline and Ben Lawrence extended their south London terraced house into the garden they gave one specific instruction to their builders. “We asked them to take care of the tree,” says Caroline. “And to be fair, they did look after it very well. Unfortunately, the rest of the garden looked like a landfill site by the time they had finished.” With double-height glass stretching across the width of the ground-floor extension and their new upstairs study looking out over the garden, they leapt at a friend’s suggestion to contact Sheila Jack. After decades working in magazine design, including as art director of American Vogue, in recent years Sheila has built a reputation for designing elegant, carefully judged, contemporary gardens. “I do a lot of work in London,” says Sheila.“There…

Claire Takacs Claire photographs, the studio garden of Spanish design practice Lur, page 78. “I absolutely loved this garden and agree with Noel Kingsbury that it’s one of the most exciting and unique gardens.” Isabel Bannerman Isabel visits the private garden of designer Alasdair Cameron, page 52. “It was a real treat to be asked to visit this gem of a garden and get drawn in by the maker’s magnetic magic.” Matthew Reese Matthew shares his favourite nicotianas, page 44. “In the evening, when the garden is at its nicest, the tobaccos turn on, flowers open and cast an enchanting scent through the air.”…

House party Among five new National Plant Collections announced by Plant Heritage is Mercy Morris’s collection of 18 spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) cultivars. Mercy wants to dispel the misconception that there is only one type of spider plant and in time she hopes to expand her collection to further species in the Chlorophytum genus. plantheritage.org.uk Finding a new use for lost gardens Recipients of a charity’s veg bag scheme in Cornwall found some unexpected gourmet veg in their bags this spring. Unable to access its nursery during lockdown, the horticultural charity People and Gardens, which helps people with learning disabilities or emotional impairments through horticulture, was in danger of closing the scheme until the furloughed garden team from The Lost Gardens of Heligan volunteered to supply veg – including some…

This is – if we’re lucky – peak summer. Sun-baked days and balmy evenings mark a change of pace in the vegetable garden, and one that is most welcome after the frantic activity of the past few months. For the most part, July is a month for maintenance, although there are a few crops such as parsley, fennel, peppery salad leaves and even peas that will do well sown now. Weeding is easy on dry ground with a good sharp Dutch hoe – just leave the weeds on the surface of the soil, where they can break down and enrich it – and regular picking will help to keep crops productive and stop them running to seed in the heat. Then of course there is the watering. This is the…

I worked as a therapist for ten years, but I started to miss the countryside Earliest gardening memory I remember sowing carrots with my mum – I thought of it as some kind of miracle when we harvested them, warts and all. Career inspiration My mother; she is a florist, and has a wonderful sense of colour and a keen eye for shape and texture. Have you always wanted to be a gardener? Gardening is a second career for me; I worked as a therapist for ten years, training in sports massage and aromatherapy, which provided me with transferable skills, but I started to miss the countryside and came to realise that I wanted to work outside. Most valuable training My first full-time role working outside was on a pick-your-own…

1 Rosa ‘William Lobb’ An old ‘moss’ rose with lax growth that can either be grown as a shrub or a climber. Has purple-magenta blooms with a strong scent. 1.8m. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b† . 2 Digitalis purpurea f. albiflora Classic cottage garden biennial, but very capable of reproduction by self-seeding, and any promising clumps can be moved into position in the autumn. 1.5m. RHS H7, USDA 4a-8b. 3 Rosa ‘The Garland’ A very charming rambler with good scent, and each bloom undergoes a pleasing evolution in its colouring from bud to maturity. 4.5m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. 4 Digitalis lutea A perennial foxglove, but as with other Digitalis, it is generally very short-lived. However, also in common with others of its tribe, it will self-seed abundantly. 1m. AGM.…

What A genus of 67 species of half-hardy annuals, perennials, and a few woody plants, all of which are poisonous. Nicotiana tabacum is most widely grown commercially for tobacco production, but many other species have beautiful flowers and make excellent garden plants. Origins Native of America (mostly the tropics), Pacific Islands, Namibia and Australia. Season Summer into autumn. May flower year-round when grown in a heated greenhouse. Size up to 1.5m. Conditions Best grown as half-hardy annuals in a warm sunny position, and in moist and rich, free-draining soil. Hardiness Nicotianas are generally grown as half-hardy annuals in the UK. Most have a hardiness rating of RHS H2 and are suitable for gardens in USDA zones 9a to 11. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.…

In a shed on her West Yorkshire allotment, artist Alice Fox sits and paints a fallen apple branch, a victim of the high winds and dry weather that have accompanied this strangest of springs. The shed (one of three on her plot) pre-dates Alice’s time here and is cobbled together with chicken wire windows and a roof that is part corrugated plastic, letting in good light. She paints with nettle ink, made from the plants that grew beneath her apple trees last year. The nettles are shooting up again now, as are the dandelions that line the path to her plot, and Alice watches them both, assessing the right time to make her harvest. Alice makes objects that are endlessly tactile: a satisfyingly shaped stone dug from a vegetable bed…

PALACE OF PALMS: TROPICAL DREAMS AND THE MAKING OF KEW by Kate Teltscher Picador, £25 ISBN 978-1529004854 A lively tale of vividly drawn characters and their determinations to create a structure that is still functionally effective and symbolically significant.Reviewer Jodie Jones is a garden writer. We Londoners are a complacent bunch. How often do we pause to really notice such iconic structures as Westminster Abbey as we rush about our daily business? Yet for hundreds of years, these landmarks have stood testament to the ingenuity, determination and downright hard graft of countless talented individuals. In Palace of Palms, cultural historian Kate Teltscher sets out to tell the human story of the iconic Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the men who conceived, realised and maintained this extraordinary…

• Discover a plant enthusiast’s glorious flower garden in southwest Scotland • Gravetye Manor’s head gardener Tom Coward offers a masterclass in creating stunning plant combinations • Ebullient planting combines with modern topiary in an art lover’s garden in East Sussex • Maximal style in minimal space in our small garden special ON SALE 19 AUGUST Save money when you subscribe to the digital edition – see page 22. 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, 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.…

HEMEROCALLIS ‘ARIADNE’ Daylilies have an army of devotees, and in conjunction with hostas, even have a society of their own (sometimes affectionately referred to as the Hems and Hos). They are very reliable summer flowering perennials, but I wonder if in part, their popularity is because they will readily produce new flower forms, patterns and colours, when raised from seed. Interesting and lovely as these are, I prefer the simplicity, grace and charm of some of the older cultivars, such as ‘Ariadne’, which holds its scented flowers well above the foliage. Uncommon but worth searching for. Height 1m in flower. Origin Garden origin (species east Asia). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 3a-9b† . Season of interest Summer. PATRINIA SCABIOSIFOLIA As a general rule, the plants I…

For the last couple of years I have enjoyed fresh peas well into the autumn. How? By making a second sowing in July. As the first lot of plants go over, pull them out, making sure to leave the pea sticks in place. Sow your second crop direct, leaving about 10cm between each pea, and water in well. For years I dismissed curly leaved parsley as useful only for fiddly garnishes. How wrong I was. This herb overwinters well for us and the flavour grows more pronounced with the cold. Sow now to ensure a plentiful supply for those winter salads. This is also the perfect time for sowing peppery salad leaves such as rocket, mizuna and mustard greens. This way you will avoid attack by flea beetle and ensure…

ISTRIAN FONT Bold, permanent planters can make proud statements in even the smallest gardens. This ancient, carved stone wellhead, reminiscent of many found in Italian towns, provides continental grandeur. At York Gate it’s placed on an axis between garden rooms and a main vista, and provides both impact and purpose. Loose and twinning tender perennials spill from the font as the season progresses, with the elegant pink Salvia curviflora, sitting at its centre, flowering all summer long. How to achieve the look Container and composition Permanent structures, such as this wellhead, can add to a garden’s strong backbone. While large, heavy ornate pieces are getting harder to come by, some very good replicas in stone, resin and concrete are available and far less expensive. The vervain produces endless dark-red pincushions…

As a teenager growing up on a farm in Yorkshire, Caroline Jackson knew that she was always at her happiest when she was outdoors and that she would spend her life working on the land, surrounded by the plants and animals that she loved. As with many youthful dreams, life didn’t work out quite the way she had imagined, although Caroline has gone on to spend more than 30 years as a horticultural educator enthusing thousands of young people with her passion for plants and the natural world. “My dad was a dair y farmer and I had an allergy to cow hair, otherwise I would have studied agriculture and become a farmer. When I was young in the early 1980s it felt like the only options were either working…

The fundamental difference between interior design and garden design is that outdoors we have to deal not just with three dimensions but with the fourth dimension of time. Indoors you may need to accept a certain amount of wear and tear on your carpets and furnishings, but essentially nothing really changes from day to day, or even year to year. Things don’t change shape. They don’t grow, and nothing is ravaged by the weather. One advantage we do have in garden design is that change is slow paced. Tellingly, one of the most visited gardens in the UK is Hidcote in Gloucestershire – an Arts and Crafts garden created more than 100 years ago. There is natural stone and brick paving, some clipped hedges and rows of trees. And everyone…

PERFECT COMPOST by Simon Akeroyd National Trust, £6.99 ISBN 978-1911358947 A useful guide to making good-quality compost, with information on composting set-ups and which bits of kitchen waste you can compost, and which you really shouldn’t. SPIRIT OF PLACE by Bill Noble Timber Press, £26.99 ISBN 978-1604698503 Bill Noble explores the history of New England gardens and how they were shaped by a rugged landscape, harsh climate, and European ideas about design and plantsmanship. SUMMER WILDFLOWERS OF THE NORTHEAST by Carol Gracie Princeton University Press, £25 ISBN 978-0691199344 A beautifully illustrated introduction to the summer-blooming wildflowers found in northeastern USA and Canada. PRESERVING THE SEASON by Mary Tregellas IMM Lifestyle Books, £14.99 ISBN 978-1504801225 Put your excess harvest to good use with this collection of more than 90, easy-to-follow recipes…

Exciting houseplant deliveries don’t always come in large boxes; I am equally thrilled by padded envelopes containing clear plastic bags. That’s how my collection of Smithiantha started, in the form of several small, scaly rhizomes sent through the post. These rhizomes may alarm the uninitiated due to their resemblance to the kind of grub you might find nestled under a rotting log, but they get better. Smithiantha is my favourite genus of the gesneriad clan, and not just because it is one of the relatively few to be named after a woman in horticulture: Matilda Smith, born 1854, an illustrator who became botanical artist in residence at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They are native to southern Mexico, and known for their Penstemon-like flowers and exquisitely plushy red and green…