Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Gardens Illustrated Magazine

Tom and Sue Stuart-Smith have been gardening together at their home, The Barn at Serge Hill in Hertfordshire, for many years, but their latest project is more ambitious than the lauded gardens and meadows they have already created there. It's not surprising that he – an internationally famous, award-winning designer and her – a respected psychotherapist and best-selling author of The Well Gardened Mind – have come up with something as unique and interesting as The Serge Hill Project for Gardening, Creativity and Health. It's a multi-faceted idea that encompasses the fascinating concept of a Plant Library, community allotments, an altruistic nursery and a beautiful gathering space in a purpose-built barn. You can find out more about this exciting new venture in our feature this month (page 46), and make…

Look who's talking For her new book Why Women Grow (published 2 March), Gardens Illustrated columnist Alice Vincent has been speaking to inspirational women to find out why they garden and how their relationship with the natural world has informed their lives and careers. This month there's a chance to eavesdrop on some of her conversations in a fascinating new seven-part podcast series of the same name. Recorded in gardens from Totnes to Norfolk, the far-ranging chats touch on motherhood, grief, identity, saving the planet, and, of course, gardening. You can listen to the first two episodes – with gardeners Claire Ratinon and Sarah Raven – on 13 February, and future episodes will feature food writer Rukmini Iyer, novelist Salley Vickers, gardener Poppy Okocha, clothing designer Margaret Howell and social…

HEDERA HELIX ‘ARBORESCENS VARIEGATA’ This handsome, shrubby, non-climbing ivy, which was planted by Beth many years ago in our woodland beneath a canopy of oaks, grows to little more than a metre. It makes a fine feature in the winter garden where its attractive, evergreen, creamy-edged foliage can be appreciated and used to brighten up a dark corner. It slowly forms a loose, bulky mound, which can be kept in shape by pruning in early spring. Ivy is an important source of nectar for insects in autumn, while also providing shelter. Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings from mature growth in summer. Height and spread 1.5m x 1.2m. Origin Throughout Europe to Turkey. Conditions Any fertile soil; sun or shade. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b†. Season of interest Year round. DIANELLA TASMANICA…

Begin to cut back grasses As winter ends, ornamental grasses become untidy. Deciduous grasses should be cut back hard while evergreen species should be gently combed and lightly trimmed if required. Lifting and dividing Now is the perfect time to lift and divide herbaceous perennials as they begin to wake from their winter rest. Using a sharp spade, lift the entire plant and split it into Sections, replanting or potting up the newest growth. Stake borders Before border plants come into growth, construct plant supports using beanpoles and string or woven pea sticks. As the perennials and climbers grow, they will naturally find the support they require. Prepare to take cuttings Force growth of tender and half hardy perennials, such as dahlias, indoor chrysanthemums and salvias. Pot up and feed…

10 key snowdrops from Morlas Plants 1 Galanthus x valentinei ‘Miss Willmott’ Very free-flowering, with individual flowers that are delicate in appearance, giving it an elegant overall look. 15cm. 2 Galanthus elwesii ‘Fly Fishing’ An elegant, early flowerer with a very long, narrow pedicel and a deep-green ‘V’ to the inner segments. 20cm. 3 Galanthus x valentinei ‘Benton Magnet’ A short, vigorous snowdrop with large, single flowers. Bred by artist-gardener Cedric Morris at his home at Benton End in Suffolk. 12cm. 4 Galanthus nivalis ‘Trudy Spotted’ Beautifully shaped flowers with outer tepals marked in green. The inner petals are marked with a green heart. 16cm. Key snowdrops continue on page 42. See page 45 for details of hardiness ratings. In gardening, the culture of sharing is strong, and there is…

A GARDENER'S GUIDE TO BOTANY by Scott Zona Cool Springs Press, £22 ISBN 978-0760374450 The science behind what makes plants tick, delivered in simple terms. Suitable for advanced gardeners, novices, and houseplant owners. GROUNDED by James Canton Canongate, £18.99 ISBN 978-1838855871 James Canton takes us on a journey through England, seeking to understand what landscape meant to those who came before us. ORCHID MUSE by Erica Hannickel WW Norton & Company, £25 ISBN 978-0393867282 Historian Erica Hannickel brings together fascinating tales of orchid obsessives throughout history, and offers tips on how to grow your own orchids at home. REKHA'S KITCHEN GARDEN by Rekha Mistry Dorling Kindersley, £18.99 ISBN 978-0241558362 The BBC Gardeners’ World regular shares advice gleaned from her more than 30 years of growing, with tricks and tips on…

Åsa Gregers-Warg Åsa begins a new series of seasonal plants picks, page 24. “I enjoy mixing trusted old favourites with newer acquaintances in the garden. Plants never fail to excite and inspire me.” Jimi Blake Jimi shares his passion for dicentras, page 54. “I'm taking a deep dive into the world of dicentras, and showing how I use them in the shady beds of my Woodland Garden at Hunting Brook” Mimi Connolly Mimi photographs Alan Shipp's hyacinth collection, page 68. “A vibrant palette in early spring, depicting a collector's lifetime of dedication and research, and an extraordinary history” 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…

Be sure to check opening times. Some garden visits may need to be pre-booked. Winter reveals the bones of a garden. During my first-ever visit to the Beth Chatto Gardens, on a very cold and blustery winter's day in late January, more than 20 years ago, I was surprised and delighted to see how much visual interest the planting in the Gravel Garden held. It was a great lesson that one does not have to rely on topiary or formal garden constructions to achieve this. Now is a good time to assess and re-evaluate your own garden, and visit others, stripped of their summer froth, for inspiration. Hortvs, designer Peter Janke's garden in western Germany, is one such place. The three-and-a-half-acre garden, comprising a gravel garden, woodland walk and meadow,…

Horticultural hero My grandad was the first person I remember being obsessed with gardening. His unbounded enthusiasm is what I aim to embody in my own work. Three worthwhile tips Look after your soil and your soil will look after everything else. Resist the tidiness mentality of cutting your herbaceous perennials back in autumn and wait until the end of winter instead. Seedheads offer food, while foliage offers valuable habitat for overwintering wildlife. Gardening is a process, so don't rush it and enjoy the little surprises that come along the way. Dream plant destination I've always wanted to visit the Garden of Ninfa in Italy. The history and ethos of the garden are really interesting and I love the idea of nature regaining control over man-made structures but in a…

• Dicentras need well-drained, humusrich soil in dappled shade to perform well. When I plant dicentras I like to incorporate compost into the planting hole to give them a good start in life. In very wet soil they can die out so avoid soil that gets water logged at any time of year. • New growth can occasionally get frosted, if you get very cold, frosty weather in late spring, but the plants always bounce back into growth for summer. If you live in an area of very high summer temperatures dicentras may go dormant to store their energy. When temperatures drop towards the end of the summer they should reappear. • The most successful and easiest way to propagate dicentras is by division. I divide mine in late winter…

EDUCATION GUIDE Students learn at the Edinburgh campus in conjunction with the illustrious Royal Botanical Gardens as well as the stunning Queen's Park Victorian glasshouse in the south side of Glasgow. With degrees awarded by the University of Glasgow, the institution sees many of its students go on to flourishing careers, with alumni including the BBC Gardeners'World presenter Frances Tophill. The institute also offers a variety of programmes related to the land-based industries with Wildlife and Conservation Management being a popular choice with mature students or those returning to learning and looking to give something back and engage with nature. Returners aged 25 and over can take advantage of the Change Your Path bursary of £1,000 to help with the cost of becoming a new student. One recipient of the…

1 A Green and Pleasant Land (HA-HA) Catch the vibrant new exhibition by London-based artist Lakwena Maciver at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Her bold, colour-soaked new paintings and textile works have in part been inspired by YSP's verdant landscape, an Eden-like place that was once the preserve of wealthy landowners but is now openly accessible to a diverse audience. Until 19 March, Tuesday – Sunday, 10am-4pm. £6. The Weston Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Bretton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 4LG. Tel 01924 832631, ysp.org.uk 2 Terrariums: Success with Succulents Learn how to make your own glass terrarium using a selection of plants, stones, shells, sand and gravel, on one of two workshops led by horticulturist Sue Jeffries. 4 February, 10.30am12pm or 1-2.30pm. £45. RHS Garden Bridgewater, Occupation Road, Off Leigh Road,…

The biggest mistake people make is thinking there can be no change,” says Deborah Evans of her work as a heritage and landscape consultant. “I'm old enough to remember the huge brouhaha that ensued when Christopher Lloyd ripped out the rose garden at Great Dixter. It set the cat among the pigeons, but as a horticulturist he knew it no longer worked.” Although Deborah has a masters in the conservation of historic landscapes, it was two roles as head gardener for prestigious properties that gave her a particular and unusual understanding of the horticultural realities of working with historic gardens. In 1998, she was appointed head gardener at the open-air museum at St Fagans, near Cardiff, where in addition to restoring the formal 19th-century gardens around St Fagans Castle, Deborah…

EVERLASTING WREATH Bex makes her wreaths in a half-moon shape, which has become her signature style. Here she has used a base of woven and twisted vine stems to create the shape, and then has woven in pink and white dried baby's breath (Gypsophila), fluffy seedheads of old man's beard (Clematis vitalba), and dried heads of Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’. The result is an airy, almost cloud-like, wreath. Bex Partridge's studio is an ethereal, grotto-like space. Rack upon rack of dried flowers hang down, the petals puckering and twisting as they dry. Xeranthemums crowd one window while single dahlias dangle in front of another. There are delicately hued plant-dyed ribbons draped from a branch, and vases of dried flowers on every surface. But perhaps the most surprising thing is the…

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TOUGH PLANTS FOR TOUGH PLACES: INVINCIBLE PLANTS FOR EVERY SITUATION by Sharon Amos Pimpernel Press, £20 ISBN 978-1914902017 A starting point to help beginner gardeners understand the constraints of their garden and succeed in growing the right plant in the right place. Reviewer Rosy Hardy is a plantswoman and nursery owner. Few gardens benefit from perfect growing conditions – all of us have areas that are dry, damp, exposed and so on. These trickier areas need plants that will not only survive but thrive there, and this book aims to help gardeners choose them. Although aimed at beginners, it contains advice that all gardeners would benefit from a recap of. The most important starting point in any garden is the soil, and there's good sensible advice about soil identification and…