By Jonathan Diaper For me, the harbinger of spring is the sight of waving catkins of hazel. The word ‘catkin’ derives from the Dutch word katteken meaning ‘kitten’ and nicely describes their furry appearance. These are yellow hanging bunches of around 240 individual male flowers which catch the wind to pollinate tiny Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper Winter is the time to make the grandest changes to a garden. Deciduous plants are dormant, making it the ideal time for planting. Trees, hedges, roses, fruit bushes and canes – all manner of woody plants can be planted easily and economically as bare-rooted stock. It’s an inexpensive and Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner I was recently asked by a customer to define ‘a traditional orchard’ and was surprised to learn from my research that this may contain as few as 5 trees to be classed as such. All the more reason to plan a visit to the Plant Centre, where you will Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper On these dark days it is hard to imagine any gardening jobs that need attention. The garden seems still, parts of it even appear dead, and there is an urge to bring indoors those plants which still seem alive, such as evergreen holly and ivy. However, there are still Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants into clearly defined ornamental shapes, by clipping the foliage. Typically, these are geometric shapes, but they can also be abstract or resemble the appearance of birds, animals, chess pieces and other fanciful forms. Highgrove House Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper Hooray for the bonfire colours of autumn. It is best to see autumn as a rejuvenating sight, rather than as ‘dead things dropping off’. The heavy swathes of green foliage in late summer are so abundant we can easily take trees and shrubs for granted. With the Read more »
By Ruby Simpson (Nicholsons CAD Technician) Winter is on its way… Sparkling frosty lawns, evenings snuggled up on the sofa with hot chocolate and old movies, fairy lights and bright crackling fires come to mind. Everyone starts planning for all the various social occasions and other festivities over the Christmas period. There Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner Following on from Part 1 of the 'Planning for Autumn' blog which focused on ‘The Right Plant in the Right Place’, this week, Part 2 provides plant recommendations for different soils with a particular emphasis on autumn colour. Clay soils A Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper Hang on to summer. It’s meteorologists who would have us believe it is autumn. They divide the year equally into four seasons, making September 1st the start of autumn. Astronomers define the season by the length of the day, the equinox being when the hours of daylight and darkness Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner This week, I am featuring a selection of my favourite ornamental trees currently growing on our Nursery beds, which will be available for you to reserve, in advance of their availability for purchase from September. With so many features extending interest through the seasons, your preference could be unusual peeling bark, Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper All that rain! The unpredictability of the weather, though, reminds me of the importance of water in our gardens. It has been the driest winter and early spring I can recall. February saw me giving first aid, with a can full of water each, to some lacklustre laurels. Plants Read more »
By Dan Lazarou-West The importance of weeding around newly planted trees cannot be understated. Weeds compete for light, nutrients and, most importantly, available water in the soil. In addition, weeds provide cover for bark-gnawing rodents and taller or climbing weeds. Bramble, for example, can smother and topple small transplants. Without an adequate weeding regime Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner The term ‘evergreen’ can be misleading. All leaves will eventually be discarded when they are shaded out by emerging new growth, but this is a gradual process of renewal and is nature’s efficient way of keeping the tree in good health. The purpose of a leaf is to capture sunlight, which Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner As the garden continues to wake up from its winter slumber, wildlife ventures out from hibernation, birds begin to build their nests and pollinating insects are seeking out those early nectar-rich spring flowers. This is the time to consider planting native trees to increase the biodiversity within your plot and maintain Read more »
By Lorraine Spooner Something caught my attention in the Plant Centre this week – the amazing structure and tactile softness of the tightly closed buds on our Magnolia trees. We talk about the importance of winter structure in the garden, not only from evergreens but from the framework that bare branches can provide, especially Read more »
By Jonathan Diaper Winter is a good time to reassess the bare bones of your garden. It is easier to see the layout of pathways and the way feature plants, such as trees and shrubs, relate to each other in the space. Is there a need for evergreen shrubs, or perhaps topiary, to create Read more »
Deriving from the Persian, pairi-daeza, (or paradise) literally means “around walls”. Since the very origins of civilisation, the gardens created in these enclosed spaces have been regarded as places of refuge, beauty & meditation. Today, the desire to escape the demands of modern life and to renew our energy is stronger than ever and Read more »
Spring has affirmed its arrival when the stunning blooms of Wisteria begin to unfurl and hang like fountains from their twining branches. Wisterias are strong growing, hardy, deciduous climbers in the legume family, (Fabaceae), native to China, Japan and the Eastern United States. The three most commonly grown species are Wisteria floribunda, sinensis and Read more »
