Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

March is the month when spring really takes hold and we can start to enjoy buds and unfurling fresh green leaves, as well as an array of early spring flowers, including our cover stars – hepaticas (page 52). These little shade lovers will brighten up any space with their cheery blooms. This issue we also feature beautiful combinations for spring containers with head gardener Jenny Barnes’s pot display ideas (page 42). If you are planning new planting for your garden right now, check out our guide to perennials you can sow from seed for flowers this year (page 86), with expert picks from our panel including a seed expert, a designer, a head gardener and a nurserywoman. We’re also starting a new occasional series this month with insights and advice…

1 Snowdrop Tours at Dawyck Explore the snowdrop displays at Dawyck Botanic Garden in the Scottish borders on these weekly walks led by experienced garden guides as part of the Scottish Snowdrop Festival. Every Sunday until 27 March, 2-3pm. Entry included in garden admission. Stobo, Peebles EH45 9JU. Tel 01721 760254, rbge.org.uk/visit/dawyck-botanic-garden 2 Wedding Flowers for Beginners Learn how to create a hand-tied bouquet, buttonhole, corsage and table decorations on this one-day workshop. 12 March, 10am-3pm. £98. RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Creephedge Lane, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 8ET. Tel 01245 402019, rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall 3 Robert Indiana: Sculpture 1958-2018 Discover the work of the late American pop artist Robert Indiana as Yorkshire Sculpture Park hosts the first UK exhibition of his sculptures. Spanning six decades of his work, it includes his iconic Love…

STACHYURUS PRAECOX Stachyurus is the only genus in its family, Stachyuraceae, and is made up of just ten species. All are unusual, elegant shrubs from East Asia, but only three species are suitable for temperate gardens, and of those this is probably the most attractive and vigorous. Praecox, a Latin term meaning early, refers to its flowering season, which in a mild year starts in February. Long racemes of soft-yellow flowers make a translucent haze, which is most effective if you can plant several shrubs close together in a drift. Its autumn colour is also good. AGM*. Height and spread 3.5m x 2.5m. Origin Japan. Conditions Versatile in most situations on an acid to neutral soil; seems happiest in sheltered light woodland. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b† . Season of…

I’ve learned so many things through making mistakes in my nursery and talking to people with experience Earliest garden memory My earliest gardening memory has to be running around my Grandma’s garden and climbing her 50-year-old apple trees. I used to sit up in those trees all day and I was never quite sure whether it was because I really loved it or I was just frightened about climbing down. Horticultural hero Charles Dowding, without a doubt. He is so inspirational and is a fantastic advocate for no-dig and organic growing. Vegetable growing is also one of my biggest hobbies and therefore I look up to him for that. Three worthwhile tips for every gardener Tool care is essential: clean and sharp tools mean that you are less likely to…

Dainty, charming and ever so slightly recalcitrant, hepaticas are among the loveliest flowers of spring. Part of the vast buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, Hepatica is made up of around 12 species. The plants are compact and perennial with diverse flowers and intriguingly patterned leaves, yet in British gardens, they remain something of a specialist subject. Hepaticas grow in open, fertile soil under trees and shrubs. In the wild, you find them near rivers and streams In part, this is down to the fact that hepaticas are a challenge to produce in bulk for commercial distribution. The seeds – technically achenes, or single-seeded fruit – need to be sown immediately when ripe and must be exposed to frost the following winter to germinate. As a result, they tend only to be available…

If you’ve ever been to Chiswick, west London, and have been stopped in your tracks by a lovely pocket park, or the sight of verbena swaying in a tree pit, there’s a good chance that Karen Liebreich will be behind it. Not literally – though she is frequently to be found weeding, picking cigarette butts out of flower beds (a particular bug bear) or supervising contractors installing some of her more complicated projects. Without Karen’s drive and tenacity, this city corner would be a more dreary place. SEEING GARDENS ALIVE WITH BEES MAKES ME THINK I’M DOING MY BIT FOR THE PLANET WE’RE SO MERCILESSLY TRASHING A life-long Londoner, Karen’s first horticultural intervention came when a neighbour coolly annexed a patch of unloved land at the end of the road…

Brian Duncan attributes his readiness to show plants to his father, a breeder of Clydesdale horses, who imparted valuable advice to his son: “You may think they are the best in the world – until you take them out to show.” The Northern Irish home of Brian and Betty Duncan in Co Tyrone has been a hub of botanical knowledge and high-level plantsmanship for more than 50 years. It is here, in a busy one-and-three-quarter-acre plot, among cold frames, raised beds, plunge beds and glasshouses, that Brian has meticulously bred and selected a truly impressive range of award-winning daffodils. His work is globally recognised: he has received the RHS Veitch Memorial Medal (2001), a Gold Medal from the American Daffodil Society (1986) and the Dix Medal from the Royal Dutch…

DERRY WATKINS Derry is the owner of Special Plants Nursery in Wiltshire, where she grows unusual plants from all over the world. These first-year flowering perennials will come back in following years, but tend to be short-lived. Most will need replacing (or will replace themselves by self-seeding) every two to three years. 1 Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Bleeding Hearts’ This is a new favourite, with glowing burnt-orange to deep-red tinted flowers, very dark stems and purple-bronze leaves. Young plants will need protection from slug damage. 1.2m. USDA 3a-9b† . 2 Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Knight’ Spectacular, big, near-black flowers speckled with tiny white stamens. A tall plant, usually grown for cutting, this will need some support and a few friends around it to hide its rather unattractive legs. 90cm. RHS H4.…

A cloche traps sunlight to create an environment for plants to flourish. The cast-iron construction provides thermal mass that creates a microclimate. They can be used to protect all kinds of salad plants and vegetables, such as dwarf peas, carrots, radishes, sweetcorn and capsicums as well as fruit like strawberries and melons and flower seedlings such as sweet peas. Cloches also ensure quicker germination and can be used to harden off seedlings in late winter and early spring. Put the cloche into position ten days or a fortnight before sowing seed or planting out seedlings to warm the soil. Crops grown under cloches can obtain all the moisture they require from water falling outside the frame, but make sure the soil is moist enough before seed is sown, especially in…

ON THE SHELF Potting Bench, teak, £2,125, Garpa, 01273 486400, garpa.co.uk CLEAN LINES Williston Forge Finkel Potting Table, £234.99, Wayfair, wayfair.co.uk DEEP STORAGE 2-Drawer Outdoor Base Unit, acacia and concrete £800, Maisons du Monde, 0808 234 2172, maisonsdumonde.com DARK MATERIALS Kettler Aluminium Garden Sideboard, anthracite, £749, John Lewis, 0345 610 0359, johnlewis.com SPRUCE UP THE SHED Aldsworth Potting Table, spruce, £315, Garden Trading, 01993 845559, gardentrading.co.uk NEAT AND TIDY Folklore Potting Up Bench, grey, £200, A Place For Everything, 01244 680501, aplaceforeverything.co.uk SMALL SCALE Norfolk Leisure Florenity Galaxy Potting Table, £155, Hayes Garden World, 015394 82333, hayesgardenworld.co.uk MOVEABLE FEAST Outsunny Metal Potting Bench, £84.99, The Range, 0345 026 7598, therange.co.uk PANTRY STYLE Pantry Large Work Table, teak/stainless steel, £2,039, The Worm That Turned, 0345 605 2505, worm.co.uk…

A four-island archipelago with an eponymous main island, Madeira is in flower all year, supported by a mild climate and volcanic soil. Add spectacular scenery and a network of walkable irrigation canals, and it’s a big offering for a small island. Flower island The first people known to live on Madeira were 15th-century Portuguese settlers, who found forested cliffs over the ocean, waterfalls and interior highlands. In time, the long-life island wine became invaluable for traders who broke their long journeys on the island, while plant hunters passing through from the south and the east to northern Europe introduced such Madeiran landscape stalwarts as protea, camellia and agapanthus. Native plants include the geraniums G. palmatum and G. maderense, and there are at least 150 endemic floral species, supported by a…

Clive Nichols Clive photographs the gardens at Lower Bowden Manor, page 32. “Shooting the orchard of daffodils in full flower at sunrise was a magical moment for me and one I will never forget.” Jenny Barnes Jenny begins a new series on stylish container planting, page 42. “It was fun to showcase my favourite plants of the season. Hopefully this month’s pots bring some spring cheer.” Naomi Slade Naomi learns more about the varied world of hepaticas, page 52. “The hepaticas at Ashwood Nurseries are gorgeous and it has been a pleasure to explore a plant of such infinite variety.”…

My goal is to spend most of March in Mrs Nextdoor’s glasshouse, sowing seed, pricking out and moving seedlings around. I feel so lucky to have this additional space. It really is such a luxury, especially at this time of year when it feels like everything is happening at once. Every year, I have a bit of a panic when I think I am not going to have enough space – whether that is for my pricked-out seedlings or for the plants themselves in the garden. Yet I cannot stop myself sowing more and more seeds. Perhaps that is what people mean when they talk about spring fever. One crop I always sow under glass in March is peas, but other candidates for early sowing include sorrel, lettuce, Swiss chard,…

Be sure to check opening times. Some garden visits may need to be pre-booked The beautiful garden at Borde Hill has been owned by the Clarke family since 1893. In the early 20th century, the Clarkes were enthusiastic sponsors of many great plant collectors. Ernest Wilson, Frank Kingdon-Ward, George Forrest, Joseph Rock and Reginald Farrer all received their support. The only condition the family asked was that they could receive specimens of the new introductions. As a result, the garden has one of the best collections of trees and shrubs in the country, boasting more than 80 champion trees, the highest concentration in the UK. Although this is a historic garden, it is full of life and progression, with many new tree plantings and continued developments through the generations. Set…

FOREST FLORA I came across this gnarly, old tree stump while walking on the Cottesbrooke estate and knew its craggy, rustic appearance would be the perfect backdrop for a display of small woodland plants. People are often daunted by shady areas, which have a reputation for being difficult, but there are so many fantastic spring perennials, such as Chrysosplenium macrophyllum with its reddish-brown foliage and pretty green-white flowers, that relish the shady conditions and deserve to be showcased. How to achieve the look Container and composition I needed to create a reasonably sized planting pocket within the tree stump and so I hollowed out the centre using a chisel (a small axe or hand saw might be needed depending on the variety of wood). I also added a smaller planting…

What Small, clump-forming perennials in the buttercup family, characterised by their lobed leaves. Usually evergreen but occasionally deciduous. Origins Distributed widely across the northern temperate zone. Season Usually flowering March to May. The plants will bloom a little earlier if grown in a cold greenhouse. Size From 4cm to 40cm high. Conditions Light soil and good drainage are essential, with sunshine and moisture in spring and shade in summer. Hardiness European species are reliably hardy outdoors in the UK; other species are better grown in a cold greenhouse. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. † Hardiness ratings given where available.…

It isn’t difficult to find The Plantsman’s Preference nursery in the relatively flat landscape of the Norfolk countryside. The nursery, on the edge of the snug village of South Lopham, sits just across the road from the 12th-century church of St Andrew’s, a stately local landmark with an impressively tall tower that can be seen for miles around. Herbaceous perennials make up the bulk of stock, but there are interesting shrubs and climbers, and even a few tender gems Owned and run by Tim Fuller, the nursery is sited on a plot of about five acres, which it has steadily grown into over the years. Although herbaceous perennials make up the bulk of the nursery’s stock, there are many interesting shrubs and climbers suitable for a variety of garden situations,…

Recommended seed suppliers • Chiltern Seeds Tel 01491 824675, chilternseeds.co.uk • Crocus crocus.co.uk • Moles Seeds Tel 01206 213213, wholesale.molesseeds.co.uk • Mr Fothergills Tel 0333 777 3936, mr-fothergills.co.uk • Nicky’s Nursery Tel 01843 600972, nickys-nursery.co.uk • Plants of Distinction Tel 01449 721720, plantsofdistinction.co.uk • Plant World Seeds Tel 01803 872939, plant-world-seeds.com • Sarah Raven Tel 0345 092 0283, sarahraven.com • Special Plants Tel 01225 891686, specialplants.net • Thompson & Morgan Tel 0844 573 1818, thompson-morgan.com…

THE VEGETABLE GROWER’S HANDBOOK: UNEARTH YOUR GARDEN’S FULL POTENTIAL by Huw Richards Dorling Kindersley Ltd, £16.99 ISBN 978-0241481325 This latest offering from wunderkind veg grower Huw Richards is filled with thoughtful advice designed to bring abundance to your veg patch. Reviewer Claire Ratinon is an author and organic food grower. The grow-your-own book market has become a somewhat saturated space (I should know, as I added to it in 2020), so it can be a challenge to come up with an innovative take that stands out on a crowded bookshelf. Yet The Vegetable’s Grower’s Handbook manages this, woven through as it is with thoughtful guidance and novel advice aimed at encouraging the reader to consider how they might develop their own growing style. By opening the book with the all-important…

James Basson James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design, a practice 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. She lives…

Full of beans If you’re still undecided on which beans to sow this spring, take a look at the Organic Gardening Catalogue. Among its tempting new cultivars for 2022 are the runner bean ‘White Swan’ (above) and the world’s first autumn-cropping broad bean ‘Luz de Otono’. All are supplied as garden-ready plants, grown in peat-free soil. ‘White Swan’ costs £11.99 for 15 plants, sent out from May, and ‘Luz de Otono’ is £11.99 for 12 plants, sent out from July. organiccatalogue.com Community collaboration The RHS has announced it will create four new major Community Gardens – one in each of the home nations. In January, communities and schools were invited to apply for RHS Community Grants worth up to £50,000 each for their proposed projects, with the winning spaces being…

As I start to sow seeds under glass, I keep detailed notes of what I’ve done and when, and try to remember to write the year on the front of the seed packets, so I can see at a glance when I bought them and how long they have been open. This is the last chance for tidying before the growing season starts. Go through your pots and remove any sad-looking foliage, and chuck out plants that haven’t made it through the winter. Top dress those that remain with a sprinkle of food, such as organic chicken manure pellets, and a layer of fresh compost. If you are forcing rhubarb, remember to keep it well watered. Sitting under cover, it’s easy to forget about, but regular watering will stimulate growth…

This courtyard garden, in the historic centre of Utrecht, did not have the most promising of starts. Previously a dusty little parking area for an imposing 19th-century townhouse, garden designer Erik Funneman says that the owner asked him for “a green painting that he could enjoy day and night, all year round”, while also retaining a spot to park his car. Erik, a passionate gardener since childhood, typically favours using lots of perennials and grasses, and strives to create layers in his gardens, from tree canopy down to groundcover. “Hard landscaping is important but, for me, it’s all about the plants themselves and creating really green gardens that embrace nature and the seasons,” he says. In this shady courtyard, perennials were never going to be the best approach, but Erik…

• The most reliable hepaticas for UK gardens are cultivars of European Hepatica nobilis and H. transsilvanica, and their hybrid H. x media. Given the right conditions, H. maxima may also be hardy. Asian and American hepaticas are fussier and it is worth building up a degree of expertise before experimenting with Japanese cultivars in the garden, as they are both more tender and more expensive. • Species and cultivars vary in their preferences. In Japan, hepaticas spend winter insulated by snow and detest harsh, drying winds, so are best grown under glass in the UK. H. maxima likes humidity and deep shade, while H. transsilvanica will take a warmer, drier site as long as its roots can penetrate a cool alpine crevice, or run under a rock. • Grown…

Turn your compost heap. Increased aeration will help it break down quicker. Spread out any finished compost around emerging plants or use in seed drills for vegetables. For trees and shrubs, spread the compost out to the drip line at the edge of the canopy. If you have enough space consider creating more than one compost heap. One could be fungally dominated (using raked up autumn leaves, dead stems and plant material over winter), while another could be bacterially dominated (using more food waste and grass clippings). If you have a weed problem try using fungally dominated composts in these areas; most weeds will thrive in bacterially dominated ones. Try to not dig or rotovate your vegetable or annual beds as you are destroying the structure of the soil. If…

Cast in iron and typically painted off-white, they sit in stately rows on vegetable plots, their elegant appearance that of diminutive glasshouses. Traditional cast-iron garden cloches with their pitched roofs resemble little houses or lanterns, neatly arranged to shelter shallots in bitter February or defenda crop of chard from hungry snails, and help yield bountiful supplies of salad leaves and herbs in cooler months. These helpful garden tools are used to produce earlier, faster and out-of-season crops by creating an environment like that of a greenhouse, and protecting plants and seedlings against the cold, wind and rain. Early cloches were large, dome-shaped glass bell jars (their name comes from the French for bell), which were used by market gardeners in France. In the late 17th century, horticulturist and diarist John…

THE JOY OF WEEDS by Paul Farrell, Harper Collins Publishers, £9.99, ISBN 978-1911622635 This colourful book, with 50 illustrations by the author, celebrates wild plants across the world, and passes on some quirky history and facts along the way. A PETAL UNFOLDS by Susan Beech, Pavilion, £18.99, ISBN 978-1911663720 Renowned artist Susan Beech sets out simple instructions on how to make beautiful paper flower arrangements for decorating your home. THE SEASONAL GARDENER by Anna Pavord (Revised Edition), Phaidon Press Ltd, £29.99, ISBN 978-1838663988 This revised and updated edition of the popular 2004 release (out on 1 April), contains a selection of 60 ‘star plants’ and details how best to pair them for perfect combinations. LIVING GREEN IN THE CITY by Ophelie Damble, Hardie Grant Books UK, £16.99, ISBN 978-1784885007 Uncover…