Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2016 i The English Garden

Andrea Jones A multiple award-winning photographer, Andrea has documented landscapes, gardens and plants around the world. She captures Carolside in our feature on page 22. Andrew Duff Andrew has been a garden designer for more than 20 years and is director of Inchbald School of Design. He explores the possibilities of water in your garden on page 69. Catherine Horwood Since her last book, Gardening Women, Catherine has been working with plants-woman Beth Chatto on her authorised biography. She visits Beechcroft Farmhouse on page 45.…

HISTORIC HOUSE Mellerstain House is one of Robert Adam’s greatest achievements. It stands among magnificent parkland, with a formal garden created by Sir Reginald Blomfield. Mellerstain House, Gordon, Berwickshire, TD3 6LG. Tel: 01573 410225; mellerstain.com NURSERY & CAFÉ The café and deli at Floors Castle sit within the walled garden that is also home to the Castle’s plant centre. This is currently being revamped and is due to re-open in summer 2016. Floors Castle, Kelso, Roxburghshire, TD5 7SF. Tel: 01573 223333; roxburghe.net LITERARY GEM The spirit of Sir Walter Scott still inhabits the house that inspired much of his work. His library is a treasure trove of rare books, literary letters and first editions. Abbotsford, Melrose, Roxburghshire, TD6 9BQ. Tel: 01896 752043; scottsabbotsford.com…

Water is one of the most exciting elements that can be introduced to a garden. It is often misconceived as expensive to install and difficult to manage, but this could not be further from the truth. There are water features to suit all gardens, large and small, and any budget. If contemplating including water in the garden, the first thing to consider is what you would like the water to add to the design. One of the greatest qualities of water is reflection. If this aspect is appealing, then the water needs to be still and as dark as possible. There is a trend to dye the water black, which not only heightens its reflective properties but also reduces the entry of sunlight, therefore limiting weed growth. Reflective pools work…

You may remember from your childhood A A Milne’s dormouse ‘who lived in a bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)’. This poem, The Dormouse and the Doctor, from When We Were Very Young has always stuck in my mind, conjuring up as it does an image of English gardening in the 1920s. Since then, delphiniums have become the stars of the high summer herbaceous border. They are cottage garden plants, their tall spires looking well set against sprays of Crambe cordifolia, vibrant Achillea, Centaurea, Astrantia and Agapanthus. The ancient Greeks coined the name ‘delphinium’, reminded of dolphins by their emerging buds. They are members of the Ranunculaceae family and there are several different types, including Elatum hybrids, bred over the years for their garden-worthiness. Recently trialled by the RHS…

There is an enormous choice of cut flowers in June and July: from scented roses and sweet peas to lace caps such as Ammi majus and Orlaya grandiflora. At Common Farm Flowers in Somerset, June represents the height of wedding-flower season, but here we are the horticultural equivalent of artisan bread makers: there are large international growers supplying perfectly serviceable flowers; in contrast we grow the delicate, slower-to-flower, less commercial crops. We grow for scent and movement, and our arrangements of freshly cut garden flowers will certainly grow in the vase. For a summer wedding we’ll cut about 3,000 stems from our three-and-a-half acre plot, and our team will start getting busy on Thursday morning, ahead of a Saturday wedding, cutting all those flowers and placing them into clean buckets…

There is no better way to get ideas and inspiration for the garden than to leave it behind for a day and visit someone else’s. A rest from the weeding and a change of scene is invigorating, but as well as insight and motivation, there are many other good reasons to visit the country’s finest gardens this summer. Meet friends, keep up with the latest trends or focus your visits on your favourite plants – the UK has a wealth of gorgeous gardens packed with appeal. Here is our selection of must-visit venues this year.…

The overall winner of the Macro Art category, Zsolt Varanka, impressed judges with his mesmerising image of a spider and its web. “Technically excellent, this shot manages to achieve a sense of magic in a magnified world – a fairytale picture,” says judge Tyrone McGlinchey. “Macro is a wonderful discipline. With a good lens you can see detail that is almost invisible to the naked eye, but this genre takes an awful lot of patience and technical understanding.” There is still just time to enter images in the Macro Art Photo Project for 2016-2017, which closes on 30 June this year. For more information, visit igpoty.com, where you can also buy a hardback book featuring the winners of Competition 9. At checkout, use the code MACRO20 to receive 20% off…

Which achievement are you most proud of in your horticultural career? Receiving the RHS Victoria Medal of Honour. It has only been awarded 63 times in horticulture and of all people the RHS decided to award it to me. I was told by letter and when I opened it I burst into tears. My other half said ‘oh no, not another speeding ticket.’ Was taking up the challenge of Superintendent for the Royal Parks daunting in any way? I had had quite a sheltered upbringing and when I got the job I had never been to any of the Royal Parks in my life. So I just had to get on with it and do my best. I worked with a lot of interesting characters but I would treat everyone…

1 Stan Fairbrother Garden Structures Stan Fairbrother Garden Structures was established in 1998 and with over thirty five years’ experience, Stan has earned a reputation for crafting some of the finest garden escapes in the country. Creating beautiful designs from traditional construction, a garden building by Stan Fairbrother is the perfect choice if you desire a bespoke, wonderful piece of architecture that will last you for many years of enjoyment to come. Tel: 01772 814274 Email: enquiries@stanfairbrother.co.uk www.stanfairbrother.co.uk 2 Leander Plant Supports Leander’s stunning Climbing Towers (6ft.) in rusted iron make a very stylish framework for climbers. Shown here with a combination of Clematis tangutica and a fragrant honeysuckle, they are also suitable for sweet peas and climbing roses, and are great for creating a focal point at…

Roses may be the nation’s favourite flower, but it is surprising how many gardeners think they are difficult to grow. I was one of them, until I took the plunge and planted my first – the wonderfully scented, apricot-coloured ‘Lady of Shalott’. I soon realised that in return for 10 minutes pruning each March, the occasional dose of fertiliser and some effortless deadheading, I could enjoy masses of gorgeous roses from June until the end of summer. That was it – the bug was caught and now the only difficulty is where to fit in more. There are no such fears for the gardeners in this issue, whose gardens showcase the very best of these fantastic, free-flowering and fragrant shrubs. At Carolside in the Scottish Borders, their scent is captured…

ROSEMOOR LATES 7, 14 & 21 July Enjoy a summer evening in two of the largest and most beautiful rose gardens in the UK, with live music and restaurant dining. Adults £10, children £5. Tel: 0845 265 8072; rhs.org.uk/rosemoor KENT COUNTY SHOW 2015 10-12 July This popular show brings together the very best of Kent produce, with animals, food and fun giving a sense of what the Garden of England offers. Adults £22, children £6. Tel: 01622 630975; kentshowground.co.uk RHS ON TOUR, LAMBETH COUNTRY SHOW, LONDON 16 & 17 July The RHS teams up with London Farmers’ Markets for a busy weekend of informative talks, craft workshops and top quality plants available to purchase at this south London outdoor show, which is now in its 42nd year. Free entry. Tel:…

• Butterflies like to bask in full sun, so create a space by leaving tables, chairs or flat rocks in the sunniest parts of your garden. • Grow native plants such as sedges, willow and prickly ash to lure in these pollinators. • Butterflies like to ‘puddle’ in damp sand or mud to access water and minerals. Keep a patch of border soil moist for them.…

SOLID STRUCTURE Pleached hornbeam is pruned in a pyramidal shape and is underplanted with Nepeta faassenii. It was originally kept in blocks but, because it is surrounded by an already blocky beech hedge, Lady Whitmore thought a new approach was needed. STAND-OUT SPIRES This colour-themed border contains lupin ‘Noble Maiden’, rosemary ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ and rose ‘Stanwell Perpetual’. Standard bay add height while the mature hornbeam hedge provides a deep-toned backdrop that exaggerates the effect of the white flowers. ROSES FOR SHADE In the remains of the old ha-ha there is now an allée of standard Photinia, 10 either side. It is underplanted with the pale-lemon musk rose ‘Moonlight’, which copes well with the shade. The felty, silver leaves of Stachys feature in the underplanting too, softening the path. PERFECT…

CAROL’S FLOWERS Carol Siddorn sells bunches at markets, bouquets for local delivery and larger wholesale quantities. Tel: 01829 782895; carolsgarden.co.uk FIELDHOUSE FLOWERS Gill Hodgson grows over 80 varieties with picking from March to October. Tel: 07803 127081; fieldhouseflowers.co.uk THE GARDEN GATE COMPANY Supplies organic flowers and offers floristry for weddings and other events. Tel: 07427 686558; thegardengate flowercompany.co.uk GREEN & GORGEOUS Rachel Siegfried and Ashley Pearson offer cut flowers from their garden gate, and informal arrangements. Tel: 07977 445041; greenandgorgeous flowers.co.uk PLANTPASSION Claire Brown advises on DIY flowers for events, and offers a wholesale service. Tel: 07813 456865; plantpassion.co.uk THE REAL FLOWER COMPANY Owner Rosebie Morton, has a loyal following. Expect tied bunches, bespoke arrangements and a wholesale offering. Tel: 01730 818 300; realflowers.co.uk…

In addition to bridging home and garden, window boxes are a good solution for those who love to garden but have limited space. Team flowering plants with attractive foliage to create a natural appearance that is easy to maintain. MAKE A SELECTION Combining texture and colour is the best way to create a window box with interest. Varying leaf size and mixing trailing plants with those that are spiky and upright are good ways to achieve this. Take care to consider the colours of plants and if they will suit the colour of your home. A riot of colour can make window boxes look wilder and more natural (below); simpler palettes such as white, lilac and pink can bring a softer appearance to the setting. IDEAL ARRANGEMENTS The simplest solution…

Ingredients Serves 8 A little cold-pressed rapeseed oil for oiling 800g courgettes, ideally mixed colours 1kg tomatoes, mixed colours, chopped into chunks 500g cooked brown shrimps 60g bunch of basil, leaves removed and roughly torn For the dressing: 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp flaxseed oil Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon Sea salt and black pepper Method 1. Cut the courgettes lengthways into 1cm slices. If they are small with the flower still on, remove it to add at the end. 2. Heat a griddle brushed with rapeseed oil until very hot. Griddle the courgettes on either side for about 3 minutes. Put in a large shallow bowl. Add the tomatoes shrimps and basil. 3. For the dressing, mix the oils with lemon zest and…

FORMAL PARTERRE The parterre features some of the garden’s low box hedges that head gardener Rob Kett says take a day to cut. The parterre lies in one of the interlocking gardens by Arabella Lennox-Boyd designed in the 1980s. Its formality contrasts well with the high-summer atmosphere of the rose garden. SHADE PLANTING Planting in this shady border maximises colour and minimises maintenance. Though it can be slow to establish, climber Pileostegia viburnoides offers salmon-pink new growth, glossy mature foliage and cream summer flowers. Peonies and hostas below block out weeds with their beefy foliage. SCRUB UP WELL Daffodils, Leucojum, fritillaries and yellow rattle are among the plants mixed with grasses in the Dell Garden’s meadow. It is cut annually with a strimmer and the mown grass is raked off…

WHEN ALISON POLLOCK MOVED back to her home county of Yorkshire in 2000, she deliberately looked for a house that needed extensive renovation and a green-field site on which to make a garden. It was the only way, she felt, to make a home and garden that were instinctively hers. She found it in Beechcroft Farmhouse, a late-Georgian property in the estate village of Aldwark, a few miles northeast of York. Much of the farm’s land had been sold off and what she acquired, just over half an acre, was paddock with small borders overrun with ground elder. On the plus side, it is south-facing and neither too wind-exposed nor prone to frost. What made the property unusual was that most of the garden was in front of the house…

THE GROUNDS AT POULTON HOUSE in Wiltshire were already quite established when Eugenia and Martin Ephson bought the elegant Queen Anne property 10 years ago. While much of the seven acres had been landscaped and featured herbaceous borders, mature trees and shrubs, Eugenia, an enthusiastic and experienced gardener, was quick to spot where she could improve or develop areas in the garden to reflect her passions – and those of her family. Eugenia’s first project satisfied the family’s love for home-grown produce. Identifying a suitable plot, a field situated behind the old stables, she created a large productive garden with four large beds connected by gravel paths. “We had a vegetable garden in our previous house and absolutely loved eating freshly picked produce whenever we could or using gluts to…

From a plant growing at the Royal Gardens at Kew, Fuchsia coccinea was described in 1789 by Jonas Dryander, a Swedish botanist and librarian to Sir Joseph Banks. Banks was a friend of George III and the first unofficial director of Kew. Sir James Edward Smith, wrote of the plant’s arrival in his article on Fuchsia in Rees’ Cyclopaedia (1819): ‘A plant of this species, apparently in a dead state, was brought by Capt. Firth to Kew Garden, from Lisbon, and it was said to have come from the Brazils. As spring advanced, it began to sprout, and soon put forth its exquisitely beautiful flowers, to the admiration of all who beheld it’. Dryander mistakenly presumed this was the same Fuchsia that had been seen in Chile by the French…

‘KYNASTON’ A vivid mix of orange and red is displayed in the centre of these flowers, which makes a great contrast to their creamy surround. They are produced on very tall stems, reaching up to 2m in height, and will brighten a dark corner in dappled shade when they appear in early June. ‘Kynaston’ can still be in flower in mid-August and is a fine choice for gardens in the North. I have trialled the plant in my garden in York and it has proved to be a tough and reliable variety. ‘CLEMENTINE’ This British-bred Verbascum is a very strong grower that produces a good quantity of flowers for a period of eight to 10 weeks, starting in early June. The splayed flower spikes are well-branched, creating a forked effect…

NIGELLA PERSIAN JEWEL SERIES Snow-white petals with a light plum heart bring striking seedheads later on. AMMI MAJUS A great lace-cap to grow for a dainty edging on cut-flower bouquets. DIGITALIS ‘SUTTON’S APRICOT’ A classic blush pink foxglove. Sow in June for flowers the following summer. LARKSPUR SUBLIME SERIES Grow ‘Brilliant Salmon’ and ‘Pale Pink’ for spikes in arrangements, and confetti. AQUILEGIA CAERULEA These make lovely cut flowers; use the foliage to collar bouquets and posies. PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM Sear stems by dipping in an inch of hot water before placing in cold water. GYPSOPHILA ‘COVENT GARDEN’ This is a soft, pretty cultivar that flowers from seed in six to eight weeks. PHACELIA TANACETIFOLIA Sow as a green manure. It also cuts well and bees…

The Writer’s Garden By Jackie Bennett Frances Lincoln, £25.99 The connection between gardens and writing is a strong one and Jackie Bennett tells the story of 20 writers and their association with gardens, republished in paperback for the first time. Some, such as Sir Walter Scott, were great garden makers; Scott creating his vast garden at Abbotsford – complete with castle – with the help of a ‘committee of taste’. Others seemed to use the elements of the garden as the setting for some of their work, such as Beatrix Potter, whose vegetable garden at Hill Top was reflected in some of her famous children’s stories such as The Tale of Samuel Whiskers. Others used their gardens to write monumental works of fiction, such as Roald Dahl, who had his…

LEEDS CASTLE Maidstone, Kent ME17 1PL Tel: 01622 765400 | enquiries@leeds-castle.co.uk | www.leeds-castle.com Celebrate the Year of the English Garden at Leeds Castle and explore 500 acres of beautiful parkland and formal gardens in the heart of Kent. The summer is the perfect time to visit the English cottage-style Culpeper Garden with its neat box hedges and colourful flowers such as irises, hollyhocks and roses. Immerse yourself in the illusion and theatre of the Lady Baillie Mediterranean Garden featuring exotic foliage plants such as palms and banana trees. Garden tours run every Wednesday at noon. OPEN: All year round. RALPH COURT GARDENS Edwyn Ralph, Bromyard, Herefordshire HR7 4LU Tel: 01885 483225 | ralphcourtgardens@aol.com | www.ralphcourtgardens.co.uk The gardens at Ralph Court are designed to provide fun and interest, with more than…

BLUEBELL ARBORETUM & NURSERY Specialists in hardy trees, shrubs and climbers including a huge selection of unusual and rare species and varieties. Expert advice is available from our helpful staff. The nursery is open to the public and surrounded by a lovely nine-acre woodland garden (RHS Partner Garden). Visitors are welcome all year round. Informative website and a reliable mail order service is available if you would like plants delivered. Tel: 01530 413700 sales@bluebellnursery.com | www.bluebellnursery.com Annwell Lane, Smisby, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 2TA WOOTTENS PLANTS Established for 25 years, Woottens is a traditional nursery specialising in hardy perennials, with some of the largest collections of Irises and Primula auriculas in England. Woottens also specialises in Pelargoniums and Hemerocallis. We are committed to collecting and preserving some of…

“I sow the sweet peas deliberately late so that they flower after the roses, giving me something to look forward to as the roses fade” I have the midsummer blues: a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder with a twist – midsummer not midwinter. Once the roses start to fade my mood takes a nosedive. I want those perfect early summer mornings to last forever. Dew on the grass, the roses full of buds, promise in the air. Not a yellowed leaf in sight. Then along comes July. It is ironic that autumn- and winter-onset SAD is treated by exposure to sunlight, whereas a hot, dry July has me curling into a ball in the darkest reaches of the house. But over the years I have developed my own therapy…