Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

October is the opportunity to leapfrog winter into spring. So much in the garden is about planning and in this issue we share the best and most beautiful bulbs to plant for pollinators. From a late-f lowering snowdrop, to a delicate erythronium, to the Turk’s cap lily, described as ‘truly an artist’s f lower’ by organic bulb specialist Adam Hunt, our recommendations have been chosen for their beauty, reliability and value to foraging insects. Note that it is important to plant a range of different bulbs that will f lower across as long a season as possible, as well as selecting those that have been grown without the use of pesticides including neonicotinoids. You’ll want a notebook and pencil to hand. In the first of a new propagation series, Matthew…

ACER PALMATUM ‘SANGO-KAKU’ This is often called the coral-bark maple because of its coral-red twigs and trunk. These positively glow, as if in flower, in the winter sunshine, especially when viewed against a dark background such as approaching storm clouds. This cultivar is always among the first of the Japanese maples to show its autumn colour, and then always holds on to its clear yellow leaves for longer than any other in our collection. Once the leaves have fallen the bark and twig colour intensifies over winter as more light reaches them. Forms a vase-shaped tree that broadens with age. AGM*. Height 6m. Origin Garden (species Japan). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b† . Season of interest Autumn to winter. SENECIO CANDIDANS ANGEL WINGS (= ‘SENAW’)…

While it’s still mild enough to enjoy being outside, take the opportunity to do a bit of tidying up. Remove yellowing or damaged leaves from brassicas, which will reduce the risk of fungal disease and deprive slugs and snails of a home. You should also take out and compost any crops that have gone over so the soil is ready for winter digging or mulching. Any potatoes that are still in the ground should be lifted and allowed to dry out before being stored. Choose a time when the forecast is good for a couple of days and leave them spread out on hessian on the open ground. You will know when they are ready when the soil falls off easily, leaving them clean. Pack them away in paper bags…

What Private family garden. Where Surrey. Size Five acres, including woodland. Soil Sandy loam. Climate Temperate. Hardiness zone USDA 9. Masses of late summer perennials, including a swathe of Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’, rich orange Rosa Lady Emma Hamilton (= ‘Ausbrother’), lavender-coloured Aster x frikartii ‘Mönch’ and pink and white anemones, create a colourful transition between the main lawn and the swimming pool garden. The corners are anchored by multi-stemmed Tibetan cherry trees (Prunus serrula) with beautifully peeling coppery-coloured bark.…

Few perennials have such a distinctive and instantly recognisable form as ferns, despite their huge variation in appearance and size. The unique shape and texture of the fronds create striking focal points in the garden where they contrast well against other plants. The captivating unfurling croziers in spring develop into smart, elegant foliage that often remains interesting into the winter months. The conditions under which ferns will flourish is also quite variable. Hart’s tongues or Asplenium scolopendrium, for example, often find their way from the flower border to gaps in walls and paving, and are tolerant of deep, dry shade, while the beautiful Osmunda regalis will thrive in wet conditions (even with its feet in water) and will make strong colonies of fronds more than 1.2m tall. Ferns can be…

Insects began their pollinating love affair with plants more than 100 million years ago, and as this relationship has evolved plants have cleverly adapted to entice insects through increasingly complex and exquisite flowers laced with a dual offering of sugary nectar and protein-rich pollen. The co-operation has been so successful it is now thought that around 80 per cent of land-based plants across the world are totally dependent on these pollinating insects whose numbers continue to fall, research suggests, as a result of the use of pesticides, climate change and the loss of wildflower habitats. As gardeners we can help reverse this by providing a diverse offering of flowering plants across as long a season as possible, and bulbs, such as crocuses, snowdrops and nerines that flower outside of the…

1 Allium moly ‘Jeannine’ One of the best sources of pollen and nectar in equal quantities, alliums are also a lot of fun. This one has a golf ball head with yellow stars and is much loved by butterflies and humming bird moths. May to June. 20cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 3a-9b. 2 Allium siculum Hard to germinate organically, but I adore it; as do bees. Tall stems reveal clusters of cream and bronze bells. Plant in wilder areas with shorter grasses, such as Deschampsia cespitosa. Early May. 85cm. 3 Allium cristophii Large spherically shaped heads, each packed with star-like, pinkish-purple flowers, offer rich provisions for bees, moths and butterflies. Stems are short and flowerheads heavy, so provide support through an underplanting of, for example, Stipa tenuissima or a low-growing…

Part of the success in this garden lies in the contrast between the geometric hard landscaping and the soft, tactile planting. Here, a floating timber deck, constructed to avoid the expense of having to level the uneven ground below, is surrounded by billowing stands of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and C. brachytricha. The grasses both hide the edge of the decking and their height creates a pleasing sense of privacy while still allowing for glimpses of the garden beyond. On the terraces closer to the house, board-formed concrete has been used to great effect, taking inspiration from the way the material was used in the Brutalist buildings of London’s Southbank Centre (the architect of the house, AET ‘Gerry’ Matthews, was also known for his Brutalist designs). “We used scaffolding…

Burnham Orchids Forches Cross, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6PZ. Tel 01626 352233, orchids.uk.com Orchid specialist that offers mail order and is open Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm. Cross Common Nursery The Lizard, Helston, Cornwall TR12 7PD. Tel 01326 290722, crosscommonnursery.co.uk Offers wide range of exotic plants. Mostly mail order, but visitors are welcome if they telephone first. Dibleys Nurseries Llanelidan, Ruthin, Denbighshire LL15 2LG. Tel 01978 790677, dibleys.com Specialist in indoor plants, with a good range of exotics. Mail order only. Wisley Plant Centre RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Tel 01483 224234, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley Offers good range of indoor plants. Open Monday-Saturday, 9.30am-5.30pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm.…

CHARLES DOWDING’S NO DIG GARDENING by Charles Dowding No Dig Garden, £22.50 ISBN 978-1916092037 Based on Charles’s online course, a guide to no dig gardening, with advice on planning your layout and using no dig on different soil types. FOREST BATHING by Sarah Devos and Katriina Kilpi JH Haynes & Co, £12.99 ISBN 978-1785217364 An introduction to the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku with practical advice on how to approach the concept: and the best times to choose to connect with nature. RHS COMPLETE GARDENER’S MANUAL DK, £25 ISBN 978-0241432433 An updated, one-stop guide from the RHS that covers every aspect of gardening, from designing a border for year-round colour to pruning techniques. THE HEDGEHOG BOOK by Hugh Warwick, Graffeg, £9.99 ISBN 978-1913134419 The latest in the compact, accessible Nature Books…

Marianne Majerus Marianne photographs an elegantly polished garden, page 40. “Photographers dream of misty mornings and beautifully designed gardens. In this garden designed by Acres Wild the dream came true.” Lia Leendertz Lia talks to Horatio’s Gardens founder Dr Olivia Chapple, page 68. “It was a real honour to meet Olivia. She has turned her heartbreak and love for her son into something so hugely positive.” Caroline Beck Caroline visits a third-generation grower, page 88. “Flower growers are in demand this year. There’s a deep appreciation of local growers producing beauty you can’t get online.”…

Magic touch If you’re hoping to add a touch of stunning colour to your garden next spring then Magnolia ‘Genie’, with flowers that range from dusky pink to rich burgundy atop dark-green foliage might just help grant that wish. Developed by New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper, M. ‘Genie’ is the result of 15 years of plant breeding between M. x soulangeana and M. liliiflora, and among its many accolades it has now been awarded a gold medal by the Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society in the Netherlands. Growing to around 3m over ten years, the compact magnolia offers weeks of magical colour from April to May and will often flower again in midsummer. Available from Crocus priced £49.99 for a three-litre pot. crocus.co.uk Cut flowers When artist Diana Forbes struggled to…

* Be sure to check opening times and advice on possible travel restrictions in advance When I was at school, an annual treat around October half term was to visit Westonbirt, The National Arboretum in Gloucestershire to soak up the autumn colours, in particular of the Japanese maples in the Acer Glade. With the changing patterns in our weather nowadays it is likely to be closer to the end of the month when the autumn colour is at its best, but the intervening years will not have diminished the visual extravagance of the colours on show. For most of us, used to the scale of trees in our gardens, the size of many of the trees is overwhelming and rather humbling. Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8QS. Tel 0300 067 4890,…

October is the perfect time to harvest winter squashes and pumpkins. Keep an eye on the forecast – you want to strike a balance between leaving them outside to ripen for as long as possible while avoiding any risk of frost. While there are still other crops around though I tend to just enjoy looking at them and admiring their amazing colours and shapes. The eating can wait… You will be picking the last of the tomatoes now too. If I can resist the temptation just to eat them as they are, or put them in a simple tomato tart, I like to freeze them ready to add a little pep to winter soups, stews and sauces. I either freeze the individual fruits – just slide them on a baking…

What Garden around a barn conversion on re-purposed farmland. Where Oxfordshire. Size One and a half acres. Soil Clay based. Climate Temperate, with wind coming off the lake and flooding due to high water table. Hardiness zone USDA 9. A wilderness of grassy meadow and wildflowers comes up to the house before being restrained with hard landscaping and sharp hornbeam hedges. Structured clearing, in which trees of value were retained, opened up the site for a clear view of the wetlands to the southeast.…

1 Anemone nemorosa Impressive as a block of single colour. Plant in glades, under shrubs and in pots alongside one of the later snowdrops. One of our most delicate-looking native flowers. Flowers early March. 13-15cm. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b† . 2 Crocus x luteus ‘Golden Yellow’ Crocuses are one of the earliest nectar-rich flowers in spring, sought out by emerging queen bumblebees. The rich yellow of this cultivar works well against the low light levels of March. Grow in well-drained soil on a site that has sun in summer to bake the corms. March. 8-10cm. AGM*. RHS H6, USDA 3a-8b. 3 Galanthus nivalis One of the first flowers that dares to show its head in January or February. At its best seen in large swathes carpeting the floors of woodland…

AVON BULBS Regular award winner with an impressive range of bulbs that includes many favourites alongside more unusual bulbs, rhizomes and corms, such as Dichelostemma from northwest America and the star-like Ornithogalum, including O. pyrenaicum or Bath asparagus, native to the west of England. Good pollinator-friendly choices are flagged up with a bee logo. Tel 01460 242177, avonbulbs.co.uk BLOMS BULBS Trading in bulbs and plants for 160 years with an extensive range of spring-flowering bulbs including old favourites and new cultivars that have proven their worth. Tel 01234 709099, blomsbulbs.com BROADLEIGH GARDENS Full range of bulbs including exclusive collections chosen for specific locations or themes. But perhaps the real joy here is the Special Bulb List of more unusual choices, including an extensive selection of miniature daffodils, which are proving…

When planning houseplant arrangements, keep plants with similar light requirements together. These exotics, which we cultivate in the conservatory and bring into the house when they reach their prime, have been positioned to take advantage of the intermediate morning light next to a sitting room window. This position avoids the intense midday sunshine that may scorch the foliage. It’s a temporary display, and when the plants begin to look jaded they are returned to the conservatory and replacements found. The orchids take this upheaval in their stride, as do the ferns, and require little more than a light daily misting. The begonias and angel’s trumpet don’t travel as well and will need to be watered more frequently. It is vital to avoid crowding them too closely together, otherwise, the display…

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Designers Lulu Urquhart and Adam Hunt of Organic Bulbs have put together a selection of some of the best spring-flowering bulbs we can grow in our gardens to provide a long and rich season of nectar for our all-important pollinating insects. All of their bulbs are grown without using any chemicals or pesticides, including neonicotinoids. The range is based around bulbs that naturalise, so will come back in your garden year after year naturally. See organicbulbs.com for full range. Or take advantage of this 10 per cent discount* for Gardens Illustrated readers on the following selection of colourful, spring-flowering bulbs that will also delight pollinators. Crocus x luteus ‘Golden Yellow’ Great for naturalising. A bright, rich-yellow flower that works beautifully against the low light levels in early March. H 10cm.…

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.…

1 Our Future is Nature Inspired: PlaMatSu Exhibition Discover how the surface properties of plant leaves and petals have inspired man-made materials, from Velcro to self-cleaning glass, in this exhibition at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Until 31 October, 10am-6pm (5pm from 1 October). Entry to the exhibition is included in the garden’s admission price, but tickets must be booked in advance. 1 Brookside, Cambridge CB2 1JE. Tel 01223 336265, botanic.cam.ac.uk 2 Art in the Garden Enjoy Surrey Sculpture Society’s first open-air exhibition within the 35 acres of the Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park, near Egham, Surrey. More than 60 works will be on display from artists such as Mark Reed whose Ammonite Sliver is shown above right. Until 3 November, 9.30am-6pm (4.30pm from 1 November). Entry to the exhibition…

As someone who works outside a lot, I am very much aware of the changes in our climate. One of the things I notice most is how much the growing season has extended. Very often now the weather in October is extremely mild, particularly at the start of the month. Tomatoes, courgettes and squashes will continue to ripen and there is still time to plant out lettuce seedlings into pots and have them put on a decent amount of growth before the season ends. Generally, October is one of the few months when you can afford to relax. A little harvesting and a little tidying up is about as strenuous as it gets. Even later in the month, the threat of frost is fairly minimal these days. And if you’ve…

First plant love Probably antirrhinums. Our garden was full of bedding plants grown from seed and I remember picking the flowers off and squeezing the sides together to see why they got their snapdragon common name. Foxgloves featured heavily too and I was fascinated to watch bees disappear into the flowers. Who has inspired your career? I would say my grandparents, who lived round the block from where I grew up. Their garden was always a complete jungle so it doubled up as both a playground and somewhere you could cut your teeth as gardener and make mistakes without consequence. They were the ones who had no qualms about telling me I should go for horticulture as a career. They saw it as a proper, skilled trade and a ‘real’…

What A varied and versatile genus of around 100 species of robust and colourful perennials. Along with other members of the Polygonaceae family, they are commonly known as knotweed with the self-seeding P. virginiana also known as jumpseed. Origins Persicaria are found in pretty much every country worldwide. The species covered here are found in a wide area emanating from the Himalayan region, while P. virginiana is widespread throughout eastern North America. Season Most of the species featured here will flower from July to September or October; some species have a late flourish of blooms in September but these may be considered primarily as foliage plants. Size From 30cm to 2.5m. Conditions A general preference for rich soil and sun, with a few exceptions, but most species are adaptable. Hardiness…

Dr Olivia Chapple, chair of trustees of Horatio’s Garden, has been immersed in gardens and the outdoors since her childhood. “My father had a fruit farm and we were encouraged to play outside all the time no matter what the weather. Gardens were intertwined with my childhood life, not only at home but at the beautiful gardens of my grandparents.” It meant that she was always well aware of the good that gardens can do. “From a young age I experienced the joy that growing gives.” She was able to first put her appreciation of the therapeutic benefits of gardening into practice for herself when training in medicine. “My first garden was on a second floor roof terrace in Islington. I had to heave bags of compost up the steep…

1 Scilla ‘Blue Giant’ Blue, star-like flowers with bright, white centres. An easy bulb to grow on loam soil given morning sun and afternoon shade. It loves a seaweed feed when in active growth. Late March. 15cm. 2 Tulipa humilis var. pulchella Albocaerulea Oculata Group This dwarf tulip is a rare and special variety that works best tucked into pots, rockeries or little crannies where it is easily viewed as well as accessible to pollinators. Delicate white and violet blue in tones. Combines well with similar petite bulbs such as scilla and woodland anemone. April. 45cm. RHS H5. 3 Fritillaria meleagris Fritillaries grow well in damp, humus-rich soil that is free draining and can naturalise happily in grasslands or meadow conditions. Start them off in pots, with five bulbs in…

1 Sudamerlycaste ‘Archirondel’ A hybrid orchid that is a cross between Sudamerlycaste costata and Sudamerlycaste ariasii and has waxy, hooded, white flowers and long, plicate, arching leaves. Needs heat, shade and humidity. 50cm. 2 Davallia solida var. fejeensis Known as the rabbit’s foot fern for the soft, scale-covered rhizomes from which finely divided fronds are produced. It forms a much larger plant in tropical countries. 1m. RHS H1C, USDA 10a-12† . 3 Brassia hybrid Brassias originally hail from the tropical Americas, and are epiphytic. This punchy, purple-flowered hybrid is an easy-to-cultivate orchid for a bathroom or kitchen windowsill. 50cm. 4 Pteris parkeri An easy and attractive little fern that has busy, variegated attractive foliage. It is a half-hardy perennial and the small pinnate fronds are evergreen.30cm. AGM*. RHS H1C. 5…

THE GARDEN: ELEMENTS AND STYLES by Dr Toby Musgrave Phaidon, £49.95 ISBN 978-1838660765 An encyclopedic A-to-Z compendium of more than 200 garden elements, styles, features and ornaments for gardeners around the globe. Reviewer Rae Spencer-Jones is books publisher at the RHS. Phaidon is well known for publishing lavish tomes to the highest standards. This one by garden historian Dr Toby Musgrave is no exception and the cloth-bound cover, impressively large format and generous use of images is nothing less than the subject matter deserves. Over 200 entries – from Allée to Zeitgeist – are arranged alphabetically with helpful cross-references, and each one is accompanied by images: some full page, others arranged as montages to showcase examples from around the world. This is a journey through 3,000 years of garden making…

If I could do one thing in the service of horticulture, it would be to end the tragic deaths of string of beads at the hands of their owners. Of all the succulents, string of beads (Curio rowleyanus) is one of the most distinctive and most sought after, adored for its cascade of wiry stems festooned with tiny spherical leaves that look like peas (or beads or pearls, if you are feeling poetic). But SOB, as it’s often known, has earned a reputation as being a complete SOB, if you’ll pardon my language.Within weeks, the beads are shrivelled or turned to mush, and the befuddled owner just can’t fathom why – they watered it at the same frequency as their other succulents, placed it in the same sunny windowsill, and…