Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i The English Garden

Jo Whittingham Jo is a garden writer based in East Lothian. She has a column in the Scotsman and has written several books on growing fruit and vegetables. She visits Glenkyllachy in the Highlands on page 40. Liz Ware Liz is a garden writer, photographer and initiator of the Silent Space project, which aims to keep gardens free from modern noise. She explores Waterperry’s exemplary gardens on page 52. Andy McIndoe Andy is a practical horticulturist and author who has been responsible for 25 gold-medal winning exhibits at Chelsea. He brings us an expert pick of the best acers on page 87.…

“I like modernist architecture so I used this as a theme to define the space. People living in the city want somewhere where they can escape. They don’t ever get a sense of the changing seasons, unless they visit a park. I wanted the client to be able to look out of the apartment and get differing views through the year. The garden is called ‘Country Echoes’ and I wanted there to be a sense of wild countryside about it. I used to live near some water meadows and this design has that feeling: wild countryside rather than manicured countryside.” “I’ve included witch hazel because it has red leaves in autumn followed by amazing burnt orange flowers in winter – perfect for cheering up the client if they are feeling…

GARDEN STATUE One of the garden’s focal points is a bronze statue, The Eagle Slayer by John Bell. Exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition, it has been at Hole Park since 1924. The dramatic statue stands in a spot where there are particularly beautiful vistas across the estate. WISTERIA CASCADE Once the famous display of bluebells has faded, Wisteria takes over as the star of the show at Hole Park. In the area known as the Vineyard, there are six standard Wisteria sinensis with attractively gnarled trunks producing cascades of fragrant flowers. YEW HEDGES Hole Park is renowned for its superb yew hedging. Pruning the vast expanse of yew takes two gardeners four weeks to complete. The task produces two tonnes of yew clippings, which are sold to a pharmaceutical…

• Review plans for the garden and any notes you have taken through the year. • Rake up fallen leaves ready for composting. • When picking fruits, treat them as tenderly as eggs to avoid damage. This will prolong storage life. • Clear manure and leaves from roses to prevent disease. Discard all this material. • Plant the bulbs of Narcissus before the end of October. • Raise mower height to keep lawns healthy through winter. • This is the time to plant trees and shrubs, and to think about relocating evergreen shrubs and conifers.…

WHEELS OF CHANGE Now filled with vibrant, co-ordinating summer bedding plants, this cart belonged to Philip’s great aunt. She lived in the cottage year-round until her death in the early 1960s, and the cart was her only means of transport to the village shop, six miles up the glen. SORBUS HUPEHENSIS One of the first trees to be planted on the bank of the newly excavated pond in 1980, the candy-pink berries of this handsome tree remain one of the stars of the autumn garden. Mountain ash is a Scottish native and many cultivars thrive at Glenkyllachy Lodge. FAMILIAL WORK Carved in solid, grey granite, the tall figure of a man carrying a child on his shoulders seems to stride out from its dark backdrop of tall conifers in this…

Whether your garden is large or small, at some point its boundaries will influence what you see. In a tiny urban garden, a high boundary can be an advantage as it focusses the eye into the space. On the other hand, a city view can sometimes be so powerful it would be a shame to block it – translucent screens can be used to great effect on a roof garden, for example. The same applies to rural gardens – sometimes it is best to open out the view, at other times privacy is needed. Before deciding on the desired boundary treatment, there are two questions to answer: do you want the garden to feel larger than it is, and do you want to see the boundary? If the answer to…

When the dew of misty autumn mornings arrives, the time is ripe for essential lawn improvement work. If only a stately green carpet of lawn could be created by mowing alone. In reality, one can’t boast of a lush green lawn without it being the result of diligent groundwork. Sound autumn maintenance will set the lawn up to survive harsh winter weather and go on to produce a lush and luxuriant green sward in the next growing season. The reason autumn is the perfect time to service the lawn and address any deficiencies is because the weather is warm enough for the grass to keep growing but it is no longer so hot that the attention will put the lawn under stress. These conditions enable turf to recover from the…

What made you want to write this book? I became involved in TV presenting with a strand on Pebblemill at One. Then BBC Gardeners’ World invited me to create a new garden in a two-week makeover on a Peterborough housing estate. I chose to create a ‘Rich Habitat Garden’. The public loved it, and wrote in their thousands for the leaflet I had prepared. That convinced me there would be interest in a book giving encouragement and guidance. How would you describe the book? It is a practical guide to gardening with nature, and contains detailed information about plant choice, types of nest box and food, the construction of wildlife ponds, the management of mini-meadows and companion planting. It is also an account of my experiences. I hope it conveys…

Autumn begins its march gently. Softer light, dew on the lawn, mists that lend a smouldering, smoky quality to the landscape. Then gradually, fiery colours take hold as deciduous leaves turn from green to gold, rusty bronze, vibrant scarlet – a final hurrah before falling. October is a brilliant time to enjoy the display, when frost is yet to strike and autumn’s most colourful flowers are still being produced, everything coming together to create wonderful seasonal compositions. The gardens in this issue blend late blooms and falling leaf colour with the expertise of an Old Master. Far north in Tomatin, the garden at Glenkyllachy is a patch of vivid colour in the rugged Highland landscape, thanks to a collection of acers and rowans. Rye Hall Farm in Yorkshire is an…

DAHLIA ‘IVANETTI’ Small, ball-shaped purple-pink flowers are borne from July until the first frosts on this hard-working cultivar. SALVIA CURVIFLORA Vivid magenta felted flowers are produced on this semi-hardy Salvia that needs winter protection in cold areas. CALLICARPA BODINIERI VAR. GIRALDII Clusters of berries in an otherworldy shade of amethyst make this shrub stand out from the crowd in autumn. PHYTOLACCA AMERICANA Pokeweed is an architectural shrub with stalks of pink flowers changing to glossy black berries. All parts are toxic. AGAPANTHUS ‘HOLE PARK BLUE’ Thought to have been a fixture at Hole Park for more than 100 years, this deep blue cultivar flowers exceptionally late. ROSA MOYESII Tomato-red and produced in profusion, these refined hips dangle from this species rose like…

THE RIVER WALK In the days of Waterperry Horticultural School, students would relax in the peaceful woodland beside the river on their days off. Today, a riverside trail gives visitors the opportunity for a tranquil stroll whatever the season, but takes in snowdrops and aconites in early spring. THE ORCHARD Fruit growing is an important part of life at Waterperry. Five acres are given to roughly 50 varieties of apple and apple juice is sold locally. Each year the Gardens open for an apple weekend, this year on 7-9 October, when visitors may have their own mystery varieties identified. THE FORMAL GARDEN This peaceful garden was created by Bernard Saunders and Mary Spiller. The planting represents the history of Waterperry from Tudor times to the present day. A knot of…

COSMOS ATROSANGUINEUS Affectionately known as ‘chocolate cosmos’, these flowers have an intriguing chocolatey scent to go with vivid colour.. DAHLIA MERCKII A species dahlia that produces lots of small flowers on a short, well-branched plant reaching up to 1m tall. SALVIA ‘CERRO POTOSI’ A tough, bushy salvia that tolerates drought and exposed sites and proudly displays magenta blooms all summer. COSMOS BIPINNATUS ‘DAZZLER’ An early-flowering Cosmos that is hot-pink when first open, changing to softer shades over time. DAHLIA ‘RIP CITY’ This semi-cactus dahlia starts off a smoky, dark crimson before lightening in colour as the flowers age. HEBE ‘MARJORIE’ An evergreen shrub with a spreading habit that produces mauve bottlebrush flowers, fading to white as they age. COSMOS ‘PURITY’…

Anthony Paul has been designing gardens worldwide for over 30 years. A Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers, his contemporary and innovative gardens feature architectural plantings incorporating water and sculpture. The tranquillity and simplicity of Japanese gardens are a major inspiration for his work as well as the stunning landscapes and rainforests of his birthplace – New Zealand. “New Zealand plants are quietly beautiful, understated and earn respect from being singularly adaptable to the environment they have created,” says Anthony, who, with his wife, Hannah, also owns the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden at Black and White Cottage in Ockley, Surrey. A fine example of Anthony’s work can be found in a garden created for a client in the Surrey Hills, near the picturesque village of Coldharbour. Set on the…

• Prepare a firm foundation for the fence. For it to be stable, a fence post should be set at least 60cm deep. Take care to use plenty of concrete to secure the posts. • Buy treated wood that comes with a guarantee of longevity. Untreated wood will rot when in contact with the ground. • Select posts and panels with a good heft. Flimsy materials won’t surive the elements. • In windy areas, especially at the coast, a semi-solid panel may be appropriate as it offers less wind resistance than a solid panel. • Always use non-rusting, heavily galvanized fence fixings. Doing so will ensure a careful choice of materials is not compromised.…

Across the continents maples are known for their autumn colour. The British native field maple, Acer campestre lights up our hedgerows with its butter yellow foliage. The large distinctive leaves of the Norway maple (Acer platanoides) turn bright gold as the days shorten and nights grow colder. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) are among the species that colour the American fall in shades of flame and scarlet. The Japanese maples glow in hues that range from palest gold to deepest crimson. Among the most spectacular trees and shrubs for this time, maples have earned their space in gardens great and small. Of course autumn colour is not their only attribute. Some have attractive frothy spring flowers and delicate, exquisitely coloured new leaves. Many have conspicuous winged…

The winner of the Monochrome category, Don Rice, impressed judges with his starkly beautiful image of a water lily. “Garden photography is a challenge at the best of times but shooting in monochrome, although adding another layer of difficulty, can in fact expand the scope and meaning of the subject matter,” says IGPOTY judge Tyrone McGlinchey. “An example is using monochrome to draw out the detail of plant structures, shapes and patterns; when done correctly the results can elevate the picture into a 3D compositional experience. Similarly, the stark contrast of black and white can really emphasise the story the photographer is trying to tell us. This is what Don Rice managed to achieve in his winning picture. Monochrome served as the perfect aesthetic medium through which he was able…

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 popular Leeds Castle Festival of Flowers takes place from 24 to 28 September where visitors will be able to see the state rooms adorned with beautiful floral creations from internationally renowned designers on the theme of ‘A Queen’s Castle’. Specialist talks, demonstrations and garden tours run throughout the event. OPEN: All year round. ARLEY HALL & GARDENS Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6NA Tel: 01565 777353 | www.arleyhallandgardens.com Arley Hall & Gardens is a place of enormous character, charm and interest. The hall has a warm and intimate atmosphere while the gardens are…

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 growing & selling over 600 different varieties of hardy perennials. We also stock some of the largest collections of Irises and Primula auriculas in England and specialise in Pelargoniums and Hemerocallis. We are…

• Head outdoors and go leaf peeping. Originally an American colloquialism, it involves travelling to sites boasting beautiful autumn colour to admire and photograph golden leaves. See our pick of the best locations to admire the autumn display on page 9. • As winter frosts approach, protect half-hardy plants by bringing them into the greenhouse or covering with fleece. • Sow seed of hardy annuals in situ for early flowers next summer. • Bring the harvest indoors with a mushroom growing kit, perfect for foraging throughout winter. • Keep lawns clear of fallen leaves, build up of which can kill turf and encourage unwelcome diseases such as snow mould.…

Betula Silver birch adds height and helps bring a feeling of enclosure, as well as providing winter interest with shiny bark. Stipa gigantea A hardy grass that provides golden hues in summer and autumn and softens the edges of the garden. Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’ Tough enough to cope with roof garden exposure, this climber flowers in late summer. Allium sphaerocephalon This understated Allium peppers the planting scheme with small, hot pink blooms in early summer. Papaver ‘Effendi’ This subtle orange-tinted Oriental poppy takes centre stage in late spring and early summer. In spring we launched The English Garden Future Fund 2016, asking would-be garden designers to produce a design for a London rooftop garden. The prize, a chance to study at the prestigious…

• Plan pots for next year’s summer display. The temptation is to leave this job until spring, but Quentin does it at the end of summer so that he can still remember what worked and what was less successful from the current containers. • Autumn is the time for leaf clearing and for making leaf mould. The leaves that were collected last year have rotted down nicely by this time and are spread as a mulch around the borders. • Trimming the box hedging is a job that is best done in autumn; the box responds better to being cut in cooler weather. • The long grass in the wildflower area is cut in September. It is left until this time to ensure the wildflowers that grow among the grasses…

HELENIUM ‘MOERHEIM BEAUTY’ A sun-loving perennial that becomes more refined as it ages, its orange petals deepen as autumn extends. ASTER ‘LITTLE CARLOW’ These tiny treasures thrive on Rye Hall Farm’s free-draining soil, blending particularly well with reddening grasses. CORNUS ALBA ‘SIBIRICA’ The star attraction of this deciduous shrub is its strawberry red-hued leaves, their last hurrah before falling. VERBENA BONARIENSIS The flowers of this much-lauded plant are still in the ascendency in autumn. It always looks good among grasses. ANEMANTHELE LESSONIANA This clump-forming grass produces arching sprays of flower and foliage in a gorgeous mix of pink, red and rust. ANEMONE ‘HONORINE JOBERT’ Simple white flowers add freshness to the garden in early autumn and are useful for interest in a…

Water “I am passionate about using water and most of my gardens have some type of water feature. The water reflects light into the garden and mirrors the sky.” Swimming pool “I believe swimming pools should be an integral part of the garden design, not hidden away but reflecting the sky during the day and at night.” At Coldharbour, the swimming pool is at the highest point of the garden and by late summer it is enclosed by tall grasses. Circular Pool “Without flowing water, a garden can seem lifeless. In this garden, a large circular pool is the major feature, with water gently cascading down a stainless steel rill set into central steps leading to a terrace below.” Anthony has also included water bowls planted with water lilies to…

‘EARLY YELLOW’ This prolific form has small, pale, creamy yellow flowers borne in abundance from July until the end of October. A particularly strong and hardy variety reaching a height of 60cm, the flowers stand up well in wet and windy weather. Foliage retains its lush green leaf colour and is not easily marked. ‘Early Yellow’ always over-winters well and is one of the first varieties to produce new shoots, which is normally around the beginning of March. ‘MRS JESSIE COOPER’ A short variety, growing only to 45cm, ‘Mrs Jessie Cooper’ bears bright cerise blooms, each with a strongly contrasting yellow centre. This variety is perfect for the front of beds and borders where the flowers can be easily seen and enjoyed. The blooms are robust and tolerant of bad…

An Orchard Odyssey By Naomi Slade Green Books, £24.99 This is an ambitious book, encompassing the history of orchards and orchard fruit throughout the world. But it doesn’t end there. Slade also dissects orchard biodiversity and looks at modern-day conservation and the growth of community orchards in urban areas. As Slade says: “In 21st-century cities, something new and exciting is happening; orchards are being brought back to town.” The first half of the book is mainly theoretical and historical; the second is practical, including ideas on designing an orchard, advice on planting and choosing varieties, and guidance on community projects centred around growing fruit trees. Slade challenges the reader to see an orchard not as a field of apple trees in rows but as anywhere where fruit trees are grown…

1 Artisan Plant Supports A range of hand-crafted plant supports and obelisks, designed to provide architectural structure within the garden, while also complimenting and enhancing the plant’s features. All ranges have a choice of finishes; including rusted, galvanised or powder-coated in a choice of colours. Featured is our ever popular Lobster Pot support ideal for Peony, Roses & many more. Available in 3 sizes. Please call or email for a brochure or visit our website. Tel: 01538 753128 Email: info@artisanplantsupports.co.uk  www.artisanplantsupports.co.uk 2 Border Sundials Capel Tenison of Border Sundials makes beautiful armillary spheres, horizontal and vertical sundials from antiqued brass, bronze or stainless steel. All sundials are made to order and carefully engraved with your choice of mottoes or dedications and calibrated to your precise location, wherever you…

“Once “ upon a time every county in England and Wales, and many in Scotland, had its own apple varieties, each adapted to local conditions” Have you ever wondered about that apple? The one that greets you when you switch on a computer or your smart phone? Steve Jobs was famously reticent about where the idea came from, but shortly before he died he revealed he had called his company Apple because he had been staying on an apple farm, and thought the name would be ‘fun, spirited and not intimidating’. Oh wily Mr Jobs! This is not any old innocent apple. What about the bite (or should that be byte?) out of its side? In Western art that set of toothmarks has been notorious for more than a thousand…