Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i The English Garden

Katherine Lambert Garden writer Katherine is the author of The Gardens of Cornwall and an NGS assistant county organiser. She admires Marwood Hill Gardens’ magnolias on page 22. Ian Tocher Ian is a garden writer and horticulturist who has worked in some of the UK’s best known gardens, and is on the plant-trials team at RHS Garden Wisley. He cares for box on page on page 95. Louise Curley Louise studied horticulture before becoming a freelance writer. She is the author of two books, including The Cut Flower Patch. She considers ornamental currants on page 77.…

“It was late summer and it made a deep impression. I came away excited” The Scots, we now know, are better Europeans than the English. It is certainly the case with Elliott Forsyth and the garden at Cambo, near St Andrews. Elliott, who has been head gardener here since 2000, has guided the planting at Cambo in a direction which has been inspired by the latest thinking in Germany and Holland. In doing so, he has helped make Cambo one of the most exciting and innovative gardens in Britain. Elliott has not always been a gardener, however. His first career was as a weapons mechanic with the Royal Air Force. “But then I wanted a change and was looking for another career,” he explains. “I was at RAF Leuchars, and…

IT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT THE SPRING BULBS, although for a few glorious weeks in spring the mossy sward above and below this ancient former rectory, tucked beneath a wood on the sloping southern edge of the Sussex Downs, is awash with a succession of them. The owners, Brianne and Robin Reeve, somewhat self-effacingly claim that they are not really responsible for the quite staggering annual display, since vast numbers of daffodils, snowdrops, grape hyacinths and all the other trappings of spring were already well-established when they acquired the house and garden some 40 years ago. And thereby hangs not one tale but two: one about the atmospheric medieval house itself and another about the Reeves’ sensitive management of the two-and-a-half-acre plot during those years – initially with both of…

Pauline Heerema wanted a garden in the Belgian style and found the perfect person to make it happen. On moving to her house and garden in west London in 2012, Pauline appointed an architect to advise on some improvements to the house, who in turn recommended landscape architect Jonathan Snow (above) to design the garden. “I had a picture in mind of the garden I wanted,” says Pauline. “The Belgian style for me involves a lot of structure. It is a style that is calming and ‘readable’. You don’t get distracted by looking at a garden in this style.” As serendipity would have it, Jonathan was familiar with the Belgian style and saw the vision that Pauline had set her heart on for the small, almost square urban space. It…

The only ‘free’ space in a small garden is the vertical plane: the space above the ground and above our heads. But a fear of making our garden seem even smaller, and perhaps creating unwanted shade, means that gardeners are often dissuaded from taking advantage and reaching for the sky. From a design perspective, using plants with a strong vertical habit helps to draw the eye away from a site’s lateral limitations. If your garden is hemmed in by buildings, tall plants can also help to break up the oppressive weight created by them. In a sunny garden with well-drained soil, perennials such as Echium pininana and Eremurus robustus are ideal, as is the pencil juniper ‘Skyrocket’. In shade, foxgloves make real impact, especially the white form (Digitalis purpurea f.…

Even in a small garden it is important to have a cohesive planting style, whether it is formal and structured or wild and romantic. Living a busy life can make us feel emotionally dry but a well-designed garden with well-chosen flowers will help us to retreat and recover our emotions. For a small, romantic fairy-tale style garden, for example, use soft-textured flower plants, such as irises ‘Beverly Sills’ and ‘Jane Philips’ and Briza media. Make sure you harmonise with colour – use similar tones in your colour palette with plants such as Linaria ‘Canon Went’. Create a balance between small- and large-petalled flowers. Small-petalled flowers provide a very effective romantic look. Try Rosa ‘Natasha Richardson’ and ‘Royal Philharmonic’, Persicaria bistorta and Tiarella ‘Spring Sympathy’. See haydesigns.co.uk SOFT PASTELS ROSE ‘NATASHA…

This plant’s unwieldy name represents a real treasure, though most might think that a low, grass-like perennial with ebony-black leaves sounds rather dull. To me, this is one of the most valuable plants in my garden, creating a glossy evergreen (or ‘everblack’) carpet, good on its own, perhaps as an edging to a pathway, but enhanced when in combination with other plants. This Ophiopogon came from Japan, and in British gardens it grows well in sun or shade that is not too dry. On drier, alkaline soils, dig in leaf mould, composted bark or weed-free compost, and mulch after planting. Later in the year, its narrow, 20cm spikes are adorned with softly fragrant purple flowers, akin to a miniature lily of the valley, that ripen in autumn to rounded small…

• Camellias are woodland plants and prefer to grow in light shade. They need an acidic soil, but if you can’t provide that in your beds, they will be perfectly happy in a large pot, filled with ericaceous soil or compost. • Camellias do not like drying out and should be watered with rain water – tap water usually contains too much calcium – but any water is better than none. Be particularly assiduous about watering in summer, when the following year’s buds are formed. Failure to water enough from June to August means the buds will simply drop off later in the year. • Many gardeners are nervous about pruning camellias, but it is a good idea to cut back and shape plants every few years in late spring,…

Box has a long history of use for low hedges and topiary, as it responds well to clipping, is slow growing and evergreen. It also provides definition and structure in the garden, a particularly valued quality in winter. However, two serious problems are affecting its choice as the preeminent plant for low hedges. Box blight and box tree caterpillar were among the 10 most common pest and disease enquiries made of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardening Advice Service in 2015. Box blight emerged as the second most troublesome disease and box tree caterpillar was the dominant pest. The origins of box blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola) are not known but it occurs around the world, from New Zealand to the UK. Confusingly, the term often covers another box disease, too, Volutella blight…

The Garden Photography Workshop By Andrea Jones Timber Press, £17.99 This practical book will help anyone, from the casual iPhone-wielding garden snapper to the enthusiastic hobby photographer, learn how to take better garden photos. Author Andrea Jones states that, “Many people start off thinking that they can achieve the results they want by taking lots and lots of images and then picking one or two that work. Sometimes you might be lucky: like throwing a lot of mud at the wall some of it might stick. But I want to promote a more thought-out approach.” Andrea, herself a garden photographer of repute, is generous in sharing information on how to make the transition from camera owner to photographer, starting with detail on how different cameras work – including those on…

“There is something deeply atavistic about planting potatoes. It is a job that keeps you in touch with the soil” Last night I dreamed about potatoes. I was the judge at a horticultural show – or more precisely, the judge’s assistant, fetching and carrying, and taking notes. It was all astonishingly clear. I can even tell you the variety of potato we were looking at: it was ‘Belle de Fontenay’. I should say that I have never been a judge at a horticultural show. And I don’t make a habit of dreaming about vegetables. This is my subconscious telling me it is time to start preparing for spring. But why potatoes, I wonder? There is something deeply atavistic about planting potatoes. It is a job that keeps you in touch…

Not many of us are lucky enough to have rolling acres to garden. It is why, in this issue, we celebrate small spaces, from a tiny urban plot with a slick, crisp design, to a perfectly formed country garden, much smaller than its owners’ previous plot, that proves down-sizing needn’t limit your gardening aspirations. We also reveal some top designers’ tricks of the trade for making a small plot feel larger. There is still a lot to be said for the pure escapism that a sumptuous larger garden can afford, however. Let your mind drift to spring as you admire the wonderful cherries at Mitton Manor in Staffordshire, dreamy magnolias at Marwood Hill Gardens, near Barnstaple, Devon, and drifts of daffodils at The Old Rectory in Coombes, West Sussex. It…

• Plant hedges and trees in spring. Prepare the ground thoroughly, put in lots of organic matter, and water well – and the years will pass quickly. I’ve never had any new trees die on me. They provide a skeleton for the garden and offer natural screening. • Create your own yearbook. Every time we add new plants to the garden, we note their specific requirements in our month-by-month garden planner. This means that nothing is overlooked and everything receives the care it needs. If you keep it up, over the years you will create a wealth of tailored information about your own garden – about the weather, soil and how plants perform in your particular situation. • Start thinking about your dahlias now. Having stored the tubers all winter…

• Grassed areas that are heavily populated with daffodils can be cut once the leaves have turned yellow; they receive a last, quite brutal cut in October. For this, a petrol-powered Al-Ko scythe is invaluable, says Robin, as its horizontal blades can be placed right under the weighty thatch. • Summer meadow areas are cut in late July and left to lie for the seeds to drop before clearing and composting. The grass is kept relatively short thereafter via a mower on a high setting. • Around the garden, self-seeding pulmonarias attract the earliest bumble bees, and even rashes of gleaming celandines are allowed to co-exist with scillas and other, more refined neighbours.…

GERANIUM ‘ORION’ Mounds of soft green leaves are followed by lilac flowers. Cut back after flowering for a second flush. PELARGONIUM ‘LORD BUTE’ Maroon petals are edged with cerise on this superb pot plant. Overwinter on a windowsill indoors or in the greenhouse. HEUCHERA VILLOSA ‘PALACE PURPLE’ Ground-hugging maroon leaves contrast well with silver-foliaged plants. Airy sprays of pink flowers appear in summer. ASTRANTIA MAJOR VAR. ROSEA A great choice for clay soils, with long-lasting flowers, later followed by attractive seedheads. NICOTIANA ‘LIME GREEN’ Sow this half-hardy annual in mid-spring and plant out in containers and borders when the risk of frost has passed. KNAUTIA MACEDONICA Butterflies love the bright, pincushion-shaped magenta flowers of this versatile border perennial.…

Changes in the level of a small garden often create the illusion of more space, not to mention additional character and intrigue. An excellent way to exploit this principle is through plant choice: using a combination of perennials, grasses, shrubs and small trees can dramatically change levels without major earthworks. Exciting pairings and contrasts will encourage people to meander through a space, rather than taking it all in with one quick sweep. There are also many advantages to living boundaries as opposed to fences or walls. A natural boundary provides a sense of depth and seamlessly blends with the surroundings so a neighbour’s trees can soon feel like they are part of your scheme. If you are tight on space, try climbers instead of hedging. They provide a quick screen…

In a small garden, the temptation is to create narrow borders to make the usable space larger. But, contrary to this logic, the space will feel smaller, as having narrow borders often exposes the boundaries and rarely allows plants of substance to establish and flourish. Full borders will add volume and three-dimensional scale, and disguise the boundaries, fooling the eye as to the actual size of the plot. It can also be easy to overwork the space, or feel that because the area is small one needs to overlay the space with pattern, but this can result in the area becoming visually busy or fussy. Keep it simple and instead of using overlaid pattern, use the best quality materials you can afford – these speak for themselves and the quantities…

The appearance of vibrant, pinky-red flowers of Ribes sanguineum, the best-known flowering currant, are a sure sign spring has arrived. It is one of those plants I remember from childhood; the drooping, pendulous flowers conjure memories of Easter holidays and the first hints of warm sunshine. For some, the strident pink flowers and its ubiquitousness – it was popular in the 1960s and 1970s and lingers in many a garden and hedge – mean Ribes is dismissed as an old-fashioned plant, but flowering currants deserve another look. There is a host of interesting cultivars of the common or garden R. sanguineum from which to choose, along with garden-worthy species such as the fabulously exotic Ribes speciosum and its fuchsia-like blooms. Every garden needs plants that are unfussy, and ornamental currants…

Hakonechloa macra These plants are as attractive in summer as they are in winter, when Ophiopogon leaves sparkle with frost against the faded, straw-like Hakonechloa. When the frost disperses, black leaves become very black as the grass changes to a deeper tone. Embrace the best of each season. Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ Most gardens (and this combination also works in a patio container) will have room for the outstanding fiery stemmed dogwood, Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. Underplant as we do at Bressingham with Ophiopogon and Galanthus ‘S. Arnott’ for a wonderful winter picture. Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ Hosta ‘Krossa Regal’ has distinctive vibrant blue leaves and an architectural habit, which contrast well with Ophiopogon. Also making a pleasing contrast are the evergreen fronds of Polystichum setiferum ‘Divisilobum…

LONICERA NITIDA Tiny leaves make for a bushy plant. Try ‘Baggesen’s Gold’ (above) or ‘Maigrün’. PODOCARPUS ‘COUNTY PARK FIRE’ Young foliage is a buttery yellow on red shoots, darkening to green. PODOCARPUS NIVALIS ‘Kilworth Cream’, with leaves touched with cream, is performing well at Wisley. BERBERIS DARWINII ‘COMPACTA’ Dark green, spiny leaves – regularly trimmed plants won’t bear flowers. ELAEAGNUS EBBINGEI ‘COMPACTA’ The broader, silvery leaves of this shrub are better suited to larger hedges. COROKIA ‘FROSTED CHOCOLATE’ Best for milder gardens as it may need winter protection in colder locations. PITTOSPORUM ‘TOM THUMB’ Mature purple leaves contrast with fresh green new growth on this plant. TAXUS BACCATA ‘REPANDENS’ A low-growing and spreading form of yew suitable for…

What is your book about? It is about how I approach the making of a landscape garden. It takes the reader through the sequence of events that unfold from start to finish. The making of gardens is a complex and long-term process and I felt a book about how to think about the process hadn’t been made, so I’d make it. I’m hopeful that it contains enough practical and inspirational advice to encourage everyone to have a go, be they gardeners, novices or even just interested armchair enthusiasts. Was it difficult to distil your approach to garden design and years of experience into one book? It took a lot of thinking about at the beginning. My work travels forwards through time and I rarely look back over my shoulder at…

• What magnolias require most of all is patience. They need to put on good root growth, so it is a blessing that they take a long time to grow and 4-5 years to flower. Choose a grafted plant, not a seedling. • Although they prefer an open, sheltered position, they can be planted almost anywhere. They are tolerant of most soil types, except chalk. • Allow them plenty of space: they deserve to be seen from a distance, as well as close-up. • When planting, dig in plenty of manure, leaving soil between it and the root ball. Over-mulching will encourage roots to grow up to the surface and the tree will be susceptible to blowing down. For the same reason, provide plenty of water at planting but sparingly…

STRUCTURE Use a strong formal structure of clipped box and yew to create distinct rooms and to edge paths around the garden. Hedging of various heights conveys movement and leads the eye from one design element to the next. GARDEN ART Art is about fun and creating destinations. This was a huge empty plot, so it needed focal points to get people walking through it. The art is all made from steel, glass, terracotta and wood. Steel and glass offer a modernist twist to the otherwise traditional theme. TREES Trees are the overhead statement. They create atmosphere and give the garden height and colour in autumn and winter. The right trees, such as cherries, will be interesting year-round and encourage visiting birdlife. PLANTING This is about colouring in the formal…

FORSYTHIA Many showy spring-flowering shrubs – azaleas, Hamamelis – are acid-loving, so do not thrive in the flinty, chalky soil here. There are, however, some great backbone shrubs that do, including a fine Forsythia that enhances the yellow tableau. EXOCHORDA Always eye-catching when back-lit by spring sunshine are the fiery spring shoots of a well-sited Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’. White-flowered spiraeas, Exochorda ‘The Bride’ (above) and Kolkwitzia all flourish, as does a variegated Pittosporum lollipop. CERCIDIPHYLLUM Some mature trees – notably a Magnolia, a Davidia and numerous blossom trees – remain from the inherited tangle. One such is a lovely weeping Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum, a Reeves 1980s introduction. CISTUS Closer to the house, leafy evergreen Mediterraneans add texture and structure even when not in flower: a large Cistus creticus…

LILAC TREE Vanessa thinks the lilac tree could be 100 years old. It only flowers for a couple of weeks in spring, but looks good all year thanks to its splendid umbrella shape. “All gardens need a tree,” advises Vanessa. “Try an apple tree, silver birch, Prunus serrula or Acer griseum.” ERYSIMUM ‘BOWLES’S MAUVE’ “This plant is such good value; it is in flower virtually all year round. Don’t put in one, put in three. I cut them back quite hard when they begin to get leggy and I take cuttings so I can replace them when they get too big. They look good with Nepeta and Heuchera.” FERNERY “Ferns are ideal for a dark corner. Deciduous ones are late to die back, and look so pretty when they unfurl…

There is no need to confine your ideas in a small garden. Even the tiniest plot has potential and with clever design tricks used by the trade, small spaces can look and feel much larger. The key is to avoid the pitfalls and temptations that are easy to fall into, such as skimping on borders, installing a tiny scrap of lawn or choosing only dwarf plants, the result of which is a garden with a mean, stunted feel. Design should be bold: do not be afraid of creating large, generous borders, splitting the space into zones, and planting trees that lead the eye upwards and make the most of the unlimited vertical space. Maximise the potential of your small garden, with our designers’ advice.…

• Grow in sun or partial shade. Ideal conditions are a moist but well-drained soil that is quite fertile. • Currants will tolerate most soil types and are happy in either acid or alkaline soil. • They are reliably hardy, down to -15°C. Ribes speciosum, although hardy in all but the most severe of winters, will benefit from the extra warmth afforded by growing it against a wall. • Prune after flowering has finished. Simply cut any flowered stems back to a pair of strong buds. If you want to renovate an old, congested plant, remove about one-third of the older flowering stems right down to the base. Remove any dead, diseased and crossing branches to maintain a healthy open-shaped shrub. • Mulch after pruning with well-rotted compost. • Ribes…

Anyone visiting the Camellia collection at Chiswick House in west London 20 years ago would have seen a group of plants which were at death’s door. The camellias, many of them first planted in 1828, were infested with mealy bug, covered in sooty mould and rarely watered, while the historic conservatory in which they were growing had fallen into such disrepair that there was even talk of bulldozing it. I can remember peering through the broken glass of the conservatory about 15 years ago and feeling desolate that such a beautiful place appeared vandalised and uncared for. Another piece of our heritage was about to disappear, I thought, gloomily. Yet unbeknown to casual visitors like me, a miracle was slowly taking place behind the scenes. One of the volunteers…

‘APRICOT’ Ollie’s favourite, a fruity flavoured, heatless habanero. A C. chinense variety, it is best sown in January; buy plug plants from Sea Spring Seeds. ‘PIMIENTO DE PADRON’ Most Padron peppers are mild, but one or two will be hot: chilli Russian roulette. Fry whole in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and eat. Sow in February. ‘DORSET NAGA’ One of the world’s hottest chillies, and locally bred, so fitting for The Pig’s local ethos. It is another C. chinense variety, so grow it from plug plants this year.…

David Harber intends for his sculptures to enchant gardeners through movement, reflection and light, and, as you stare back at your reflection in the surface of a polished Torus, it is difficult to deny the success of his designs. Educated at Dartington Hall School, progressive for its time in encouraging free thinking and originality in its students, David left school aged 16. Fuelled by the attitude that he could achieve anything with a bit of commitment, he embarked on a short stint as a thatcher before turning his hand to pottery, where he gained a knowledge of production. However, a modest income meant he had to subsidise his living by teaching rock climbing, which soon evolved into a career when David landed a job as a part-time cameraman for the…

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