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 »
In their native habitats of Japan, China, Korea and Eastern Mongolia, these Maple plants have been found growing at altitudes up to 1,100 metres, which has earned them the name of the Mountain Maple. More commonly, they are found on the edge of woodlands, protected by the canopies of larger trees above. They have Read more »
What’s flowering now? I love this time of year - gorgeous flowers popping open all over the place, some things only just breaking into leaf, like the Cercis Forest Pansy in my garden. Tiny, glossy purple hearts emerging all over the stems, taking the baton from the delicate pink flowers and carrying it through summer. Read more »
It's all in the detail... When we think about winter gardening and how to make the garden look better we tend to focus on the plants and the border structure, which is clearly the most sensible way forward… however what if we think outside the box? Whether you already have the structure and the winter Read more »
Wildlife Gardening: Winter is upon us and our gardens are being stripped back to the bare bones! It is the perfect time to consider how you can make your garden more wildlife friendly… Wildlife gardening isn’t difficult, there are plenty of things you can very easily add to your garden to increase your chances of Read more »
Autumn is delicious. It makes me think of pumpkin soup, chilly walks, mulled cider, and the first few evenings by the log burner… I sometimes wonder if autumn colours occur purely to brighten up the dull days and try to cheer us up as we head into the cold, short days of winter - therefore, Read more »
Another week and another garden plan with details bearing a striking resemblance to reproductive organs… male, female, internal and external. Either designers’ have subconsciously fertile minds, or there’s a little bit of nudge-nudge wink-wink going on… Will anyone notice? Will anyone dare comment? Even the great gardens of the land are not immune to Read more »
There are so many flowering shrubs available, that it’s easy to find a colour or form for any situation or position. Sometimes, it’s difficult to decide between all of the options, so here are five of my favourites to give you some ideas. This beautiful flower bed was planted by our gardeners. Read more »
Cornus varieties: There are so many varieties of Cornus that hold their own in the winter time, regardless of being deciduous. They seem to be the best genus for vibrant colourful bark, so here are a few of the best: Cornus alba sibirica has bright red stems, Cornus kesselringii has dark brown almost purple-black stems, Read more »
It is widely accepted that Box and Yew are the ultimate plants for formal hedging and topiary, but are they really? Occasionally there are issues with using Box—to start with it can get Box blight, but it’s also rather expensive! Box blight can be treated and controlled, but this in itself can be expensive and Read more »
Prunus Pink Perfection: This is such a gorgeous flowering cherry. Profuse deep-pink buds opening to candyfloss-pink frilly, double flowers in drooping clusters in spring. It’s a perfect tree for a small garden and has the added bonus of having excellent autumn foliage as well, with foliage turning vibrant red and orange. It you like a Read more »
It seems that in nearly every garden we work in, the client needs some sort of screening somewhere in the garden. Whether it’s an urban garden needing privacy from neighbours, a country garden that needs to hide an oil tank, or even if a secluded area in the garden is required to house the hot-tub, Read more »
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’: This is one of my favourite shrubs. There is nothing more magical than seeing a mass of these fiery, spindly little flowers in the dead of winter, lighting up a naked, twiggy patch of shrubbery in the garden. Another of its beautiful features is its stunning autumn colour - the leaves Read more »
