Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2022 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

When it comes to buying, seeing or enjoying things these days, it is the experience that we are being sold as much as the ‘thing’ itself; the buzz word is experiential. Key brands have concept stores, virtual reality headsets offer a location or activity often far beyond our own limitations, and the major paintings of some of our greatest artists are being experienced as large-scale animations that bring the images to life and take our imaginations in new directions with new insights. As gardeners though, it’s good to remember that we can achieve our own fully immersive experience in our gardens – a space to be surrounded by plants that bloom and grow, where we share that space with family, friends and wildlife; where past, present and future are right…

Favourite flowers If you were asked to choose a single flower, what would you pick? For the writer, and fine-art and fashion photographer Juergen Teller it would be a petite wild strawberry, while conservationist Isabella Tree would choose a head of ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris). Both of their choices are included as images in Kate Friend’s evolving exhibition As Chosen By… in which the artist asks creatives and public figures to select a single stem that holds a special meaning for them and then photographs the plant in the chooser’s home or studio. “Relinquishing some control encourages me to relate to the flower in the moment,” says Kate. “By putting myself in a spontaneous environment I use all my senses to find my way to the final work.” The result is…

Apply shading to greenhouses. This will help reduce temperatures now summer has arrived. Use a physical barrier, such as hessian or shade mesh, or apply shade paint to the glass. Summer-prune trained fruit. On apples and pears, shorten current season’s growth back to three buds, while apricot, cherry and peach fans should have entire sections of older stems or branches removed, tying in young replacement growth. Net crops. Be ahead of the game and protect your crops. A combination of beanpoles and bird netting works well for most soft fruits, while butterfly netting will protect brassicas from caterpillar and pigeon damage. Trim topiary. You should leave hedge trimming until late summer to avoid disturbing nesting birds, but clip topiaries now to give the garden a crisp look that contrasts nicely…

Passing through the gatehouse at Stokesay Court in Shropshire, and winding through tall trees past the stable block to the sloping walled garden, it is possible to believe that you are entering another, better world. In place of tyrannical head gardeners of old, two very relaxed people use this acre for growing flowers that are described by florist Shane Connolly as ‘truly among the best in the UK’, grown with passion and flair and without chemicals – something that is self-evident on entering Barney and Victoria Martin’s benign kingdom, which is alive with birdsong, buzzing, and a clutch of feathery Barbu d’Uccle hens. When the couple took on the lease ten years ago and decided to have a go at market gardening, having lived in London and briefly in Shanghai,…

Earliest gardening memory I remember pottering around the garden a lot with my mum as a child and growing sunflowers for school competitions, but my first real memory of getting stuck into gardening was helping at our family’s nursery, weeding the paths in the glasshouse and re-laying weed-suppressant matting. First plant love As a child I loved succulents; I used to collect as many as I could and create succulent gardens in old pots we had lying around. That’s when I started to understand the appeal of gardening; watching them grow and taking off the baby plants, handing them out to friends or family and seeing them grow into bigger plants. Who has inspired your career the most? I came into horticulture without really knowing what I had stepped into.…

1 Alchemilla mollis Scallop-edged foliage contributes to the layers of green in this garden, while the yellow-green flowers add a subtle lift to the planting. 60cm x 75cm. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b† . 2 Thymus serpyllum ‘Pink Chintz’ This evergreen groundcover adds drifts of pink in early summer and softens the lines of the limestone paving. The flowers are edible, and pretty in salads and drinks. 10cm x 50cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b. 3 Selinum wallichianum The fine, frond-like foliage and white umbels bring variation in texture and form, while the claret-tinted stems echo the colours at play in this garden. 1.2m x 90cm. AGM. RHS H6. 4 Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ A short-lived perennial worth including for the long flowering season of hazy spires of pink-white flowers.…

Most people seem to think that horticulture is a restful occupation – soothing, good for your mental health. Not Dave Root. For the longstanding owner of Kelways Plants in Somerset, growing plants has always been something of a high-wire act. But then, he thrives on risk. Faced with a comfort zone, he will strive to be out of it. His idea of leisure is to be out on his paddle board on a choppy Cornish sea. Having studied horticulture at Bath University, Dave’s first job was at a tree and shrub nursery in Wiltshire. Driving to and fro, he would sometimes pass the high iron gates of Kelways Plants, by then grown a little ramshackle, and wonder what lay behind. Founded in 1851, Kelways was once the greatest of nurseries,…

Kate Jacobs Kate visits a small and calm, tree-filled garden, page 46. “I was so impressed by the levels of tranquillity and privacy that Colm Joseph has achieved in this once-overlooked urban garden.” Chris Young Chris examines a well-designed city space, page 112. “‘It was great to see a real garden, being used by real people, with so much to offer – it truly meets its purpose as a modern family garden.” Sietske de Vries Dutch photographer Sietske shoots a forest-themed courtyard garden, page 94. “I was so inspired by this very green, small and optimally designed garden – a lovely outdoor living space.”…

1 Creating Spaces Find more than 200 sculptures from the Cotswold Sculptors Association exhibited in the 17th-century garden of Miserden, with its a topiary yew walk and views over the surrounding deer park. 1 June – 31 July, Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm. From £9. Miserden, Gloucestershire GL6 7JA. Tel 01285 821303, cotswoldsculptorsassociation.com 2 Sustainable Garden Design The Society of Garden Designers is marking its 40th anniversary with a two-day symposium at RHS Garden Wisley on the subject of sustainable and ecological design. Speakers include Dan Pearson, Noel Kingsbury, Marian Boswall, Tom Massey and Sarah Eberle. 9-10 June, 8.45am-11pm Saturday; 8.45am-4.45pm Sunday. From £170. Hilltop Building, RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey GU23 6QB. Tel 0115 968 3188, sgd.org.uk 3 Bramshott Open Gardens Gardens in the Hampshire village of Bramshott will be opening…

PONTECHIUM MACULATUM This lovely echium relative behaves as a short-lived perennial or biennial and is extremely hardy. With handsome, pointed, greyish-green leaves and tall, striking, burgundy-red f lower spikes, it makes an especially good contrast with circular allium f lowers and with the arching and soft-textured grass Stipa tenuissima. Seed germination can be erratic, so be patient and prick the seedlings out as soon as they are big enough to handle, but don’t throw the seed tray away as there may be more to follow. Seed is best sown in midsummer for f lowering the following year. Height and spread 30cm x 30cm. Origin Central Europe to the Balkans. Conditions Free-draining soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b† . Season of interest May to July. LUPINUS ‘NOBLE MAIDEN’ Lupins…

1 Rosa ‘François Juranville’ Rambler, 1866. A rose that is not too thorny and has pliable stems making it good, as Victoria puts, it “for twiddling about on the wall”. Some repeat flowering. 7-8m. AGM*. RHS H6† . 2 Rosa ‘Madame Hardy’ Large shrub, 1832. A strong grower with many-petalled flowers that have a green eye. Thorny and scented, its growing habit can be opened up by training shoots downwards. 1.5m. AGM. RHS H7. 3 Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’ Small shrub, 1837. A healthy rose that Victoria describes as “bringing a touch of gypsy romance”. Flowers only once and has a short vase life but offers a deep fragrance. 1.2m. AGM. RHS H7. 4 Rosa ‘Prosperity’ Large shrub, 1919. A highly fragrant, generous rose with large clusters of small, double, creamy,…

What A diverse range of thistle-like perennials. Though not all are armoured, most have an architectural appearance. Origins Some grow in the sand dunes of northern Europe, others in dry, rocky areas of the Mediterranean and the Near East. E. yuccifolium lives in mid-western USA, and most evergreen species originate in South and Central America. Season Late spring to late summer. Size Ranging in size from a modest 30cm to a domineering 3m. Conditions Given sunshine, an open aspect and free drainage, eryngiums are a hardy and long-lived genus. Hardiness Mainly RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b. *Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. † Hardiness ratings given where available.…

1 Thalictrum ‘Black Stockings’ A useful early season accompaniment to Iris sibirica and astrantias. “The dark stems of this cultivar make it more telling than the species,” says Tom. 2m x 75cm. AGM*. RHS H7, USDA 5a-9b† . 2 Campanula poscharskyana ‘Stella’ A low-growing bellflower that Tom uses extensively with Erigeron karvinskianus to colonise the cracks in the rocks. But he warns, it is very prolific. 20cm x 50cm. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b. 3 Astrantia major ‘Alba’ A long-lived perennial that is well-suited to large-scale planting, and one that Tom describes as being “very fresh and light in early summer”. 90cm x 45cm. RHS H4, USDA 4a-7b. 4 Dianthus carthusianorum Creates bright spots of colour in among grasses and salvias. “The higher parts of the rockery are very dry…

1 Catananche caerulea Short-lived perennial, with greyish foliage and violet-blue flowers. Plants are narrow so best grown in groups or intermingled with other plants. 1m x 30cm. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b† . 2 Echinops ritro Thistle-like foliage in a non-spreading clump. Flowers followed by short-lived but attractive seedheads. 90cm x 45cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-8b. 3 Eragrostis elliottii A beautiful, clump-forming grass from the southeastern USA that excels in hot, dry conditions. Its fine, fawn-coloured foliage ages to tan, and in late summer its arching stems are topped with delicate smoky-grey flowers followed by attractive seedheads. 80cm x 60cm. USDA 6a-9b. 4 Eriogonum fasciculatum A long-lived shrub native to the American West Coast, with papery, grey-white flowers and attractive small leaves. Can be hard-pruned and is very drought tolerant. 1.8m…

Arjan Boekel’s choice of plants and their positioning achieves depth in this 13m by 11m courtyard garden, helping to make it feel larger that its actual size. He wanted to include trees to provide a canopy layer and some shade, and his choice of Nothofagus antarctica, with its light canopy of small leaves and airy branch structure, allows for views through them in all directions. “I also like to leave some space between the lowest branches and the top of the understorey planting.” Although he wanted to create a layered effect to mimic the woodland edge, he did not use shrubs in the central beds. “Shrubs would be too bulky, and compete with the trees.” Instead, he mounded the soil in the beds to a height of about 30cm for…

A monumental timber-and-steel sculpture designed by Heatherwick Studio will soar 21m high in front of Buckingham Palace this month to mark the The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration weekend (2-5 June). The timber branches of the tree-like sculpture, Tree of Trees, will support 350 aluminium pots embossed with the Queen’s cypher that will each contain a British native tree. It marks the country-wide planting of more than a million trees that began in October 2021 as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy campaign. After the celebrations, the trees will be donated to selected community groups and organisations. heatherwick.com…

FROM SEED TO BLOOM: A YEAR OF GROWING AND DESIGNING WITH SEASONAL FLOWERS by Milli Proust Quadrille Q Publishing, £20 ISBN I 978-1787137349 Exquisitely photographed by Éva Németh, this book about growing flowers for cutting and arranging is floral heaven for the Instagram age. Reviewer Georgie Newbery is a flower farmer, florist and author. The layout and content of this beautiful book reflects the author’s enormously popular social media content: from the Hansel and Gretel cottage to the dream greenhouse, from the exquisite light in all the photographs, to the grid layout images on the how-to pages, these dreamy images are recognisable, and therefore intuitively useful, to a highly visually literate readership. The practicalities of plot layout, tool kit, and general notes on growing and floristry are dealt with quickly…

Take advantage of this great summer offer for Gardens Illustrated readers – receive 20 per cent off* across Sarah Raven’s entire range. This includes plants, seeds, bulbs and garden kit, as well as other brilliant ideas for celebrating your garden this summer, such as Sarah Raven’s selection of solar and mains-operated lights. Tried and tested to guarantee beautiful shine and glow as daylight shifts to dusk. Here are some favourites. Colourful Solar Globe Set Hang these pretty coloured bulbs in a tree. Each bulb has its own individual solar panel and will come on automatically at dusk. Set of 4 £16.95 OFFER £13.55 Product code 460125-4 Solar Ammi Majus Stems Exclusive to Sarah Raven, the Solar Ammi Majus Branch is like the best of a firework display, with its open,…

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…

Be sure to check opening times. Some garden visits may need to be pre-booked Ventnor Botanic Garden is one of the first gardens I worked in, and remains one of my favourite places to visit. Situated on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, with an enviable Gulf Stream climate and sheltered from the wind, this garden rarely gets a frost and the plant collections are superb. Storm damage in 1987 provided an opportunity for replanting, which the then curator, Simon Goodenough, set about with energy and vision. Some of the subsequent plantings from around the world are now beginning to reach maturity. Much of the garden has a Mediterranean ‘wild garden’ feel and highlights include some of the oldest Trachycarpus fortunei in the country and forests of Echium…

Victoria and Barney Martin are not veteran rose growers but enthusiastic propagators and collectors, learning as they go. They have roses they can pick pretty much every month of the year, including Rosa x odorata ‘Bengal Crimson’, which flowers sporadically all winter in a sheltered spot. Victoria’s book Favourite Roses for Cutting sets out her ideas for growing roses for enjoying in a garden, as well as in a vase. Here are some of her tips: Avoid anything that is disease-prone and choose naturally healthy cultivars. Plant roses well, with fertile compost, and keep them mulched. Restrict companion planting to airy spires with a small footprint, such as foxgloves, toadflax, alliums and fringe cups (Tellima grandiflora). Make your own organic feed solution (such as garlic and seaweed) and spray once…

Structural planting is an important element of this modern estate garden, and one that can easily be emulated with time and careful maintenance. Parasol-pruned plane trees flank the timber dining pergola. Planes respond well to formative training. Initially, it may be easier to establish the desired shape by pruning in autumn, just before the tree loses its leaves, but thereafter prune in winter, cutting the previous season’s growth right back to a knuckle. Box balls are a structural element that can be used classically to frame an opening or architectural feature, or grouped to form a whimsical set piece in the garden. In areas where box blight or box tree caterpillars are a problem, yew, Ilex crenata, Teucrium and Osmanthus burkwoodii make good alternatives. Yew hedges can formally divide garden…

• All eryngiums need sun and the majority need friable soil and free drainage. Think of their origins in the wild, of sea holly in the open conditions of their native sand dunes and the rocky hillsides and mountainous screes of the Mediterranean where they favour open ground and a non-competitive environment. If your soil is heavy, improve drainage with the addition of grit or plant on a slope where soils tend not to sit wet. • The herbaceous species, which die back to a basal rosette in winter, prefer not to be overshadowed, so find a position with plenty of air that allows light to reach them. Plant lower-growing species to the front of a border so that you can see the handsome basal foliage along with other sun…

Having completed the £32m Masterplan project to restore the house a few years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire looked to undertake a similar revitalising effect on the garden. As well as Tom’s work in the Rock Garden, key projects include: Arcadia “Arcadia is a sort of code name: a link to the painting by Poussin in the house,” explains head gardener Steve Porter, alluding to Nicolas Poussin’s Et in Arcadia Ego. In an initiative supported by Gucci since 2018, this 15-acre area of woodland has been partially cleared and intensively replanted by Tom to create a walk that connects four glades of contrasting character, offering fine views back across to the house and garden. There is a bog garden, the ‘rabbit glade’, with a diagonal vista back to…

“Reusing old materials is always a balancing act,” says Matthew. “Clearly, the environmental benefits are huge – you’re not giving rise to new manufacturing processes or additional shipping or haulage, and you’re reducing your waste to landfill. These things will all save you money too, but there will almost certainly be additional costs for the contractor when working in this way, due to the lack of uniformity of such materials.” When materials are good quality, such as York stone, pantiles or old stock bricks, it’s worth dismantling them carefully, cleaning them up and reusing them as originally intended. If this is not possible, perhaps because you have run-of-the mill or broken bricks, you may be able to repurpose them in other ways – smashing them up and using them as…

9 Achillea crithmifolia A drought-tolerant groundcover with grey foliage that Imogen and Kate keep mown short like a lawn. It’s strongly spreading, so best kept to areas where it can be contained or spread isn’t a problem. 20cm. 10 Achillea coarctata Another groundcover that Imogen and Kate also mow like a lawn, but slower growing than A. crithmifolia and with a more patchy appearance. Elegant silvery leaves and attractive yellow flowers. 15cm. 11 Achillea millefolium The common and best-known yarrow, it is also a notably drought-tolerant potential groundcover, but with lusher foliage. Flowers are usually white. 90cm x 60cm. RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b. 12 Allium cristophii Spectacular large heads of metallic purple flowers are followed by seedheads that last until early autumn. Good for drier soils. 60cm x 20cm. RHS…

WHEN IN ROME Roma Water Feature, H 76.5cm x W 42cm x D 25cm, £225, Cox & Cox, 0330 333 2123, coxandcox.co.uk FOUNTAIN FLOW Adezz Aluminium Water Table, L 4m x D 1m x H 40cm, £6,895.95, Riverhill Garden Supplies, 01732 522471, riverhillgardensupplies.com SCROLL DOWN Lion Wall Bowl Fountain, Portland, H 1,177mm x D 433mm x W 833mm, £699, Haddonstone, 01604 770711, haddonstone.com RIPPLE EFFECT OASE Waterfall Pillar Kit, W 30cm x H 60cm, £359.99, water-garden.co.uk, 023 9237 3735, water-garden.co.uk LITTLE OASIS Water Bowl, Corten steel, D 1m x H 21cm, £280, Urban Grow, urbangrow.co.uk SHEER DROP Ambienté 30cm Stainless Steel Waterfall Cascade Kit, from £99.98, Primrose, 0118 903 5210, primrose.co.uk IN THE ROUND Corten Steel Round Water Pool with Fountain, Ø 1m, £1,605.95, The Worm That Turned, 0345 605…

THE KEW GARDENS COOKBOOK Edited by Jenny Linford, Kew Publishing, £20 ISBN 978-1842467459 Vegetarian recipes from chefs and food writers including Yotam Ottolenghi, Thomasina Miers, Diana Henry and Raymond Blanc. THE FLOWER SCHOOL by Joseph Massie, Quadrille Publishing, £27 ISBN 978-1787138209 A modern take on floral design from Massie, five-time Gold medallist at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. PARKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY: REINVENTED LANDSCAPES, RECLAIMED TERRITORIES by Victoria Newhouse with Alex Pisha, Rizzoli International, £55 ISBN 978-0847870622 Featuring 52 areas of polluted land turned into public landscapes. GARDENS OF THE WORLD: A CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD’S MOST AMAZING GARDENS DK, £25 ISBN 978-0241559246 A sumptuous tour of some of the most beautiful gardens in the world, including Versailles, Giverny and Gardens by the Bay. SOIL TO TABLE by Henrietta…

Japan’s former capital gives meaning to the word ‘historic’, with ancient temples at every turn and an ongoing appreciation of traditional ways. Kyoto is so laden with heritage sites and world-class gardens that the volume of tourist imperatives could work against those seeking zen-like calm. June is a good time to visit: hydrangeas are having their moment, it’s post-cherry blossom time and there are pre-autumn colours to enjoy. Flea markets and food stops Taking time to properly explore a neighbourhood can be very rewarding, seeing how people live now, while surrounded by the rich offerings of past millennia. Lunch could be a focal point, for instance at well-named Monk, located near the string of temples connected by the Philosopher’s Path, where the chef tries to ‘express the beauty and the…