Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Woman's Weekly Living Series

Buy British trees! The risk of unwanted tree pests and diseases through plant imports are turning gardeners’ attentions to the benefits of buying British. Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial plant disease that has not been detected in the UK but poses a serious threat. In July, restrictions were put in place on imports of oaks after trees infected with oak processionary moth were intercepted in Holland. The Woodland Trust has created an accreditation scheme to highlight when nurseries sell trees of UK provenance. This means that the saplings they grow have come from a safe source, and will not be contributing to the spread of pests and diseases from other countries. Lee Dudley, Projects Manager said, ‘The Woodland Trust has been exclusively planting UK trees since 2012 but we need…

✿ Plant a border with about one third of plants scheduled to flower early in the season, and two thirds for later summer. Early flowerers such as bulbs, aquilegias, lupins, poppies and delphiniums perform for a limited period of around three weeks, whereas plants flowering after midsummer — asters, salvias and dahlias — tend to flower for much longer, providing better value. ✿ Limiting and repeating the colour palette and plant selection in different borders, while taking account of the conditions, allows you to alter the mood throughout the garden. Most plants reappear in only a couple of borders, which should themselves reach peak flowering performance at different times of the summer. ✿ Don’t forget about foliage – the greens are very important because there are many shades to complement…

Autumn clear-outs Q I give my garden a good clear-out every year around this time. However, with new information coming to light about helping wildlife I’m now wondering if this is causing harm to the more hidden residents of my garden? A Tidiness in gardens is not appreciated by wildlife but the garden does not have to be a tip either to support wildlife. Where plants have to be cut back, consider arranging them as small temporary piles where they won’t be a nuisance and finally compost them in spring. Seeding weeds must be pulled up but can be left in parts of the garden where they won’t cause problems and with luck many seeds will be eaten by birds and insects. Bare soil is of little use to wildlife…

1 Measure your plank of wood to a length of around 34cm and mark with a pencil along the line you will be sawing. 2 Fix plank to a solid surface with clamps and cut along the pencilled line with the handsaw. 3 Measure lengths of your stripwood. Two will be 30cm and two will be the same length as the width of the plank (in our case this was 27cm). 4 Sand the cut edges of your plank and the stripwood. You may want to sand the rest of it if it is particularly rough and splintery. 5 Measure and mark where your drill holes will go in each corner of the plank. They will need to sit about 4cm from each edge. 6 Drill the hole in the…

Another recent addition is the Global Growth Vegetable Garden, and come autumn the display of giant pumpkins and unusual squashes is a must-see. Hyde Hall’s ‘Pumpkin Man’, Matthew Oliver, is famous for growing world-record-breaking pumpkins, and you can join him on Saturday, 5 October, for the annual weigh-off, where visitors are invited to bring along their home-grown pumpkins, large or small, ugly or beautiful! Also, for the first time, Matthew is growing second-crop potatoes. Sown in summer, they are ready for harvesting from late autumn right through to Christmas. So if you return to Hyde Hall for a Christmas lunch, chances are you might be able to taste them for yourself. The garden’s ethos of plot to plate ensures that visitors can enjoy fresh, seasonal menu items. The amazing array…

ADDRESS: Blickling Estate, Aylsham, Norwich NR11 6NF OPENING TIMES: House and garden open daily. House noon-5pm. Garden 10am-5.30pm (closes 4pm from 28 October). GARDEN OF LIGHTS: 30 November-20 December, check website for details. Open 11am-7pm (house requires a timed ticket). CONTACT: Phone 01263 738030; email blickling@ nationaltrust.org.uk WEBSITE: nationaltrust. org.uk/blickling-estate TICKET PRICES: Adult £14.85; child £7.40; family £37; one-adult family £22.25. Check website for winter prices and Garden of Lights details.…

Hardy cacti Hardy down to -7°C, these tough, brightly coloured cacti should be planted in a sunny, well-drained rock garden or containers in a sheltered position. H 10-15cm. Flowers Jul-Sept. £14.99, thompson-morgan. com, tel: 0333 400 0033. Zinc tube planter Cover a bare wall inside or out using hanging cacti planter in a ladder design of zinc tubes. Fill the bottom with a layer of gravel before compost to prevent waterlogging. Each planter size: 25cm width x 90cm drop. £29.95, londongardentrading.com. Tuscany glazed pots These beautiful stoneware pots finished in a turquoise crackle glaze feature a textured daisy-like pattern. Small 14cm diameter, £9.99, and medium 16cm, £14.99, burgonandball.com, tel 0114 233 8262, and garden centres. Hanging container We love this indoor planter, especially fun when teamed with the easy-to-grow string…

GARDENERS Ian and Susie Pasley-Tyler LOCATION Coton Manor, Coton, near Guilsborough, Northamptonshire LANDSCAPED The garden’s framework was laid out during the 1920s by Ian’s grandparents, who had the vision to plant the trees, yew and holly hedges, lay terraces and establish the water garden throughout the 10 acres. Since the 1990s, Susie has masterminded colour-themed borders filled with exciting plant combinations. SPECIAL FEATURES Mature hedges and trees divide the garden into different areas, creating surprise vistas round every corner. ASPECT Most of the borders face south. SOIL TYPE Much-improved clay. CHALLENGES Planning long-lasting border displays is as much a logistical exercise as a never-ending balancing act to ensure that as one plant retires, another takes its place. INSPIRATION Susie has gleaned ideas from many gardens, but among those that inspire…

✿ Aster x frikartii ‘Jungfrau’, Michaelmas daisy, a long-flowering aster that produces mauve star-shaped flowers for a long period, and is frequented by bees and butterflies. ✿ Echinacea purpurea‘Green Jewel’, coneflower, a sun-loving compact form with large, fresh-faced blooms, unusually tinged green. The petals fall away to leave handsome seedheads. ✿ Salvia greggii ‘Blush Pink’, a baby sage with a compact, bushy habit that bears flowers from early summer long into autumn. Pruning in July promotes new growth and fresh flowers. ✿ Abyssinian gladiolus, Gladiolus murielae, bears scented white flowers hanging from unusually long tubes, with a purplish mark within the throat of each funnel-shaped flower. ✿ Strongly scented Clematis heracleifolia ‘Cassandra’ is a herbaceous form that does not climb or cling, but simply forms clumps to around one metre…

With the surging popularity of ornamental varieties, grass is no longer restricted to green – it also comes in blues, blacks, yellows, whites and browns. Ranging from diminutive mounds of blue fescue to the towering fronds of golden oats, ornamental grasses come in many shades, shapes and sizes. Furthermore, there’s a variety for any garden situation, whether to add texture and tempo to flowerbeds, edge water or pathways, create a sense of cadence in prairie-style borders, spill out of containers or simply to stand in splendid isolation to radiate year-round appeal. ‘Grasses are easy to use, adaptable and tough, and if planted in the correct spot, they do the work, and you do the enjoying,’ says Neil Lucas, who collects and grows ornamental grasses at Knoll Gardens in Dorset. Over…

It is the elegant manner in which ornamental grasses die that prompted Piet Oudolf, the celebrated Dutch designer, to remark that a plant is only worth growing if it looks good when dead. He could well have had in mind the Pennisetum family – fountain grass or feathertop – which, come late summer, erupt into long, bristly panicles that veer between greenish yellow and dark purple. Among gardeners, there is a movement away from controlled tidiness towards a relaxed style, in which seedheads are allowed to develop so the hardier ones survive winter – providing food and shelter for wildlife – rather than being culled in a deadheading spree. Pennisetum thunbergii ‘Red Buttons’, a deciduous perennial fountain grass with bright-green foliage that yellows in autumn beside dark-red, bristly flowers. Pennisetum…

1 Think big, avoid clutter and don’t introduce too many different materials – use large paving slabs and simple layouts. 2 Use outsized planters: 3-4 large planters will create impact, and they also need much less watering in warmer weather. 3 Introduce vertical accents with trees such as fastigiate yews and, in urban spaces, cypresses. Prune into shape to inject drama and height. 4 Keep furnishings to a minimum. It’s best to avoid cumbersome timber or rattan in favour of more contemporary pieces with slimline silhouettes. 5 Consider water bowls that reflect the sky, and position them in the foreground. Make use of perspective by placing larger forms closer to the house, smaller forms further away. 6 Choose a pared-down planting palette of fresh, lighter shades with colour accents. If…

ADDRESS: Waddesdon, near Aylesbury, Bucks HP18 0JH OPENING TIMES: House open until 27 October, Wed-Fri, 12-4pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-4pm (book a time slot in advance). Grounds open until 3 November, Wed-Sun, 10am-5pm. House and grounds closed 6-15 November 2019. CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES: 16 November–5 January 2020, Wed-Sun. Grounds: 11am-6pm. House: 11.30am-6pm, last entry 5.30pm (book a time slot in advance). Closed 23-26 December 2019. CONTACT: Phone 01296 820414; email enquiries@ waddesdon.org.uk WEBSITE: nationaltrust. org.uk/waddesdon-manor TICKET PRICES: House and grounds until 27 October: adult £21; child £11.50; family £53.50. WINTER FAIR AND GROUNDS PRICES: Adult £11. House and grounds: weekday adult £26 (weekend £28.50), booking essential. National Trust members: weekday adult £5 (weekend £7.50).…

Campanula ‘pink octopus’ An unusual-looking campanula with hanging lantern-shaped buds opening to thin spidery petals all summer, above attractive, deeply cut foliage. Height up to 45cm. Prefers fertile soil, £9.99, larchcottage. co.uk. Clematis ‘Elodi’ Launched at Chelsea, this gorgeous miniature clematis is low-growing, reaching around 30cm in height, it’s perfect for patio pots, hanging baskets and borders. Deep-pink flowers are produced from May to September, £13, taylorsclematis.co.uk. Rose ‘Chawton Cottage’ Launched at Chelsea to mark the 70th anniversary of Jane Austen’s House Museum opening to the public. It is described as a ‘sensational new climbing variety with exemplary health’, and produces soft pearl-pink with rich red eye from summer and autumn. Pots, £16.95, bare root, £14.45, roses.co.uk, tel 01462 420402.…

With so many different areas to choose from, it is surprising to learn that Susie’s favourite place is the woodland. ‘It’s amazingly tranquil and has lovely views to the reservoir,’ she says. It is planted with shiny-leaved evergreens such as choisya and fatshedera for the year-round, reflective quality of their leaves, while in deepest midwinter, there are also snowdrops, aconites and silvery-pink Crocus tomasinianus , a charming little bulb that quickly spreads. Come spring, and a fragrant Wisteria sinensis flowers, the ancient beech wood is carpeted with English native bluebells, and there are some pretty herbaceous peonies. ‘They’ve been here for decades,’ says Susie. ‘I love peonies, and they make wonderful cut flowers.’ By summer, pink ‘Seven Sisters’ roses are climbing up the walls of the 17th-century farmhouse, but it…

For weeks of colour from late summer well into autumn, plant a log basket with Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’, Sedum ‘Pool Party’, dwarf Michaelmas daisy (Aster novi-belgii ‘Alice Haslam’), compact Japanese Anemone ‘Fantasy Pocahontas’ and white Chrysanthemum Poppins ‘Prelude White’. 1 Line a basket with a burlap sack and add multipurpose compost to fill. 2 Cut off excess sacking lining. 3 Plant Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ at the back of the basket. 4 Plant the Japanese anemone alongside. 5 Place the dwarf Michaelmas daisy, teasing out the roots. 6 Fill in any gaps with compost, firming in each plant.…

YEAR 1 Section 1 Legumes  Peas, broad beans Section 2 Brassicas  Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohl-rabi, oriental greens, radish, swede and turnips Section 3 Potato family  Potato, tomato Section 4 Onions and roots  Onion, garlic, shallot, leek, beetroot, carrot, celeriac, celery, Florence fennel, parsley, parsnip REMEMBER  Pepper and aubergine suffer from fewer problems and can be grown anywhere in the rotation. YEAR 2 Section 1 Brassicas  Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohl-rabi, oriental greens, radish, swede and turnips Section 2 Potato family  Potato, tomato (pepper and aubergine suffer from fewer problems and can be grown anywhere in the rotation) Section 3 Onions and roots  Onion, garlic, shallot, leek, beetroot, carrot, celeriac, celery, Florence fennel, parsley, parsnip Section 4 Legumes  Peas, broad beans REMEMBER  French and runner beans suffer from…

Parrotia persica (Persian ironwood) Parrotia are deciduous trees with broadly ovate leaves. The leaves turn yellow, red and purple in autumn. Acer griseum (paperbark maple) A small spreading deciduous tree with attractive peeling, papery chestnut-brown bark. Leaves are downy and whitish beneath, turning brilliant red and orange in autumn. Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ (sedum) ‘Herbstfreude’ is a herbaceous perennial with fleshy, oblong, glaucous green leaves and large, flat terminal clusters of starry flowers in early autumn. The flowers open from greenish-pink buds, rapidly progressing through pale pink to become deep pink and ultimately take on a brownish hue Kniphofia rooperi (Rooper’s red-hot poker) Rooperi is an evergreen perennial with long, arching angled leaves and dense rounded spikes of tubular bright-red flowers fading to yellow in autumn. A great plant if you want…

ADDRESS: Altrincham, Greater Manchester WA14 4SJ OPENING TIMES: House open until 3 November, Sat-Wed, 11am-5pm (last entry 4pm). Garden open daily, 10.30am-5pm (last entry 4.30pm). House and garden close earlier in winter – please check website. CHRISTMAS LIGHT TRAIL: Selected dates 22 November–30 December, check website for details. Time slots 4.20pm-8pm. Closed 25 December 2019. CONTACT: Phone 01619 411025; email dunhammassey@ nationaltrust.org.uk WEBSITE: nationaltrust.org. uk/dunham-massey TICKET PRICES: House and garden: adult £14.50; child £7.25; family £36.25; one-adult family £21.75. CHRISTMAS LIGHT TRAIL PRICES: Public and National Trust members: adult £19.50 (advance £17.50); child 3-16 years £13 (£11), family £62 (£54). Visit website or call 0844 995 1362.…