Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

We've reached peak holiday season and with it the perfect moment to enjoy our gardens and outside spaces. There's much talk about the additional demands we now put on our gardens – spaces to entertain, outdoor kitchens and gyms, mindful sanctuaries – and that's before we've even started growing anything, or taken into account current climate concerns. By way of inspiration this issue, we're highlighting five gardens that each show ingenuity and style in bringing small spaces to life (page 51) for their owners. From a tucked-away city corner, to a surprising urban jungle, the melding of hard and soft landscaping ensure these spaces are used to the full. Plus we ask each of the gardens’ designers to give us their top tips when it comes to tackling small spaces…

Be sure to check opening times. Some garden visits may need to be pre-booked. Sussex is blessed with many remarkable gardens and Nymans is a must for any plant lover visiting the area. The heart of the garden we see today was established in the first half of the 20th century by Ludwig Messel, his son Leonard and head gardener, James Comber. As they developed the garden, they sponsored many plant finders working in Asia in return for their precious new seeds. Today many of these original specimens are champion trees. In 1925-27 James Comber's son, Harold, also undertook expeditions, to Chile and Tasmania, resulting in one of the most remarkable plant collections in England. The Messels also became fascinated by hybridising their new collections, giving rise to many wonderful…

GARDENING TALENT Don't overthink things, just give it a try. It's trial and error – and it's often surprising what does survive First plant love Lavender – my mum would always pick out lavender for me to sniff as she was interested in aromatherapy. I'd like to encourage this sort of early connection with plants with my young cousins. Who has inspired you? My grandparents have been key. I went back to Jamaica to visit them when I was 14 and it really opened my eyes to see the way they were growing bananas, oranges and avocados, all in the garden. I was struck by their passion for their land and landscape. It's something that has encouraged me to think about the importance of connecting people to an urban landscape.…

• How you grow your abutilons will largely depend on how mild your climate is or how sheltered the site. In the UK, most abutilons are only reliably hardy in coastal regions or within the shelter and warmth of a city centre garden. If you can grow them in the garden, choose a bright position that has occasional shade. • Although abutilons will grow in very sunny situations, they perform better in dappled shade. The leaves of some variegated cultivars can be scorched by too much sunlight. To produce so many flowers, a plant needs a lot of energy so incorporate plenty of manure or compost into the soil before planting and mulch every autumn with compost. • When growing abutilons in pots use a loam-based compost, and during the…

Consistency is key Stefano Marinaz favours simplicity and continuity, with fuss-free hard landscaping, organicshaped paths and planting to blur boundaries. In small spaces, the textures, finishes and colours of the hard landscaping should knit together. For the project in northwest London, the light-coloured gravel path is a visual continuation of the tiles on the terrace and these blend well with the pots. You can adapt the use of elements such as pots to continue the scheme and give them another function, as we did, transforming an Atelier Vierkant pot into a firepit and coffee table. We love using paths that meander through the planting. The width of the path should vary, allowing for different angles and views of the garden. An asymmetric layout provides more viewpoints, and naturalistic planting brings…

EDIBLE WILD PLANTS AND HERBS by Pamela Michael Grub Street, £25 ISBN 978-1911667346 Both a field guide and cookbook for budding foragers, with illustrations by one of the country's leading botanical artists. THE GARDENER'S YEARBOOK by Martyn Cox Mitchell Beazley, £18.99 ISBN 978-1784728151 An experienced horticulturist's monthly guide to gardening, with wise, clear and helpful advice on tackling the essential tasks and dealing with problems. HOW TO GROW by Marcus Bridgewater HarperOne, £17.99 ISBN 978-0063141445 The social media star known as Garden Marcus shares tips on caring for oneself and one's plants, with lessons for growth rooted in his gardening experiences. HOW TO PLANT A ROOM AND GROW A HAPPY HOME by Morgan Doane and Erin Harding Laurence King Publishing, £12.99 ISBN 978-0857829061 By the authors of How to Raise…

Noel Kingsbury Noel visits a cleverly designed and richly planted garden in the Netherlands, page 32. “This is a garden that embraces colour while also reflecting a distinctly Dutch heritage of design too.” Sonya Patel Ellis Sonya explores a Miria Harris-designed small garden, page 56. “I love how Miria curated nature to transform this tiny corner into a green oasis and sensory al fresco dining area.” Marnie Hawson Marnie photographs the private family garden of Australian designer Kathleen Murphy, page 90. “I love Kathleen's gardens so much that I got her to design one for my house.” CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 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.…

1 Tracey Emin: I Lay Here For You Jupiter Artland's newest permanent artwork, Tracey Emin's I Lay Here For You (right), forms the centrepiece of a new exhibition. Alongside the new 6m bronze, sited by Emin in a beech grove, will be new works presented by the artist in Jupiter's indoor gallery spaces. Until 2 October, 10am-4pm. Included in garden admission of £10. Jupiter Artland, Bonnington House, Steadings, Wilkieston, Edinburgh EH27 8BY. Tel 01506 889900, jupiterartland.org 2 Flower Farm Tour Take a guided tour with Georgie Newbery from Common Farm Flowers around the farm's seven acres of garden and cut flower patches and learn more about how a flower farm works. 10 August, 12pm and 6pm. £15. Common Farm Flowers, Barrow Lane, Charlton Musgrove, Somerset BA9 8HN. Tel 01963 32883,…

Keeping everything going in the garden can become a struggle as summer continues, especially if conditions remain hot and dry. While additional watering, feeding and cutting back helps keep things fresh, planting to match conditions is key. In the borders and cut-flower beds annuals, dahlias and tender salvias work well, though I also find reliable summerflowering perennials a real help. From South Africa herald many good contenders including agapanthus, kniphofias and pelargoniums and, in mild or coastal areas, you might try half-hardy species such as Melianthus major and Watsonia pillansii. In our sunny entrance borders, generous clumps Agapanthus ‘Windsor Grey’ create dramatic repetition, softened by airy swathes of Calamintha nepeta ‘Blue Cloud’ and the continuous flowering of Oenothera lindheimeri. These happily sit alongside other heat lovers, including Allium ‘Summer Beauty’,…

SMALL GARDEN 1 KEY ELEMENTS What Long, thin, city garden. Where Northwest London. Size 50m × 5.5m, with Stefano concentrating his design on the area nearest the house. Soil Good, moisture retentive yet free-draining loam. Aspect South-facing. Special features Atmospheric, ‘jungle’ planting with a pebble seat and focal arch. Designed by Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture (stefanomarinaz.com). When garden designer Stefano Marinaz first visited this Victorian terraced home in northwest London, he was not expecting its back garden to offer a trip into the unknown. Having gained access through the house, which was being extended and refurbished at the time, he was met with a rather sorry space where intertwining paths demarcated narrow planting beds edged in dying box. So far, so unremarkable. “But the further I went, the more overgrown…

IN BRIEF What Sustainable family garden that acts as a testbed for its designer owner. Where Victoria, Australia. Size Just under two acres. Soil Heavy volcanic black clay. Climate From 40ºC in summer, to -5ºC with frosts in winter. Hardiness zone USDA 10. With more than 14 years of honing her craft in landscape garden design, Australian-born expert Kathleen Murphy understands how both the surrounding vernacular and a client's individual interior style play a vital role in shaping the creative process behind each of her garden designs. Clients are drawn to her personal touch and magical ability to transform a space into something special, as if it has always belonged. “For me it is important to integrate the prevailing landscape into the look and feel of any outdoor space I…

DAHLIA ‘MAGENTA STAR’ This is one of the best single-flowered dahlias, with generous magenta blooms that stand out perfectly against its soft-purple foliage and almost-black stems. It can, however, be tricky to grow, so it's best to lift the tubers in the autumn for winter storage. These can be divided and planted in spring, although we usually get most success by forcing tubers in late winter under glass and harvesting basal cuttings from these mother plants. It is important to get strong tubers for overwintering so we always do this by growing some stock in the kitchen garden. AGM*. Height and spread 1.5m × 1.5m. Origin Garden (species Mexico and Central America). Conditions Fertile soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H3, USDA 8a-11†. Season of interest June – November. PENNISETUM MACROURUM…

Cut back lavender Now is the perfect time to cut back lavender, removing most of the new growth if you want to keep plants compact and healthy. Any lavender flowers can be dried then used for arrangements, cooking or fragrant oils. Maintain water features Clean ponds and water features now to avoid disturbing wildlife during the critical winter months of hibernation or reproductive months of spring and early summer. Remove excessive pond sludge and weed growth and if needed treat with organic algaecides to control algae or blanket weed. Propagate tender perennials Take semiripe cuttings of tender perennials including Helichrysum petiolare and Pelargonium tomentosum. The rooted cuttings will take up less indoor space in winter, providing you with young vigorous plants next year. Plant bearded iris Summer is a good…

Have you ever wondered which species might make the most superior hedge or what the best street tree is? Not just look good but mitigate against flash flooding or incept the most particulate pollution? Dr Tijana Blanusa has. She leads the Royal Horticultural Society's Ecosystem Services Research Programme, which looks into the environmental benefits of gardens and green infrastructure. Her work is enabling us to understand the contribution plants make to our living environments. “It's not just a tree in a city, it's a cooling system,” she says. “It's storing carbon, it's reducing noise, improving air quality, increasing biodiversity. I am just fascinated by that, by how much a plant can do.” Tijana grew up in Belgrade, Serbia, and spent a lot of time in her grandfather's garden. “When he…

THE MAGIC OF MUSHROOMS: FUNGI IN FOLKLORE, SUPERSTITION AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINE by Sandra Lawrence Welbeck, £14.99 ISBN 978-1787399068 A beautifully illustrated, easy and entertaining read about the abundance of folklore, stories and superstitions surrounding fungi. Reviewer Lia Leendertz is the author of The Almanac: a Seasonal Guide. This is such a fun book about a fascinating topic. Author Sandra Lawrence has set about this obviously meaty subject with glee, and approaches every new chapter as a storyteller addressing a rapt audience. You can almost sense her rubbing her hands together. This is no mean feat, as most of the entries are just a few pages long, and yet she delves into the fascinating histories behind such varying stories as the origins of Tokaji wine, or ‘noble rot’; delicious Amanita caesarea,…