Category Archives: Gardening Thoughts

The scented winter garden

Scent in the winter garden has to be the best reason to brave the winter weather and get out there and enjoy it. Well positioned winter flowering shrubs close to paths, back and front doors and on route from the log store or garage can lift the spirits and remind us all that even in the depths of a gloomy winter there can be something ‘Rosie’ in the garden. Many winter flowering shrubs have almost insignificant flowers but punch well above their weight when it comes to scent. Here are a few of my favourites;

Daphne: a wonderful shrub with a good compact habit, two of my favourites varieties that will grow well on chalk are. D. mezereum, upright habit with small rose pink flowers on bare stems from February into March and pack a heady slightly citrusy scent.

D.mezereum

D.mezereum

Also the evergreen D. odora ‘Aureomarginata’, a neat mound forming shrub with mid-green glossy foliage with a cream edged leaves. The waxy flowers are held in small clusters pink in bud opening to cream and are highly scented.

D. orda 'Aureomarginata'

D. orda ‘Aureomarginata’

Mahonia: a dramatic architectural evergreen shrub from large to smaller varieties, with striking foliage, glossy dark-green pinnate leaves, with holly like edges, cover upright stems to give a distinctive habit.

M. ‘Charity’ out of the whirls of radiating leaves long racemes of clear yellow fragrant flowers, are produced from December through January.

M. x media'charity'

M. x media’charity’

M.trifolioliata ‘Winter Sun’, leaves of three spiny heavily veined leaflets. Mid-yellow flowers strongly fragrant, in late winter early spring, followed by clusters of redcurrant like berries.

M.trifoliolate 'Winter Sun

M.trifoliolate ‘Winter Sun

Lonciera: There is much more to the genus of Lonicera than the twisting climbing honeysuckle. The winter flowering shrub is much to celebrate.

L. fragrantissima x purpusii, arching branches, semi-evergreen shrub. It has delicate flowers held in pairs up the stem and sweetly scented, late December, through January and into February and beyond, the flowers hanging on as the new leaf growth appears.

L.fragrantissma x purpusii

L.fragrantissma x purpusii

Sarcococca: a marvellous low growing glossy green evergreen shrub, which is invaluable in any small garden for a semi-shady area. The indistinct white ‘hairy’ flowers are held on the stems peaking out through the foliage, they may not be much to look at but their powerful scent can be smelt several meters away. The shrub flowers, January into February and in mild winters sometimes in December. Flowers followed by black round fruits. Good varieties are, S. hookerana digyna ‘purple stem’ erect habit with purple stems.

S.confusa, a dense low spreading habit making it a perfect ground cover shrub.

S.confusa

S.confusa

Planting and sighting of winter shrubs should be give some thought. They need to be near the house or on a regular route travelled, not stuck out in the outer reaches of the garden where a boggy lawn has to be traversed to get to them. Also to get the full effect of the scent an enclosed planting area or court yard will give best results. All of the shrubs I have suggest, apart from the Mahonia,can be used as cut flowers, a small poise brought into the house can fill a room with delightful scent even on the those bleak winter days.

However scented shrubs are just one of the ingredients to a successfully planted winter garden. I have created many winter plantings through out my years in landscaping. With evergreen textures and leaf colours, to winter flowering herbaceous plants and shrubs. Plant seed heads can offer a dramatic element especially when frost is added. Chipped evergreens and good architectural shaped shrubs form invaluable back drops. Also the stunning use of coloured stems of coppiced shrubs and trees. Shrubs and trees that hold their berries through the winter months deserve their place. Grasses in mounds and great sweeps both deciduous and evergreen inter- planted with early bulbs are a must. All these plants form important ingredients to make a stunning winter garden to be enjoyed. So get planting, or if you need help? I know a woman who can, give me a ring, 01273 470753.

Spectular Autumn, October 2015

I am sure like me you have all been glorying in the wonderful autumn we have had. This autumn seems to have been particularly specular with our deciduous trees and shrubs giving us a lengthy show, due to mild weather and a lack of autumn storms.

From motorway embankments ablaze with the reds of deciduous cotoneasters and cornus, to the dripping berries of street Sorbus to the mixed woodlands of the Weald and the ornamental park landscapes of Westonbrit and Sheffield Park and everything in between, it has been a visual delight over many weeks.

Obviously we do not all have many acres to play with, but even a small town garden can have it’s own autumn blaze.

Trees: the fiery reds of Rhus, are an eye smacking treat, as long as you can cope with the suckering habit, there is everything to love about this tree with a good architectural shape (as long as it is not pruned too insensitively) and long pinnate leaves and it’s velvety cone like fruits are a tasty food for many birds. For an extra twist plant R.tinus ‘Lacinata’ with it’s extra ‘toothed’ leaves.

R. 'Lacinata'

R. ‘Lacinata’

R. 'Laciniata'

R. ‘Laciniata’

Also Sorbus gives you a double autumn hit with great leaf colour and berries in hues from pink, to yellow and red. There are many smaller varieties like S. ‘Joseph Rock’ and S. ‘hupehensis’ which are very suitable for the smaller garden. They do struggle on very chalky soils.

S. 'Joseph Rock'

S. ‘Joseph Rock’

 

Shrubs: For a big punch and a large space one of my favourites, Parrotia persica. The leaves of different hues from buttercup yellow, flaming orange, to cardinal red all at once, it takes your breath away. It has a wonderful shape, a Martini glass with no stem, elegance, with or with out leaves.

P. persica

P. persica

P. persica

P. persica

Now a shrub that punches well above it’s weight and is not planted nearly enough in my mind. Once you have seen it, it will never be forgotten. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘giraldii’ a medium size shrub a little slow, but worth the wait, for maximum effect plant at least two, to get good berries. The delicate foliage turns a pink/purple which matches perfectly the clusters of small round purple berries they look as magical as cake decorations. It is a stunner and to get the full effect of the berries once the leaves have dropped, give it a good evergreen shrub backer. Well worth the planting space in anyone’s garden. Also C. bodinieri ‘Profusion’ for an even bigger berry hit.

C.bodinieri 'Giraldii'

C.bodinieri ‘Giraldii’

So now the temperatures are finally cooling to the seasonal norm and the autumn gales have started and the trees and shrubs are nearly naked of their leaves, while your head is down working hard raking them and turning them into leaf mould and no doubt the task seems endless. Do not forget the visual delight of the past 6 weeks. Get enthusiastic, start planning with winter planting of trees and shrubs that will give you all that autumn spectacle to be enjoyed next year.

If you need help? I know a woman who can! Give me ring, I will be delighted to discuss your new planting with you. Tel:01273 470753

In wonder of the June Garden

Mid- summer is the height of beauty for a traditional English garden. June is the month of busting pastel shades and heady scents, the breaded Irises have a few splashes left, dripping wisterias hang heavy with purple racemes and the full nodding heads of pink and magenta peonies exude summer richness, but it is the rose in it’s full unbridled glory that takes the garden to heavenly heights.

Now is the time of year when even the hardiest of garden cynics can not help but have their heart melted by the profusion of colour, and perfume.

Even a short stroll to work or school will take you past front gardens over-flowing with an abundance of mid-summer charm. Carpets of pink and purple hardy ground cover geraniums, banks of green foliage and trumpets of yellow and orange day lilies, climbing roses skirting their way round door frames, and heady honey suckle tumbling over fences.

Garages and sheds disappear under a riot of sugar pink clematis and shocking pinks of rambling roses intend on covering all before them. Window boxes are crammed with geraniums, which tumble forth in frothy scarlets and pinks and Pub fronts drip in vivid hanging baskets that gently sway in the summer breeze.

Who could not be in love with the great out doors in June, whether enjoying a pint of Harveys on a summer evening in the pub garden or having a tea time picnic in Grange gardens or just peaking over the fence to admirer the fruits of someone else’s hard labours.

By Emily Blake-Dyke

The Triumphant Tulip

Tip-toe through the tulips… a walk round Lewes.

The crisp Spring air and the bright yellow trumpeting daffodils have now left us as April fades. May arrives with the promise of longer days, warmer rays and the brilliant colours of late Spring in the garden.

Tulips are a late Spring delight for keen gardeners and garden pleasure seekers alike; from the brilliant butter yellow stalwart T. ‘Big Smile’, to the brash cardinal red of T. ‘Kings blood’, under-planted with the jewel-box colours of mixed pallet wall flowers as seen in many Lewes District public planting schemes. Many a Lewes front garden features groups of ivory tulips like T. ‘White Trumpeter’, interlaced with the dark velvety richness of T.’ Queen of the Night’, or the subtle beauty of T. Shirley with its white and purple streaked petals. Grand pots either side of many Lewes front doors are planted with tall pink and purple combinations of the elegant lily-style tulips T. ‘Barcelona’, who’s petals gently reflex outwards producing a delicate flower. On Lewes twitterns and terraces, old tins and boots recycled into planters are bursting with the vibrant yellows of T.’ West Point’ a superb lily tulip and the deep glowing orange of T. ‘Ballerina’.

Then there are tulips immortalised by the Dutch masters; blousy, over-the-top and oozing glamour, these are the haute couture of the tulip world. Parrot tulips, from single feather-edged creations like T. ‘Oviedo’, to doubles T. ‘Rai’ which produce a flower that is almost frilly. Many forms are bi-coloured with a basecoat which is crossed with thin crazed lines T. ‘Estella Rynveld’, others have an almost shimmering hue with their feather edges dipped in a contrasting tint T. ‘Davenport’.

There is just so much to love and admire about the tulip. No matter what your taste there must surely be one to excite the pallet of everyone. During May revel in the many delightful varieties by taking a stroll through Grange Gardens; as the days lengthen so do its opening hours, until twilight. Enjoy!