Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

At the turn of the last century, gardener Charles Jones photographed vegetables he had grown in a way that recognised their beauty, earthiness and painterly qualities. Using austere backgrounds and delicate attention to form and shading, Jones elevated turnips, beans, marrows and cauliflowers through studio portraiture. In this issue, gardener Bea Andrews offers a practical guide to using beautiful, ornamental vegetables to make an edible bouquet. Good, strong leaves of chard, chicory or endive, shrubby evergreen herbs in purple and green and freshly unearthed carrots or beets tied with a matching ribbon make a wonderful – and delicious – gift for family and friends. We also visit a garden in the depths of a woodland that was once coppiced to supply charcoal to the gunpowder industry. Today, willow, birch and…

ECO-SAVVY SOIL As a student of environmental geography, 20-year-old George Davies knows better than most why gardeners need to replace peat in their compost – its extraction is not only destroying vital habitats, it is also adding to climate change by releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. Now George has developed his own peat-free alternative for growing healthy, pest-free plants that uses coir, a sustainable by-product of the Sri Lankan coconut industry. For Peat’s Sake comes in a light, dehydrated pack, and once you’ve added water each pack makes around 11.5 litres of growing medium. Packs cost £7 from forpeatssake.co.uk Guided by the experts Whether you’re fascinated by plant science or interested in getting the advice of a horticultural expert on what it takes to maintain a beautiful garden, Cambridge University…

If you feel the same way as I do about leeks, rejoice – November is the time to start lifting and eating these most versatile and helpful of vegetables. The backbone of almost any soup, stew or slow-cooked dish you can think of, I also love to see them take on a starring role, for example in a chicken and leek pie or tucked into a tart with some crumbled Stilton. November is also the time when I stop admiring my winter squashes and pumpkins and start tucking in. Spiced pumpkin soup is always welcome after a cold morning’s digging and pumpkin mash makes a welcome change from the ubiquitous potato served alongside grilled chops or sausages. I also love to make a pumpkin pie, and will often serve it…

SUCCULENT ODYSSEY Succulents have risen in popularity in recent years and rightly so, coming in so many different weird and wonderful forms. This collection of glaucous silvery species ranges from the intriguing Curio articulatus , with sausage-shaped stem segments topped with a tree-like canopy of succulent leaves, to the very attractive Echeveria ‘Blue Curls’. Its fleshy undulating rosettes with their pink margins wouldn’t look out of place on a coral reef. How to achieve the look Container and composition I prefer using traditional, shallow terracotta pots for succulents as they help to show off the individual character of each species. Here my intention was to combine several different silver-formed succulents each with its own unique style. The two taller species from South Africa look very different. Caputia tomentosa has a…

A pandemic first ignited Jon Stokes’ love of trees. During the late 1960s, a devastating outbreak of Dutch elm disease killed millions of trees across the UK, and as part of its response, the government launched a countrywide scheme snappily entitled ‘Plant a Tree in ’73’. Jon’s father got involved, organising 50 trees to be planted for the 50 houses in their street. Jon was seven at the time, and already deeply absorbed in natural history, but as he says, “That was what really opened my eyes to trees.” He grew up on a big, new housing estate at Portchester near Portsmouth, on the side of Portsdown Hill, where he still lives today. “My parents’ house came with half an acre of chalk downland that had simply been fenced in…

Aland of lavender and burnt sienna sunsets beckoned Page Dickey and Bosco Schell to New England when they realised their much-fêted garden at Duck Hill in New York had become a Herculean challenge. The intention was “to buy tomatoes now, not grow them” so the move to 17 acres and a drop in climate zone to build bridges across a wetland fen in Litchfield County, Connecticut took their friends by surprise. But Church House, built in 1793 as the first Methodist church to be erected in New England, was something of a call of the wild for them both and the wetland fen is only one in a rich matrix of interlocking habitats they now inhabit. The limestone boulder-strewn woodland with a quarry, from which yard-long icicles drip in winter,…

In grey November, when the garden is on the ebb, it’s lovely to lift the atmosphere in the house with plants indoors. We pay particular attention to the entrance as it sets the tone for the rest of the house, and adds a nice touch when welcoming visitors. During the warmer months, plants might greet friends on the porch and steps outside, but in autumn we keep the displays sheltered in the vestibule and hall. Looking from the hall, the light backdrop to the doorway makes an ideal canvas for the plants to be set against, and the display can be particularly striking when the larger plants have the sunlight filtering through their foliage. The variegated form of the Swiss cheese plant makes the most of this occasion. The lustrous,…

Often I find the house in the wood. The grains and the knots show me where to cut Yukihiro Akama has always loved wood. As a child, living in Miyagi Prefecture in the north of Honshu, Japan’s main island, he would walk in the pine and cedar woods with his father, foraging for mushrooms and berries. As a student of architecture and landscape design, and a self-confessed hippie, he focused his work around the properties and possibilities of bamboo. And, since graduation, wood has formed the core of a career that has spanned carpentry, house building and design, a spell as a lumberjack, and now art – as a designer and maker of miniature houses, which are at the same time both comfortingly familiar and unsettlingly strange. The same could…

LIFE IN THE STUDIO by Frances Palmer Artisan, £27.99 ISBN 978-1579659059 Potter Frances Palmer distills the lessons she has learned in the studio and cutting garden into a visual feast and stunning manual for current and aspiring creatives. BERRIES by Victoria Dickenson Reaktion, £16 ISBN 978-1789141931 Victoria Dickenson traces the humble berry’s journey across cultures and through the centuries with humour and passion. THE WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TREES by Tony Russell Armadillo Books, £20 ISBN 978-0754834755 A reference guide to more than 1,300 of the most spectacular, best-loved and unusual trees found across the globe. GARDENING CONTEMPLATIONS Trigger Publishing, £9.99 ISBN 9781789562071 A compilation of quotes, poems and passages on the importance of contemplative reflection – all inspired by the art of floriculture. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF BUTTERFLIES by Josef H…

Sarah Cuttle Sarah photographs Fern Alder’s woodland garden, page 32. “Fern’s garden, for me, is the future of gardening: sustainable, all about the wildlife and a complete joy to spend time in.” Bea Andrews Bea shows how to create a bouquet of edible plants, page 68. “I love celebrating the end of a busy growing year with edible gift bouquets packed full of glorious autumn produce.” Tania Compton Tania visits Page Dickey’s garden, page 72. “Page is the sort of person who always puts a posy of flowers and a few carefully selected books on a bedside table. Church House exudes with her charm.” CONTRIBUTING EDITORS James Basson James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design with his wife Helen, specialising in low-maintenance and dry…

ACER PALMATUM ‘SEIRYU’ I remember being excited to see this plant in a small pot when it was first introduced to the UK, as it had the finely cut leaf form of the smaller dissected-leaved group with the larger growth habit of taller Japanese maples. I have still not seen another cultivar with this combination. The intervening years have not disappointed either as ‘Seiryu’ makes an open, slightly rounded, broad-topped, small tree that beautifully accentuates the delicate tracery of its foliage. That it produces a reliably glorious bonfire of autumn colour, one of the last in the season to do so, is just icing on the cake. AGM*. Height 6m. Origin Garden (species Japan). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b† . Season of interest Summer to…

I grew a Himalayan banana plant when I was 14 years old; I’ve never looked back Earliest gardening memory Planting conkers from a horse chestnut tree that grew just up the road from our house. My mother and I also grew other tree seeds that we collected, such as a hazel that I still have growing in the garden today, which is now 2.5m tall. First plant love The Himalayan banana Musa sikkimensis. This was one of the first exotic plants I grew when I was about 14 years old and I’ve never looked back. Favourite garden that has influenced you I used to volunteer at the Will Giles Exotic Garden in Norwich, and this is where I really got the bug, in among all the exotic plants. This was…

I have always been fascinated by beautiful ornamental vegetables, especially ones maturing in the autumn. Their colours are deep and glossy with earthy tones and lush textures, they look painterly arranged in a basket and make fantastic gifts for foodie friends and family. They are even more attractive when arranged as an edible bouquet. Members of the brassica group offer a great selection of vegetables in the autumn in all shapes and colours with good strong leaves and stems. Different varieties of kale, small vibrant cauliflowers and later in the season sprouting broccoli or Brussels florets still on their stems make for a striking ingredient in an edible bouquet. Herbs with long stems and woody branches add aroma and texture with lovely shades of silver, deep green to purple. Shrubby,…

What A private garden surrounded by meadows and woodland. Where Connecticut, USA. Soil Calcareous (the garden is on limestone ledge rock). Quick-draining near house; deep rich soil in low woods and fen. Size 17 acres. Climate Hot summers and cold winters, usually with a good deal of snow. Hardiness zone USDA 5b. Facing page Page Dickey’s new home, Church House in Connecticut, was built in the 18th century as a Methodist church. Towering above it is huge Acer saccharum , a “great and glorious sugar maple with furrowed bark streaked with black green moss” that is within touching distance of Page’s third-floor study window. This image Moss-encrusted limestone boulders in one of Church House’s meadows marks a transition to the solid rock of the high woods behind.…

1 Pelargonium ionidiflorum A very smart little pelargonium that produces mounds of hairy green foliage, atop which are small, bright-pink flowers held on thin, wiry stems. Deadhead to promote more flowers. 20cm. RHS H1C† . 2 Pelargonium ‘Lady Plymouth’ A very elegant variegated pelargonium with crinkled, scented foliage. It bears pinks blooms through the summer. Cultivate in a sunny, cool but frost-free greenhouse or windowsill. 1m. AGM*. RHS H1C. 3 Fuchsia ‘Wharfedale’ A long-flowering, hardy fuchsia that produces plump flowers with pale-pink sepals and cerise petals. Keep the plants cool and moist, and feed weekly. 60cm. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b. 4 Phlebodium aureum Davana (= ‘Raadphle01’) This wonderful mutation of the golden polypodium has lovely glaucous, jade-green leaves with a texture loosely resembling curly kale. It likes moist, light…

ALL ROUND VENTILATION Rowlinson Shelter Logic Log Rack, £83.99, 126x118cm, Rowlinson Garden Products, 01829 261121, rowgar.co.uk GREEN ROOF Maxi Log Store, £399, 166x128cm, Bluum, 01275 462647, bluum.co.uk CONTEMPORARY Moreton Cross Log Store, £280, 110x91cm, Garden Trading, 01993 845559, gardentrading.co.uk DUAL PURPOSE Corten Garden Bench & Log Store, £745, 200x43cm, Harrod Horticultural, 0333 400 6400, harrodhorticultural.com PAINTED FINISH City Log Store in Orford cream, from £312, 89.5x132.5cm, Garden Trellis, 01255 688361, gardentrellis.co.uk IN THE ROUND The Woodstock Original Circular Log Store, small, £250, 50cm diameter, Parker & Coop, 01932 850140, parkerandcoop.com WEATHERPROOF Aldsworth Outdoor Storage Box, £180, 80x43cm, Garden Trading, 01993 845559, gardentrading.co.uk GEOMETRIC The Woodstock Squares Log Store, £795, 150x150cm, Parker & Coop, 01932 850140, parkerandcoop.com COMPACT Black Apex Log Store, £135.99, 120x91.5cm, Rowlinson Garden Products, 01829 261121, rowgar.co.uk…

It may sound strange, but for me November – far from spelling the end of the season – marks the start of the gardening year. One of the wonderful things about growing vegetables in particular is the regular opportunity it offers to start afresh, to put the mistakes and failures of the previous season behind you and begin again with a blank slate. By the beginning of November, Great Dixter is closed to the public, and so the work of clearing up and preparing for the next year can begin in earnest. I love it. But of course there is a time for everything, and by the end of a long winter I am always very happy for the gates to be open again and visitors to be coming through,…

It’s usually quite easy to imagine the gardens behind houses, but some are a complete surprise. Walking along a terrace of boxy 1960s’ buildings, nothing quite prepares you for ancient woodland crossed by a meandering watercress stream with a lush wetland garden in between, especially in the driest part of Kent. The backdrop, and major part of this garden, is Alder Carr woodland, established and coppiced centuries ago to supply charcoal for the gunpowder industry in Faversham, a habitat described by the Woodland Trust as: ‘Wild, transient, boggy and rare. Trees like Alder, Willow and Birch dominate on wet soils, while sedges, ferns and mosses flourish beneath’. How appropriate then that the owner of this very special place should be named after two of its most prolific plants: Fern Alder.…

What A genus of tender, flowering perennials made up of more than 1,000 species. Foliage species are becoming increasingly desirable for pots and mixed borders. Origins Subtropical and tropical areas of South America ( B . luxurians , B . solananthera and B . maculata are all from Brazil), Southern Asia, from Nepal to Indo-China ( B . hatacoa ) and central to southern Africa ( B . sutherlandii ). Season Summer and late autumn before winter frosts; all year round as houseplants. Size From about 20cm up to 1.5m. Conditions A sheltered position with moist yet well-drained soil. Semi shade and bright, indirect sunlight is preferred. Hardiness Begonias are tender perennials with hardiness ratings of RHS H1B to H2, and are suitable for gardens in USDA zones 10a-12. In…

As a designer, Jeremy Allen has an instinct for enclosure and strong form, coupled with a feel for the weighting of spaces and plantings. “I always want a strongly defined structure,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s linear or curves. It means that it is readable all year round. Then I overlay it with abundant planting.” Topiary shapes pop up all over the garden, including along the entrance drive, where clipped hollies create a kind of fanfare, but Jeremy’s urge to experiment with form is nowhere more evident than in this mid garden. Here, a sloping lawn is stridently crossed by a series of beds containing Molinia caerulea ‘Edith Dudszus’, which was inspired by Oudolf’s grass beds at Scampston Hall in North Yorkshire. These beds have latterly been augmented…

1 Choose your crops Leafy vegetables and herbs need to be well hydrated before arranging, so pick the day before and stand the stems in a jug of water for an hour or overnight before you arrange your bouquet. 2 Make mini bunches Creating a few smaller bunches of individual vegetables and herbs will make it easier to assemble the bouquet later. Tape together these mini bunches with florist tape to avoid bruising the stems. 3 Additional support Vegetables without a stem to hold will need support, either by securing florist wire or inserting a long wooden skewer into their sturdy base about 3cm deep. I added these to my aubergine, cauliflower, lettuce and endive. 4 Forming the bouquet Once you are ready to bunch your vegetables together, then treat…

1 Lobelia spicata A beautiful and delicate native flower that looks especially lovely growing in Page’s fields among rudbeckias in July. More delicate than its cousin L. siphilitica, which is also native to Connecticut, and more tolerant of dry conditions. Happy in full sun and half shade. 80-90cm. USDA 4a- 9b† . 2 Asclepias tuberosa Another meadow native, which is particularly loved by monarch butterflies. It happily seeds and spreads in the poor soil and limestone of Page’s back field where it is particularly dry. 90cm. RHS H4. 3 Rudbeckia hirta A native perennial that grows among fleabane in the dry soil of the back west field. Best in full sun. It is the preferred source of nectar of the endangered northern metalmark butterfly. 90cm. USDA 3a-7b. 4 Aquilegia canadensis…

Burnham Orchids Forches Cross, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 6PZ. Tel 01626 352233, orchids.uk.com Orchid specialist that offers mail order. Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm. Fibrex Nurseries Honeybourne Road, Pebworth, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 8XP. Tel 01789 720788, fibrex.co.uk Specialist in ferns and pelargoniums. Offers mail order. Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm, September to February (see website for spring and summer opening times). Lower Kenneggy Nurseries Rosudgeon, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 9AR. Tel 07584 838695, lowerkenneggynurseries.co.uk Large collection of unusual and exotic plants from across the world. Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm. Closed December to February. New Covent Garden Flower Market Nine Elms Lane, Nine Elms, London SW8 5NX. Tel 020 7720 2211, newcoventgardenmarket.com Trade and retail. Monday to Saturday, 4-10am.…

RHS DO BEES NEED WEEDS?: A GARDENER’S COLLECTION OF HANDY HINTS FOR GREENER GARDENING by Holly Farrell and Gareth Richards Octopus Publishing, £14.99 ISBN 978-1784727147 A compendium of practical and easy-to-understand advice that will help you to garden in sustainable and environmentally friendly ways. Reviewer John Hoyland is a plantsman and writer. The authors of Do Bees Need Weeds? point out that gardens in the UK occupy more space than the combined area of all of the country’s Nature Reserves, and so the way we garden potentially has an enormous impact on the natural world and particularly on climate change and biodiversity. The aim of this book is to help even those whose gardens might extend only to a few pots or a window box to become greener gardeners. The…

The main stumbling block when it comes to turning your home into an indoor jungle is the distinct lack of trees. This may sound ridiculous, but think about it – many of the houseplants we love to grow are epiphytes, which live above ground, anchored in the nooks and crannies of trunks and branches. Epiphytes make good houseplants because they are adapted to coping with a limited root run and a patchy water supply, but like a toddler at a park, they need something to clamber over. The name Philodendron translates to tree lover, so it’s perhaps not surprising that many species will sulk and refuse to grow if left to hang. (There are always exceptions of course: the so-called self-heading species such as Philodendron erubescens 'Imperial Red' stay shrubby…