January’s Offerings

If you take a close look at your garden you will notice that new growths are beginning to emerge. This is a true sign that spring is around the corner, but there is still some way to go.

Early flowering bulbs are starting to push through like Snowdrops, dwarf Irises, Crocuses and Narcissus to give the garden some much-needed forth-coming cheery colour after the dull winter.

A lovely flowering plant for this time of the year is the Hellebores, also known as the Christmas rose, but despite its name it seldom seems to flower in time for Christmas… something to consider for next Christmas.

The flowers of this plant are pendent saucer shaped and come in a variety of subtle colours from white, cream, pink, purple or green. Most Hellebores’ prefer shade, and have evergreen leaves. I think this is a super perennial for winter interest and have several in my own garden.

There are several winter flowering shrubs to choose from to liven up the garden at this time of the year, such as the Hamamelis, Witch Hazel, with its lovely spidery yellow scented flowers blooming on bare branches.

How about the Scarcococca, Christmas Box with its sweet scented small white flowers? Other fragrant flowering shrubs are Chimonanthus praecox, Wintersweet with waxy looking yellow flowers on bare stems or the Lonicera fragrantissima with small creamy white flowers.

Another good shrub for the winter garden is the Daphne odora, which is evergreen and has a sweet, delicate perfume of pink flowers. Another early flowering shrub is the Chaenomeles, Japanese quince; this comes in a variety of colours from white-pink, deep rose-pink, orange, scarlet and red, and can look really super grown against a wall.

If you’re looking for some vertical interest, then you could opt for the winter flowering Clematis, Clematis cirrhosa, which is evergreen and has small bell shaped cream flowers with red flecking on the inside.

Other winter interest in the garden can be provided by the beautiful six to eight inches long grey-green pendent catkins of the Garrya elliptica, Silk-tassel bush or by the catkins of the contorted hazel, Corylus avellana.

For architectural foliage in a winter garden, I think that evergreen ferns look especially stunning when they’re dusted in frost. I think that trees also take on a special magic during this time of the year when the attractive trunks of deciduous trees can now be seen clearly, like the polished mahogany looking bark of the Prunus serrula or the snake patterned bark of the Acer capillipes. The peeling bark of the Acer griseum is particularly tactile.

If you haven’t got enough going on in your garden this month, then do some armchair gardening and plan where you would like some special winter colour and interest in your garden for next year.

In The Cold Of Winter

I feel that there is always a special beauty in a winter garden, especially when the frost is glistening on the plants or if there is a blanket of snow covering the trees and shrubs. It never fails to make the garden seem all the more magical for me.

But how do plants survive when temperatures drop so low and they are covered in snow or frozen by the frost? Snow can actually act as insulation for some plants protecting them from the freezing cold.

The damage snow can do to plants is to break branches or stems with its weight, so if there is snow sitting heavily on a plant then simply brush it off. In harsh weather some plants shut down and become dormant to protect themselves. Many plants will reduce their moisture levels or water movement during the wintertime to help avoid frost damage. Most plants are not resilient to cold weather, so they develop hardiness as the light levels decrease and as the length of days shorten. So a sudden hard frost early autumn or late spring will do more damage to the plant injuring un-hardened tissues.

Underground parts of plants such as the roots, or bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes are less resistant to the cold as those parts above ground as soil temperatures do not fall as low as the air temperature. These underground parts of plants also act as storage organs for both food and water supply for the plant. The composition of the food material also helps prevent these organs for being frozen by freezing temperatures.

Some plants, such as alpine plants, have adapted well to growing in harsh cold conditions by growing low in compact or mound form as this helps them to withstand the weight of heavy snow. Plants in containers outside may need some insulation for extra protection, as there is not so much soil around it to protect it.

Slightly tender perennials or shrubs can be given extra protection form the frost with a good layer of leaf mould or a layer of straw packed around the base and steams of the plant. We may not be very busy in our gardens at the moment, but we can enjoy, appreciate and marvel at the different natural qualities our garden takes during these winter month.

Adding Colour In January

It’s In The Stars!

Whether you believe them or just read them for fun, the newspapers this month are full of our horoscope predictions for the coming year. What will be our destiny?  What are the predictions for our wealth, health, career, romance…or how about gardening?

Now it might surprise you that there are schools of thought that suggest the astrological movements in the heavens can actually affect plant growth and help with gardening.

It is said, that as the moon moves through the signs of the zodiac every couple of days, it can govern as to what chores are best carried out in the garden at the best time in order to achieve the optimum result.

As we know the moon has a gravitational effect on the earth and causes the oceans’ tides to rise and fall as well as having a gravitational effect on the fluids in plants. Therefore plants that bear fruit above ground and need the fluid drawn upwards are best planted at New Moon and plants that bear fruits below ground that need the fluids to flow down to the root system should be planted in Full Moon.

Astrological gardening is another step on from planting by the phases of the moon. As the moon orbits around the earth and passes through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, it is said that as each sign belongs to one of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire or Water, each sign will have its own characteristic influence on gardening.

When the moon is in the earth signs such as Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, these signs are said to be very ‘fertile’ and therefore good for planting.

When the moon is in water signs such as Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio, these too are fruitful and productive signs. Scorpio is also a good sign during which to carry out pruning.

The moon in air signs such as Aquarius and Gemini means that the time is barren, very dry and will only work for some plants. Libra is an exception to the rule as it is semi-fertile.

Fire signs too are dry and barren; these are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. When the moon is in these signs it is a good time for weeding and to harvest.     Apparently, when the moon is void it’s time to take a break and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

So, taking into account as to which zodiac signs promote growth and which are barren, together with the actual phases of the Moon, it becomes apparent that there are ideal times to carry out certain gardening tasks.

So, whether you’re hoping to meet that tall dark stranger or hoping for a bumper crop in your garden, the fate of your garden may be in the stars!

“A New Start…”

I always regard January as being the month for armchair gardening.

It’s the time to browse through seed and gardening catalogues or books and plan the garden for the next growing season.

Unfortunately many people don’t think about planning the garden until spring and wish for a perfect garden by the summer, which is not always possible, so now is the time to get planning if you want that lovely garden to enjoy later in the year.

In this weather there’s no better place to plan you garden than by the fireside.

However, if you do feel the need to get out into the fresh air and do some gardening exercise to burn off a few of those festive calories then there are always a few jobs that can be done in the garden.

To start with, rake and sweep up the last of the fallen autumn leaves to keep good hygiene in the garden. You may also find that the frost may have killed off perennials in your flower borders, so these need to be cut down and cleared away and of course there is always a bit of weeding that can be done if you can the brave the winter elements.

Pick a mild day to prune fruit and deciduous trees, cut out dead, diseased or any crossing branches to maintain a healthy tree. Also this is the time of year to plant bare rooted trees, shrubs and roses and again chose a dry mild frost-free day and never plant into frozen ground.

If you need to stretch your legs, then there are so many gardens that you can visit, just wrap up warm and enjoy a bracing walk to blow away the winter cobwebs. You can contact the National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society and they can give you details of which gardens are open during the winter and details of the opening times.

Most of these gardens will have a restaurant or café where you can enjoy a hot drink to warm up while you get your ideas for your own garden. I think that winter gardens can be very attractive and interesting is planned well.

A Month For Planning

Your Garden In November

With November already here, tulip bulbs can be planted in any sunny sheltered locations in your garden or into containers. Also around now you can already be planting spring flowering plants for filling any spaces you may have between shrubs and where you want to fill with colour.

As we’re now in the season of rather colder whether don’t forget to protect any tender shrubs you may have in outdoor tubs. One way you can do this is by lightly packing straw around the foliage and hold the straw in place with some cane or string.

Also around this time of the year you can be planting out your daffodils and narcissus bulbs in your lawns. While on the subject of lawns, now that the mowing season is more or less over, don’t forget to clean your lawn mower for the winter. Check or oil any parts before you stow your mower away for the winter.

I always look forward to vegetables available around this time of the year, and now is a good time to pick Brussel sprouts as soon as you notice that the buttons are firm, however leave any others to mature.

While out in the vegetable garden, you can lift and store horseradish, parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. While you’re harvesting vegetables you can also be sowing broad beans in a sheltered location if you want an early crop.

From vegetables let’s now turn to fruits. If you are considering planting apple or pear trees make sure that the soil isn’t too wet or cold. Also newly planted apple trees could be pruned back around now.

Remember that all side shoots can be cut by half and very young plants should be cut back to about 50cm above ground level. If you have established apple trees then you can prune them from now until late winter but do take care if climbing up trees with sharp tools. If in doubt call an expert.

Indoor Horticultural Styling

My love and passion for gardening and garden designing led me to study flower arranging and floristry for the horticultural styling part of my business.

So now I not only enjoy the flowers outside in my garden but I can enjoy their splendid beauty and wonderful scent indoors at close quarters.

More and more people are taking up the popular hobby of flower arranging. While it is easy to go along to a florist and buy wonderful flowers, foliage is sometimes limited and can work out more expensive to buy. So why not grow your own?

A garden does not have to be just ornamental it can be functional as well. Many of us grow fruit and vegetables to eat, so how about growing a selection of plants and shrubs that can be used for your flower arranging?

Many of us will have Ivy growing on our gardens, or at least know someone who has, and this is such a useful plant to have in many flower arrangements as it can give a great effect by trailing over the side of a container.

With Christmas coming up, if you spray just the black berries of the Ivy with a silver or gold spray and place it around candles it can form the basis of a very attractive table display.

However, it goes without saying that you always need to take care with such plant / candle arrangement.

Holly is another useful evergreen shrub and tree for its distinctive leaves to use for Christmas decorations.

A versatile evergreen shrub or tree that is number one on my list to have for flower arranging is the Pittosporum tenuifolium with its lovely wavy edged medium size leaves and can fit into numerous types of flower arrangements.

The Eucalyptus gunnii with its distinctive round disc-shaped aromatic glaucous leaves will give a more contemporary style to a flower display.

If you constantly harvest this shrub it will keep growing new useful shoots and this will prevent it growing into a large tree which can become too big for the average suburban garden.

For bold foliage go for the Fatsia japonica, with its large finger lobed glossy green leaves, or the Phormium with its broad sword-shaped leaves or the Aucuba japonica ‘Crotonifolia’, the Spotted Laurel with its interesting yellow blotches.

For variegated foliage interest go for the Euonymus fortunei. ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ is green in the centre of the leaf with bright yellow margins or the ‘Emerald Gaiety with its white margin will look really stunning with white roses.

So next time you are given some flowers go out into your garden and snip off some foliage and create an instant lovely flower arrangement to enjoy indoors.

Indoor Gardening For Well-Being

Just because you may not have garden it doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on the world of gardening completely, as there are so many gorgeous and exotic houseplants that can be grown indoors.

A house filled with lovely lush plants will immediately give your house a welcoming atmosphere and a homely feel. I think that indoor plants really are the finishing touch to any décor as they beautify and add style to any home.

Houseplants are not just for décor alone, just like plants in the outdoor garden they have therapeutic benefits and help promote feelings of relaxation and wellbeing, especially at the end of a long stressful day. It’s no accident that plants are used in so many public places such as offices, hospitals, wait rooms and shopping centres.

Scientific studies have proved that houseplants help remove harmful household chemicals from the air that are given off from everyday household products like synthetic furnishings, computers, electrical equipment and cleaning products.

Houseplants will help freshen the air, absorb noise and lessen dust in the home. Indoor are also said to lower blood pressure, help concentration, improve memory and generally promote feelings of tranquillity and calm.

Outdoor plants need to be placed in their preferred place and aspect and the same goes for indoor plants, as some plants prefer a shadier cooler part of a room, such as ferns or ivy, while others will prefer a warmer sunny room, like cacti for example.

Other plants will welcome warm steamy conditions such as a kitchen of a bathroom, such as the Caladium, Peacock plant with its distinctive foliage. So always check the label before you purchase your houseplant to see what aspect it will thrive in.

Because houseplants are grown in pots, they will tend to use up the nutrients of the compost, so therefore they will need feeding on a regular basis to give them nourishment to grow. If you have a houseplant with broad leaves, then it’s also worth giving them the occasional wipe down with a damp cloth to remove the dust and to allow the plant to breathe.

As with outdoor plants, some houseplants will prefer more watering than others, for example azaleas will like a good drink while bromeliads will need very little water. However, if you would like a virtually maintenance-free plant, then opt for air plants. As their name suggests, these plants obtain most of their requirements from the air.

Do remember that some houseplants will have a dormant period during which time they will need less feeding and watering; again always check the label for instructions.

One interesting indoor plant is the good old common Spider houseplant as this plant is the most effective plant in fighting pollution. It will actually absorb many toxic gases and household chemicals, even cigarette smoke. It is also said that the spider plant will absorb gasses which some refrigerators produce.

As outdoor plants are vital to our wellbeing, our houseplants can be just as important and not only this, but they look great in our homes too.

Off With Their Heads!

“Should I cut off the seed heads or not?” is a question asked by many gardeners. Usually there are two answers to this question.

If you want to stop the seeds from self-sowing themselves, then the answer is “yes”, go ahead and cut them off.

Also if you are one of those gardeners who like to keep the garden immaculate and tidy, then “yes” again. The reasons for keeping the seed heads and spent flowering stems on is to allow the seeds to self-sow, to provide food for wild life and to add more protection for the remainder of the plant from frost damage.

The seed head of plants can be very attractive and add seasonal interest in there own right. The Achillea ‘Gold Plate’ has flattened yellow flowerheads in summer, which go pale to brown by autumn. The Ice Plant, Sedum spectabile has heads of small star-shaped pink flowers in late summer, which turn brown for winter.

Clematis orientalis has bell like orange-peel blooms that turn into wonderful fluffy seed heads of silky, silvery strands. Crocosmia – the leaves turn a rustic colour and the flower stems develop beaded seed heads.

The Gladwin, Roast-Beef Plant (because it smells of the meat), Iris foetidissima, has an orange/ yellow ting with purple vein flowers through out the summer then goes on to produce brilliant orange seed clusters.

The African Lily, Agapanthus is architectural with its long stem with a pom-pom like head of seed capsules. Also architectural is the bold Bear’s Breeches, Acanthus spinosus, with its spine-toothed leaves and its spire of seed heads.

Many English garden have a Hydrangea, and their mop-heads or lace capped dried flower heads can look very attractive.

I’m a fan of ornamental grasses and their seed heads can be good value for autumn interest too. How about the Dwarf Pampas Grass, Cortaderia selloana ‘Pumila’, with its lovely creamy white plumes or the Chinese Sliver Grass, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Fontane?

Seed heads can be very attractive with wind movement, especially when they are glistening or coated with frost, and I do admit that they are my favourite when dusted with snow.

So take a second look at your garden and see which seed heads you need to remove and which can stay. Enjoy your autumn garden with the gifts it can bring.

When The Leaves Are Falling…

Now that plants are shedding off their leaves, fences and boundaries will get revealed showing whether they’re in need of repairing or replacing.

When you’re designing or planning your garden, then the fencing should be one of the first things you consider, not just what style you would like but also durability and cost.

Also, the type of fencing you have can actually effect the microclimate of your garden. For example, did you know that if you have a solid fence of brick in a sunny aspect then the brick would take in the heat of the day and release it at night?

This would give a warmer microclimate by the wall area and therefore would be a great place for growing fruit against it.

If your garden is in a windy position then a solid structure would make the wind more turbulent as the wind would hit the wall and then swirl into the garden. In a case such as this a trellis type of fencing would let the wind defuse through it.

You could plant up in front of it with wind tolerant shrubs and plants such as Kniphofia uvaria ‘Springtime’; the Common Torch Lily, Santolina chamaecyparissus; Lavender Grey Cotton or Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’; Yellow-Edge Elaeagnus.

If you prefer a solid wall with colour then a cost-effective type would be one of breeze blocks, which can be smoothed over with cement and painted with the colour of your choice. For a warm Mediterranean feel you could go for a terracotta or cream, or how about a more tropical feel with a bolder colour such as burnt orange?

Wooden fences are the most common such as panel or the close-boarded types. Until recently the main way to preserve and colour the wood was creosote.

Nowadays there are wonderful ranges of coloured wood preserving stains to choose from. If you want your fence to recede into the background then go for a green colour but if you want your fence to stand out then go for a more bolder colour, how about a daring black?

A very simple way to change the look of your fence would be to use a reed or willow screen. Strips of reed or willow held together with wire come in handy rolls that can then simply be nailed onto an existing fence. I did this with my own garden onto my dark panel fencing I nailed a golden coloured reed screening which now gives my garden a warmer sunnier feel and also fits in with my oriental theme.

Garden Lighting

The summer is coming to a close and autumn is starting to set in and the days are now becoming notably shorter all too soon. Still, with a garden carefully designed, these dark evenings are the prefect opportunity for using garden lighting.

During the summer months the use of candles can be very attractive and are wonderful for atmosphere on a lovely warm evening. Those late dinner parties in the garden have a little extra magic with candle lighting. There are so many types of candles available for outdoor use and these often incorporate insect repellents.

There are types that come in various pots and containers, or there are types that you stick into the ground and there are type of lanterns that you can hang on the branches of trees, although I would advise great care with these types. I know it goes without saying, but please do remember that candles, any candles, not just in the house, should never be left unattended, and should be kept out of the reach from children and animals.

Candle garden lighting is obviously more suitable for the summer months. Let’s look at lighting that can be used all year round.

The use of electric lighting has become so popular in recent years and the advent of the “safe type” of lighting using very low voltages have made garden lighting accessible to everyone. This type of lighting is so safe that it can be used all year round in all sort of weathers.

It is best to plan your garden lighting when you are having your garden landscaped, if possible. That way you will ensure that your lighting is an integral part of your garden’s design and not just an afterthought.

Remember that lighting isn’t just “lighting”. It can be use in many creative and artistic ways. It can be used to accent various features in your garden, or not as the case may be. Spotlighting is great for highlighting specific garden features or ornaments, and shadowing can create dramatic effects. Cast the light onto a wall or a fence through an architectural plant to get a nice effect.

Uplighting as the name suggests shines upwards and can be used with subtle effects. Uplighting is great for lighting a tree as the bark, branches and leaves take on a different character with such lighting

With carefully positioned garden lighting you can enjoy your garden after dark during the winter evenings. Lighting up the garden brings the garden to life in such a unique and different way than usual. It allows the best features to be shown off and leaving others hidden.

On a practical note, lighting is useful for simply lighting paths to and from various parts of the garden during the dark evenings. Movement or heat sensitive security lights for the garden are a sensible thing to have, but do check with neighbours that it is not intrusive into their property.

A winter’s garden with snow on the garden features, ornaments and plants with the crystals of snow and ice twinkling in the concealed lighting is simply magical in any garden.

Please remember that if you are considering any garden lighting or electrical work then always consult a qualified and experienced electrician

An Orchestra Of Autumn Colours!

As I’ve said before, my favourite time in the garden is in the spring but for my husband it is the autumn. He loves to see all the wonderful rustic colours that the leaves turn into before they fall from the trees.

Around this time of the year there are some super trees to provide orange, gold, bronze and crimson colours for autumn interest and on the top of my list is the Acer palmatum atropurpureum, which I have in my own back garden. This will be turning from its usual purple colour foliage to bright red and when the rays of sun shine through it, it is absolutely stunning.

Autumn is also the season for ornamental berries to show off their splendour. The evergreen Pyracantha is one such shrub that has super bright orange berries and can be grown in a shady or sunny position against a wall. The more sun it’s exposed to, the better, brighter and more berries it will produce.

For clusters of red berries Cotoneaster shrubs are good for this and they are easy to grow in any ordinary garden soil.

For really unusual stunning purple berries that are shown off on bare stems go for the Callicarpa shrub. It can grow to a height of thirteen feet and it’s definitely one for my shopping list.

An interesting perennial that comes into its best around this time of the year is the Physalis alkekengi, otherwise known as the Chinese lantern, because of its super decorative papery orange calyces, which resemble lantern shapes. This plant is a vigorous spreader, so leave plenty or room for it. It is also useful for dried flower arrangements.

A dainty and exotic looking hardy flowering perennial is the Schizostylis coccines ‘Sunrise’, The kaffir lily. It has lovely salmon-pink showy, gladiolus-like spikes of open cup-shaped flowers that flower from late summer to early winter and it’s good value for money in any flower border.

Another hardy perennial to flower outdoors this month is the Chrysanthemum. There are so many forms to choose from and a wide variety of colours too. Chrysanthemums can also be used as cut flowers to provide some indoor interest too.

A Bright future

This is the time of year when many of us start to spend more time indoors and forget about the garden, however, you could save yourself time and money by using the time now to plan your garden for next year.

This is the best time of the year when we should be thinking and planning how we would like our gardens to be and want sort of plants we would like to be growing next season.

Autumn is certainly the garden’s “renewing time”, as this is when we should preparing and improving the soil by digging in lots of organic matter and many of the existing plants in a garden can be transferred and replanted.

This is also the prefect time to plant new trees, shrubs and bulbs. Existing lawns can be repaired if parts are worn out and during this time you could be reshaping your lawn for new flower borders or to completely renew and smarten up your garden.

A well-designed border can really enhance and add interest to the garden. When planning a border consider some of the following elements: what form or shape would you like the borders to be?

A straight traditional border gives more of a formal theme and if it butts up to a lawn then it will be easier to mow. A less formal look is to have curved edges to a border to give it a softer attractive feel and look.

Always consider the aspect your border faces, for example if it is south facing it will get hot sun all day and if it is north facing then it will have to have shade loving plants. So therefore it may be preferable to have larger planting borders where the garden get more sun light.

Think about plant and colour schemes; the most popular request I get when I am asked to design planting schemes is for all year-round colours. Now it’s not always possible to have borders in full flower all year round, but the objective to achieve is that there is some form of interest in a border for each month of the year.

The best way to do this is to sit down and with pen and paper and under a list of the months, list what plant will be looking its best during that particular month.  At this stage you should consider the colour scheme as well. Do you want a hot border with lots of bright colours or a soft pastel cool coloured border?

When planting up your border start with your ‘star performers’, those are the plants which are going to be the focal points, then plan for the evergreens as this will provide the back ground and framework to your border. After that, plan the shrubs and perennials to give seasonal interest and finally finish off with the ‘fillers’ such as bedding plants and bulbs.