Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i The English Garden

Rebecca Bernstein Rebecca is a garden photographer, who has photographed some of the country’s most beautiful private gardens for more than 10 years, including our Design Guide garden, on page 60. Eva Nemeth Based in Oxfordshire, Eva is a professional photographer inspired by anything related to the countryside. She photographed oak craftsman Paul Thomas, featured on page 101. Carole Drake Carole was a fine artist until a passion for plants led her up the garden path. She now photographs and writes about plants and gardens, such as Higher Cherubeer, Devon, on page 46.…

SPRING PLATT Spring Platt is a charming one-acre garden under continual development. Near Maidstone, the garden offers panoramic views of the Weald of Kent but at this time of year it is also a snowdrop-lover’s delight: more than 600 varieties of Galanthus are grown in tiered display beds, with spring flowers in pastel shades in adjacent borders. There is also an extensive collection of alpine plants in a large greenhouse, as well as a vegetable garden and natural, spring-fed water feature. Open for the NGS on 31 January and 3, 4 and 7 February, 10.30am to 3.30pm. Admission £4, children enter free. Spring Platt, Boyton Court Road, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 3BY. For more gardens to visit this snowdrop season, go to ngs.org.uk…

“ We did a lot of what we’d now call guerilla gardening, on a huge scale” Bold swathes of colourful meadows are now an increasingly familiar scene in many parks, along suburban roadsides or on roundabouts. The seed mixes were initiated by the Department of Landscape at the University of Sheffield, but are now developed, packaged and marketed as Pictorial Meadows by a remarkable not-for-profit company based in the city – Green Estate. While the seed mixes are aimed primarily at local authorities and other landscape-scale users, they are also available to private gardeners seeking an easy way to create vibrant long-season planting for a larger area. Sue France, founder and CEO of Green Estate, is on a mission: to revitalise public space and communities, with a focus on planting.…

• Prune Wisteria. We have three wisterias at the garden entrance, which are about eight years old. Once you’ve established the structure early on in their life, pruning their stems back to two or three buds is quick and easy. Our 75-year-old Wisteria, growing up a 25m oak tree, doesn’t get pruned. • Run through catalogues and get your seed order in. This year I’m excited about the ornamental gourds we’ll be growing from seed for the Peach House (which no longer contains peaches). • Make a start on rose pruning. With over 750 roses to prune, this takes us several weeks. It is not my favourite job, I admit. • Ensure the greenhouses and cold frames are well ventilated if the weather is warm enough. We primarily use ours…

WILLOW AVENUE A striking feature in winter is the pollarded avenue of Salix alba var. vitellina ‘Britzensis’, producing very pliable, red-tinged golden canes. Jo and Tom were inspired by a row of them on a road nearby, admiring the way winter sun set the bare shoots alight. Pollarding also gives light and space for planting below. DRY STONE WALLS Tom Hynes, a dry stone waller, has used stone found on site to build retaining walls for terracing sloping parts of the garden. This has created a perfect habitat for Jo’s beloved Cyclamen; most Cyclamen hail from the Mediterranean basin, where they revel in well-drained soils and sun-filled days. WINTER SHRUBS Bees are well provided for at Higher Cherubeer during winter thanks to a host of winter-flowering shrubs. Spidery-flowered witch hazels…

Some gardens need a design revolution, others more of a steer in the right direction. The L-shaped garden at Leny House in Bristol was a case of the latter. Many of the building blocks of the garden that stands today were there in 2014 when Alex Johnson (above) took on the design brief from owner Jo Lanyon and her partner, Richard, who had recently moved in. Potentially valuable garden features were not being exploited to their full potential but Alex set about turning these sleeping giants into prominent parts of the garden once more. An enormous cherry laurel hedge was looming large, casting considerable shade and consuming moisture and nutrition at the expense of the adjacent lawn. She saw the potential in this somewhat synthetic-looking brute, chopping it back to…

If only it were possible to make a glorious border by planting all your favourite plants until the space ran out, then sitting back to admire it. The truth is that classic English garden borders are the result of careful choices: of both features and focal points, and from plants to paths. Putting together the right plants and features to make the elements of a border work in harmony doesn’t happen overnight and expert advice is welcomed. Here, five garden designers share their wisdom on beautiful borders, each focussing on a different element. Whether making a new border from scratch, or adapting one that has been in the family for years, a little guidance will go a long way.…

I do believe that trees have a place within a border because they bring a sense of proportion and balance. The right tree can also bring year-round interest with spring blossom, abundant summer foliage and bright autumn berries. Even in the depths of winter their sculptural forms can look spectacular. The most important consideration is whether the tree will fit once it is fully grown. Evergreen varieties are great at providing screening, colour and winter structure, or for delivering added interest when used in topiary form. Repetition helps bring a design together by creating unity. For a minimalist border, repetition makes the whole design work very well visually. The danger is that if the chosen species doesn’t flourish, there is a risk that the effect of the border will be…

Propagation If you do one thing this year, learn how to succeed at propagation Propagation can be a dark art, and one that eludes many gardeners. Some of the techniques seem designed to strike terror into the beginner propagator’s heart – brutal chopping, fiddly splicing – and success rates aren’t always encouraging. A little background knowledge though, along with some helpful hints that increase your chances, and propagation is quickly demystified. Try the Spring Propagation course that is being held at the RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, for some good all-round help with seed sowing, cuttings and care for newly-propagated plants. Or if it is seed sowing you need particular help with, head to Kent’s Hadlow College and its Spring Propagation course to put paid to patchy germination. COURSES…

How would you distinguish between gardening and farming? Like many people, I garden for pleasure. I’m lucky enough to have the space and time to indulge in a pastime that I adore. It is an integral part of my life, but not my main occupation, although I do make a sort-of living by writing about it. Farming nowadays is a business, a livelihood, and at its best, probably a vocation. Who inspired you to pursue the grow-your-own, garden-farming lifestyle? When I lived in Suffolk, author Joy Larkcom was a neighbour and her books are always an inspiration. My other neighbours were country people who lived the sort of productive lives their families had lived for generations, with a few hens, a vegetable plot, a beehive and a small orchard. It…

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 SPRING REACH NURSERY Spring Reach Nursery grows a fantastic range of clematis, trees, hedging, ferns, shrubs, fruit, perennials, roses, climbers and grasses. STARRING NOW Coprosma Pacific Sunset, Gaultheria procumbens, Leucothoe, Hamamelis, Skimmia’s and Nandina’s Visit one of Surrey’s finest nurseries – a gardener’s paradise!…

“The ivies helped themselves to the walls; the coal bunker grew a carpet of moss” Winter begins to bite, and my garden horizon contracts to a dim north-facing strip outside the kitchen door. The cats and I have migrated to the kitchen – the warmest room in the house. Outside I can see a narrow slice of garden, barely wider than the brick path which runs down it, at the foot of a high grey sandstone wall. At one end, nearest the house, is an old concrete coal bunker; at the other is another wall, meeting the first at an obtuse angle, with a huddle of propane gas cylinders between. Not a very attractive view; but this small slice of garden has, over the years, been the site of a…

The dawn of a new year always brings a feeling of optimistic determination to stick to resolutions and accomplish goals. For gardeners, it is a time when hope springs eterna: the borders will reach a peak of flower at the precise time we had in mind; weeds will not gain the upper hand and the lawn will be neatly mown – if that is what we seek. These are all promises easily made but much harder to keep to. What should help is the first part of our two-part guide to planning better borders, in which some of the country’s most brilliant designers offer their hard-won advice on the topic. So, too, should our round-up of superb courses to join this year, from planting design to photography. And if it…

• Prune old leaves from hellebores so that their nodding blooms are easily visible in spring. • Recycle Christmas trees by shredding their branches and using the results as a mulch around ericaceous plants. • If you have limited space in your vegetable garden, research when is best to plant out favourite crops and create a calendar so you can make the most of the growing seasons. • From suppliers, order seed potatoes ready for chitting in February. • January is an ideal time for forcing rhubarb plants by covering the crown with an upturned plant pot or bucket to exclude the light. • Prune apple and pear trees while they are still dormant. Cut out dead or dying branches, and about 10-20% of the old wood, and aim to…

• Design Alex Johnson, chartered landscape architect. Tel: 01179 730023; elemental-landscape-architects.co.uk • Table and chairs supplied by Barlow Tyrie. Tel: 01376 557600; teak.com • Water features The Pot Company. Tel: 01892 890353; thepotco.com • Paving Stockscape. Tel: 0845 0505592; stockscape.co.uk • Turf sourced from Ray Cox Turf Limited. Tel: 01454 325895; raycoxturf.co.uk • Trees Griffin Nurseries. Tel: 01428 741655; griffinnurseries.co.uk • Lavender hedging Middlecombe Nursery. Tel: 01934 876337; middlecombenursery.co.uk • Lead planters and lead raised pool by William Cant. Tel: 07787 527472…

A strong backbone of evergreen shrubs as well as tree ferns for texture are often my starting point in a shady area. To these consider adding a palette of lower-storey perennials such as Luzula, Japanese anemones and hostas as well as small herbaceous ferns and hellebores. These plants are great for covering the ground quickly in difficult spaces and can be underplanted easily with spring bulbs to add an extra layer of seasonal interest and colour. Many of the plants that enjoy shady conditions have wonderful architectural forms. Dappled light through the overhead canopy creates highlights within a shady border, which in turn create drama. The same plants also work well when lit at night, when they are potentially at their most dramatic. Plants such as tree ferns, Mahonia or…

Winter is not renowned for bright colour, more the subtle tones of faded flower heads, a layer of monochrome frost and snow, or solid, unchanging evergreens. But there are plants that bring a paintbox of vibrant hues to winter gardens, through colourful bark in particular, and by carefully choosing those shrubs and trees, even small gardens can share in their dazzling display. Although it boasts winter planting on a large scale, there’s plenty to inspire gardeners hungry for winter colour at The Savill Garden, part of Windsor Great Park. Harvey Stephens has worked here for 11 years, and has been deputy keeper for the past 18 months. “Many of the plants we grow for ornamental winter bark are relatively small trees, so you don’t need to have an enormous garden,”…

It is a short and picturesque commute from Paul Thomas’ cottage to his workshop in the village of Lane End, Buckinghamshire. He walks for two minutes across the common, often stopping to chat with a neighbour on the way, before opening up his purpose-built studio. Inside the studio, there is a tangy smell of fresh oak, and stacks of roughly hewn boards leaning against the walls, awaiting their transformation into smooth, beautifully simple signposts, house names and letterboxes adorned with clean, crisp carved calligraphy. “The names of our houses enrich the landscape. Cottages, terraces, farms or manor houses, whether old or new, have associations and names that are linked to family, landscape, battle and trade, with origins steeped in history,” explains Paul. “My hand carving intends to convey letter quality…

AVANT GARDENERS – THE CONTEMPORARY GARDEN AS AN ART FORM 23 January, West Sussex Landscape critic and garden columnist Tim Richardson discusses landscape and garden conceptualism at West Dean College. Tim will focus on the work of key designers including Martha Schwartz and Kathryn Gustafson. £30. Tel: 01243 818300; westdean.org.uk INTRODUCTION TO GRAFTING 24 January, Harrogate Now is the time to graft fruit trees, and a short, 2.5-hour introductory grafting workshop at RHS Harlow Carr will set you on your way to bountiful harvests in years to come. Learn whip and tongue grafting and take home a tree to plant yourself. Members/ non-members, £26/£37. Tel: 020 31765830; rhs.org.uk BOGS AND PONDS: UTILISING WET AREAS 24 January, Dorset Broadcaster, horticulturist and qualified gardener Terry Underhill explains why a pond…

• Do not be afraid to make aesthetic decisions at any point. If a plant is not performing as you would like, simply remove it and allow the focus to shift to other areas. • If you have topiary or clipped hedges, remember how powerful they can be in winter, especially kept trim. “We do one last clip in August so the hedges remain well defined. They will be crisp and green when everything else is turning,” John says. • Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the effects of wind on grasses especially, which swirl and move, creating new patterns and shadows. • This is the time of year to stand back and identify what is vital. “You have to make a note or you will forget,” counsels John.…

GAULTHERIA MUCRONATA Long-lasting cherry-pink berries cover this small-leaved evergreen shrub from autumn into winter. AZALEA Full of promise for winter’s end, plump buds at the tips of an Azalea’s dormant branches sit out the colder months. CAMELLIA SASANQUA This Camellia species flowers from autumn onwards and will often flower throughout a mild winter. COTINUS COGGYGRIA The richly toned autumn leaves of the smoke bush can cling on to create winter interest, decorated with frost. FUCHSIA ‘DOCTOR FOSTER’ Lingering ballerina-like flowers of a hardy Fuchsia add small accents of colour to winter’s dominant green. HYDRANGEA Buff flower heads of hydrangeas look superb left intact to catch the frost and protect the plant from cold weather. ROSA ‘FALSTAFF’ An out-of-season bloom of this rich, crimson rose becomes a…

• Do some weeding. Any work done in winter lasts until April, so it is worth making an effort at this time of year. • Cut down herbaceous plants and trim back the lower branches of shrubs and trees to give bulbs space to bloom. • Plant out potted snowdrops and winter flowering Cyclamen. Then add other early bulbs including Crocus, Anemone, miniature Narcissus, and Iris. Use the space under trees and shrubs where little else grows in summer. Bulbs appreciate the extra drainage and the protection from overplanting which these places offer. • Mulch areas planted with bulbs with finely chopped or composted bark. The plain background this provides will highlight the flowers.…

PORTHOLES Nestled into the Rose Garden wall, the South Porthole frames the south woodland. A second porthole in the North Wall offers a view towards the Coach House, with its newly planted vegetable garden, and the North Woodland beyond. GRASSES Although grasses tolerate a wide range of conditions, the sandy, alluvial soil at Kinross House suits them particularly well. They provide a framework and support for herbaceous plants and their soft winter palette contrasts with the blue waters of Loch Leven beyond. BENCHES Close inspection of the beds reveals narrow paths furnished with seating allowing access for gardeners and visitors. Kenny explains: “It allows visitors to engage with the planting at close quarters or simply sit and reflect in quiet contemplation.” BOY WITH A SWAN ‘The Boy with a Swan’…

The sculptural qualities of plants are often praised but seldom the impact that sculpture itself can have, especially within a planted border. In the way a large yew or a big architectural plant has the ability to punctuate the border, so does sculpture. Sculpture can act as a place to pause, to contemplate, to provide a point of interest and to move us into another space. And of course a great sculpture will provide year-round interest while planting may only have one or two seasonal climaxes. Sculpture can be a big purchase, so it pays to take time in selecting it. Don’t rush out and buy the first thing you like at a flower show; instead explore some of our excellent sculpture galleries, as they often show a wider range…

Take care not to act too quickly to revamp an existing or old border, or untold treasures could be killed off in the process. Give a new garden a full season to reveal itself before going in with all guns blazing. See which plants could be propagated, rejuvenated, divided or moved. The configuration of what is already in the border can inform its redesign. I love the character and rooted history that existing woody plants bring to the spirit of a place. For this reason, I normally try to keep characterful shrubs or trees. They are often a gift to new planting schemes because they provide instant structure and scale, and can be incorporated without compromising new planting by means of canopy lifting and thinning. Nick’s new book Review Your…

Houseplants by Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, Cool Springs Press, £19.99 At this time of year, when bad weather keeps us indoors, it is reasonable to cast an eye over an interior and imagine how it might be improved with a houseplant. Yet interiors are not the most straightforward of places to grow plants, which are as vulnerable to too little heat as too much, perpetual shade and relentless sunlight, drought and over-watering. In fact, to have a thriving houseplant is no small achievement. A guide to choosing, growing and caring for houseplants then can be helpful to sustained success. Enter Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, known in the US as the Houseplant Guru and author of Houseplants, which provides the reader with a 272-page text on the topic. Beware: in the way of…