Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i The English Garden

Marianne Majerus Marianne is an internationally renowned garden photographer. She captures an ephemeral hoar frost at Anglesey Abbey on page 22. Naomi Slade Naomi is a presenter, horticultural journalist, and photographer. She has a lifelong love of plants, including snowdrops which she writes about on page 71, and her new book, An Orchard Odyssey, is out now. Mark Bolton Based in Bristol, Mark has been shooting gardens, interiors and hotels for more than 20 years. His photographs of South Gloucestershire’s frosty Hanham Hall feature on page 41.…

GARDEN FRIENDS Made from thick aluminium that will not rust, and painted beautifully by hands on both sides. Cats, Chickens, Hens, Cockerels, Pheasants, Owls, etc. CANDLE LANTERNS Made from iron with rust resistant paint. All candle lanterns have a window which can be opened at the bak to place a night light candle on a tray within. BAMBOO CLOCHES Made of bamboo woven into an open dome and available in 5 sizes plus a tunnel cloche. These attractive cloches protect plants and seeding from damageby animals, footballs, light frost and wind-chill. Fleece & newspaper can be used to cover the plants inside the cloches during periods of heavy frost. The micro climate inside the cloches promotes growth and allows rain through to the plants. Gifts and Gardens, 32 Bourne Lane,…

Unlike most gardens, Hanham Court comes into its own in midwinter, with astonishing yew and box topiary ON A WINTER’S DAY, HANHAM COURT IS coldly imposing. A church presses against the house, and four frosted yew pillars stand sentinel in gravel amid lines of box. Yet, when the door in the Court’s great wooden gate opens, you enter a different world. If the sun is shining, you are half-dazzled as you walk on to a long and wide south-facing lawn, which rolls away towards the River Avon, Somerset, and a distant view of Keynsham on the far ridge. “It is like stepping into Alice’s Wonderland,” says Julia Boissevain, owner, with her husband, Richard, of this historic house since February 2015. Everything about Hanham Court is surprising. Its location, for one,…

VEGETABLE PATCH Even vegetable gardens can look cared for in winter if the beds are kept mulched. Kale is one of the few winter vegetables grown at Richmond House but the strawberry pots, obelisks and cloches keep the space looking interesting. PLANTS IN POTS Catherine grows Ilex crenata for evergreen structure – it is cheaper than box and not as prone to disease, making a good alternative if box plants have succumbed to blight. This small-leaved Japanese holly can be clipped to shape in a similar way to box. THE RILL Powered by a small electric pump, the lead-lined rill that makes its way down the centre of the steps is left on in winter to prevent freezing. The water is continually circulated with all the mechanics hidden under the…

‘GOLDEN KING’ Despite its name, this is a female holly, producing berries when a male plant is in the vicinity. It is an old favourite and deservedly so. It has lovely red berries and, together with the golden variegation of its large leaves, it makes a brilliantly colourful winter spectacle. The leaves are leathery but unlike typical holly foliage, which is spiked, they have entire, smooth edges. This is a robust holly that can reach 8m in height, although it can be kept to a more manageable size if the sideshoots are clipped in spring. ‘BACCIFLAVA’ This is an eye-catching variety of Ilex aquifolium. Varieties of this species make very good hedges because the leaves are smaller, which means they are more tolerant of being clipped than varieties that bear…

When Gaze Burvill first started making furniture, Simon Burvill wondered whether people would think their curvy pieces were too modern for their gardens. Twenty-five years later, and their furniture is often chosen for traditional gardens. It’s so much part of the establishment in fact, that Her Majesty the Queen sat on a Gaze Burvill bench for a Vanity Fair cover shoot, and even has one of her own at Windsor Castle. “There is a lot more scope in garden design now than there was 25 years ago and it has made gardeners more adventurous with their choice of furniture,” says Simon Burvill. “People seem to value their outside space more. Outdoor furniture used to be an afterthought in garden design and wasn’t given as much importance as furniture indoors.” Simon…

I’ve often thought that gardeners must be the most optimistic breed of people on the planet. It doesn’t matter what disasters befell the season before – deer razing the vegetable patch to the ground, biblical levels of aphids ruining the roses, the summer heatwave when the greenhouse door was left closed all day and everything inside melted – we always start again at the beginning of a new growing season, full of hopes, dreams and visions of splendour. This issue, if you’re feeling optimistic about the year ahead, we bring you brand new products to try and a round-up of fantastic courses that you’ll love, especially if your new year’s resolution is to be a better gardener. Meanwhile, we celebrate the season right now with a visit to Anglesey Abbey…

GARDEN FRIENDS Made from thick aluminium that will not rust, and painted beautifully by hands on both sides. Cats, Chickens, Hens, Cockerels, Pheasants, Owls, etc. CANDLE LANTERNS Made from iron with rust resistant paint. All candle lanterns have a window which can be opened at the bak to place a night light candle on a tray within. BAMBOO CLOCHES Made of bamboo woven into an open dome and available in 5 sizes plus a tunnel cloche. These attractive cloches protect plants and seeding from damageby animals, footballs, light frost and wind-chill. Fleece & newspaper can be used to cover the plants inside the cloches during periods of heavy frost. The micro climate inside the cloches promotes growth and allows rain through to the plants. Gifts and Gardens, 32 Bourne Lane,…

• Check where the sunlight falls in your garden, so the maximum effect for back-lighting architectural plants can be achieved. Leave some stems standing so that on frosty days there is a hook on which that shimmering, magical material can rest, for however short or long a time it lasts. • Coloured stems shout louder the harder they are cut back. As soon as the buds break in spring, start the process. Prune out the older stems of dogwoods so that there is a continuity of shape but some new growth from the base. After cutting back make sure you give them after-care. This care should include a generous application of fertiliser, worked very well into the soil, to get them growing strongly again. • Combine plants with big contrasts…

• Fold in the fronds of evergreen ferns to protect the crown, and put straw or mulch over deciduous ones. Fold in the fronds of tree ferns and tie on fleece hats to protect the growing points in the centre of their trunks. • From mid-December to mid-January, sow sweet peas somewhere cool and under cover – an unheated greenhouse or conservatory is ideal if you have such. Use a multi-purpose compost and deep root-trainer pots to encourage good, strong root development, which is vital for the success of sweet peas. • If you haven’t yet got round to it, you can continue planting tulip bulbs until the end of December. • Clear leaves from beneath trees and along paths and store them for spring mulch. • Keep turning your…

HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS Leave faded flowerheads on hydrangeas until spring – not only are they beautiful, they protect the buds below from frost. CALAMAGROSTIS 'KARL FOERSTER' This bolt upright grass stands well throughout winter and just needs cutting back to ground level in spring. FOENICULUM VULGARE 'PURPUREUM' Bronze fennel makes a great foliage plant early in the season, and its yellow flowers turn into attractive seedheads. ROSA SERICEA F. PTERACANTHA The smaller leaves of this rose draw attention to the coral-red thorns that bristle up and down its arching stems. SALVIA 'INDIGO SPIRES' Long flower spikes of deep indigo-blue start to appear in early July and can still be produced well into November. ECHINACEA 'WHITE SWAN' This greenish-white flowered…

When Stephanie Prudhomme wanted to transform her small, west-facing garden in Richmond, southwest London, she took to Google. “My house is more modern than classic, and I wanted a modern garden. So I keyed in ‘contemporary small garden London’ and looked at lots of images.” That’s how she came across Garden Club London. The company specialises in small, urban spaces and roof gardens, which design and operations director Tony Woods (above) firmly believes should be viewed as part of a home. “People say, ‘my garden’s too small’ but if you’ve a budget, it is always possible to do something interesting,” he says. French-born Stephanie’s only stipulation was that she would like the 6 x 7m garden, mostly laid to lawn, to include box and ferns. “I like ferns because they…

Whether you make resolutions at the start of a new year or not, it’s still a great time to plan ahead. And there is something about the beginning of a brand new year that inspires – twelve months of possibility stretch ahead, and nothing seems out of the question. It’s an opportunity to really think about the season ahead and improvements that could be made to make this year one of the best. Are there big projects on the horizon, or just small changes that will bring rewards? Perhaps it’s as simple as resolving to look after the lawn or try some new plants? These innovative new products will help welcome in a happy new year of gardening.…

What attracted you to Wigmore Abbey? My wife Carol and I saw Wigmore Abbey advertised in Country Life but it was too far away and too big. One autumn weekend in 1998, we were staying with friends in Herefordshire, not far from Wigmore, and decided to drive over to see the house. It was definitely too large and needed a great deal of work done, both to the grounds and the ruins of a 12th-century abbey on the lawn. The gatehouse – a half-timbered building with an archway – was the first thing that attracted us and by the time we had wandered around inside, the old buildings and the surrounding five acres, we had made up our minds. How do your previous gardens compare to what you have at…

• Plant individual cloves of garlic cultivars such as ‘Solent Wight’, ‘Tuscany Wight’ and ‘Lautrec Wight’ into free-draining, fertile soil. Snip off any visible wispy ends so birds don’t tug them from the soil. Harvest when the leaves start to die off and turn yellow, usually in June or July. • Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it and adding the results to your compost heap in thin layers. The shreddings also make a good acidic mulch for ericaceous plants. • If the soil isn’t frozen, plant bare-root bushes and canes of summer fruits such as gooseberries, raspberries and blackberries. • Check vegetables and bulbs in storage and remove any that are starting to show signs of rotting.…

LIGHT THE GROUND Bulbs such as snowdrops and species Crocus are inexpensive heralds of spring, planted here in their thousands to carpet the ground. Let them seed to make an even better show the following year. Once flowering is over, like perfect guests, they don’t hang around. WINTER COLOUR Dogwoods, Rubus, willow and acers all look good in several seasons but in winter their thin, coloured stems take on a deeper, more intense vibrancy. Fiery Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Orange’ vies with ‘Midwinter Fire’ for Richard's top spot. PACK IN PERFUME Scented plants make their presence felt from October to Easter. The show begins with Viburnum, Elaeagnus, Mahonia (above) and Sarcococca, through to Azara with its vanilla scent. Lonicera standishii provides scent for almost five months from November. KIND CUTS Cut…

LINK GROUND & SKY To avoid the winter ‘rumpled duvet’ look, mix tall perennials with grasses like golden Molinia ‘Karl Foerster’ and Miscanthus. Sword-shaped Crocosmia leaves punctuate the border. Aconitums and veronicastrums provide rocket shapes that link the ground to the sky. KEEP IT GREEN Evergreens are vital because they add winter warmth and there is no substitute for plain green. Daphne laureola, a British native with acid-green spring flowers, shines in winter here. The box chickens add a fun element, scattered across the expanse of lawn. LEAVE SOME MESS Hellebore foliage is chopped off in early December. Home-made leaf litter is added, so when the first flowers break through the garden looks pristine. The summer border is also cut back in autumn, but the autumn borders and outer edges…

PLAY WITH SHAPES Hanham Court is a large garden but even in smaller spaces, winter effects are easily created by planting box and yew in gravel and clipping it into shapes. Interspersing drifts of Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii helps give year-round floral and foliage interest. BOX REGIME The box in the garden is sprayed four times a year with TopBuxus to prevent box blight and cut twice a year. Box should be clipped on a dull, damp day to avoid scorching; all clippings should be cleared away to prevent infection. FADED SPLENDOUR Hydrangeas are good plants for winter, as they need to have their heads left on in autumn to protect the crowns and new growth. Crisped by frost, Hydrangea paniculata will continue to look attractive throughout the winter months,…

• Use yew or beech to divide and screen different areas of the garden as they both have a dense structure and can be clipped to size and shape. • For borders to look good in winter, go for the ‘new perennial’ style of planting which has a high proportion of grasses and a few key evergreens such as Euphorbia – both of which look good throughout winter. • Leave traditional perennials such as poppies, Agastache, Verbena and Astrantia to die back naturally. They can all be cut back in February with no ill effects. • Think about sightlines and focal points – your eye should lead somewhere – to a pot, bench, summerhouse or sculpture. • Use quality materials for paths and steps. Ensure they are nonslip and useable…

Decking and seating The decking and seating are made from salvaged scaffolding boards, sitting on a tanalised softwood framework. “We picked boards that had been burned, cut or had paint damage and when we sanded them back they looked instantly aged. The seating is also made of them.” Table “We were planning on making a dining table using a steel frame and a timber top,” explains Tony. “But at the end of the project we noticed the old dining table that the builders had been using to cut wood and put their cups of tea on. I asked the landscapers to cut the legs off, just to see what a coffee table would look like in that space, and Stephanie loved it. So we kept it. It looks perfectly aged…

Pristine, glossy and always slightly unexpected, snowdrops are one of the sweetest pleasures of late winter. We like to keep them close; it is a rare garden that is without them. And, clustering and frothing in hedgerows and woodlands, they are naturalised across the landscape, a vision of poetry and freshness. This is a little plant with a common touch, drawing people outdoors to blow away the cobwebs and to see living, thriving reassurance that winter will soon pass. But beyond the spectacular impact of numbers and off-season charm, snowdrops have another trick up their sleeve: an immense natural variety that captivates the unwary, and draws them in. Thus a little knowledge is a dangerous thing; people want to possess them and collectors yearn for more. There are around 20…

We all snap photos of our gardens during the season but learning some essential skills and techniques from an expert photographer can elevate quick snaps to beautiful moments in time, captured forever. Specialist garden photographer Clive Nichols runs masterclasses at some of the country’s most gorgeous gardens, including Pettifers and Wollerton Old Hall. He also teaches courses through My Garden School and My Photo School for those who’d rather learn online. Botanical illustration moves at a slower pace but it is a wonderful art form to try. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, runs an intermediate botanical illustration course over a fortnight that is suitable for beginners, and explores a variety of techniques, from pen and ink to watercolour. The Kew Certificate in Botanical Illustration takes place over an academic year,…

RHS Practical Latin for Gardeners By James Armitage Mitchell Beazley, £10 On confessing that one is a keen gardener, the reply ‘so do you know lots of Latin names?’ often follows. Off-putting to some, unpronounceable to others, the seemingly dry subject of botanical nomenclature is tackled by James Armitage in an admirably engaging volume. Armitage arranges the plant names in categories such as continents, people and useful properties, each topic explaining the origin of the Latin name; he argues that knowing the root of a Latin name allows the gardener, in many cases, to understand where a plant will grow best. Each of the 1,500 Latin names in this book is explained and spelled out phonetically, which is especially useful when it comes to tongue-twisters such as the species name…

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 and 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…

“The polytunnel looks like a deserted ballroom with its chandeliers covered in dust sheets” I have a small 4.5m polytunnel and an even smaller 3m greenhouse, both fairly recently acquired in order to provide winter shelter for my tender plants: tubs of white pelargoniums and blue-leaved argyranthemums; pots of spiky red-splashed Fascicularia bicolor that signpost the entrance to the vegetable garden; 15 large terracotta pots of lilies which in summer stand on the gravel beside the knot garden; and dozens and dozens of Agapanthus. Cumulatively, they are the concluding act of the performance, the stars of the garden in July, August and September. But now, off-duty, they sleep the winter away in the polytunnel. Inside, the opaque walls cast a diffused light like the reflected glow of snow. With the…