Winter Bedding Containers- Making a winter splash of colour!

A large winter bedding display

A container planted with a selection of winter bedding and good foliage colour can really lift the winter blues. The planting can add a welcome splash of colour. Whether by the front door as a welcome to your home or at the back door to cheer you after a muddy dog walk or near the garage of shed as you head to and from the car or to get to the logs, winter containers are a mini garden of colour that are well worth having in the depths of winter.

A container to celebrate, shades of red.

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’

Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ This wonderful cornus is all about the beautiful rich red winter stems. Either plant a small plant or Cut stems from an existing plant somewhere else in the garden. These cut stems can be the back bone of your winter display. Cut to short lengths to add through the planting or group together in a tall stand, to add height and extra wow factor.

Gaultheria prcumbens

Gautheria procumbens: Is a main stay of winter displays. A small compact shrub with glossy dark green evergreen leaves, small white flowers in the summer give way to large marble sized bright red berries held through the winter months. Perfect towards the front of your container. Acid loving.

Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’

Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’: A superb foliage plant and a must for a winter container. Mound forming evergreen perennial with dark purple wavery edged leaves , stems of small creamy white flowers in the spring. A good plant for the middle of the container.

Cycleman persicum ‘Rouge Ecarlate’

Cyclamen persicum ‘Rouge Ecarlate’: This a stunning small flowered bedding cyclamen flowering well from Autumn to mid winter, as long as there are not hard frosts, so a more sheltered spot would be best. Clumps of beautiful silvery patterned leaves and delicate clumps of brilliant red flowers, perfect for the front of the winter container in a small group, to tie all the shades of red together. Dead head regularly.

A winter container with shades of yellow.

Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’

Cornus stolonifera ‘Flairamea’: A wonderful bright yellow sulphur green stemmed cornus. A small plant can be planted to fill the container for a couple of winters only before it becomes to large for it’s position in the container. Or you can cut use cut stems to create a central feature of different heights in the container or as a tall back drop statement.

Skimma japonica ‘Kew Green;

Skimma japonica ‘Kew Green’: This is a brilliant winter flowering shrub with a domed compact habit, it will in time get to large for a mixed planted winter pot, unless it is a solo star in it’s own pot. But it should be alright for a few years. Glossy mid green evergreen foliage and a mass of upright flower stems held through the winter in tight green white buds opening towards the end of winter early spring with a mass of very highly scented flowers. A complete must for the winter display. Acid soil that is humus rich.

Heuchera cylindrica ‘GreenFinch’

Heuchera cylindrica ‘Greenfinch”: This is a striking taller heuchera with clumps of evergreen ruffled leaves in a acid sulphur green with hints of yellow. Small flowers of white follow in the spring. A wonderful addition to the middle of the container.

Viola grandissimo ‘Icy Blue’

Viola grandissimo ‘Icy Blue’: A wonderful free flowing winter pansy with delicate soft yellow face with light mauve edging. Dead head regularly to keep the flowering going. The flowers will be a bit shy in the coldest blasts of the winter but will come back when the English damp winter reappears. Plant at the front of the container to flop over the edge and link with all the different foliage colours.

winter container planting

Top tips: Decide where to site your container to make the most impacted and to be seen the most. It should be in full sun and a bit of shelter from the blasting winter winds if possible, if cyclamen are a feature or you are using a lot of winter flowering pansies then a little protection from the worst of the frost would be good, slightly under the house overhang or near a wall etc. Make sure it is large enough for the plants to grow through one winter season and even up to 3 with the shrubs. The pot/container must have good drainage holes and add crocks to the bottom to help with the drainage. The compost mix should be peat free. If you are planting Gutheria or Skimma then the compost must be for Ericaous plants ( acid loving) all the other plants I have suggested will do well in any good multi-purpose compost. After a few years the shrubs may well need re-homing in a flower bed in the garden as they will become to large for a container, but depending on the container size and the size of the plants to start with you should get a few years from them as ‘winter container stars’

I hope I have inspired you to get cracking with creating your winter display. Enjoy!

Crab- Apple, The all round performer.

A laden branch of Crab-Apples

If you have room to plant only one tree, then a Malus is the one to plant. There are many shapes and sizes, to suit most positions. All like a site in full sun to only dappled shade and will grow on most soils except water logged soils. These wonderful trees give interest through out the year. With spring blossom, some with colour foliage, nearly all have good autumn leaf tints and all have fruit in vary sizes and some even hold onto their fruit through out the winter months. Here are just a very few to wet your appetite.

Malus ‘Rudolph’

M. ‘Rudoph’: A small upright tree with ascending branches, makes a good street tree and is perfect for a small space. Leaves are a rich purple when young, fading to green latter in summer. Dark buds open to a rich dark pink flowers in clusters in the spring. Followed by bunches of orange-yellow fruit, held through the winter.

Malus ‘tschonocskii’

M. tschonoskii: this is a hansom medium sized tree, with an attractive shape. Blush white flowers, followed by yellow fruits. But the star turn is the rust orange autumn

Malus ‘John Downie’ the best fruits for cooking.

M.’John Downie’: This is a classic crab-apple of the old school, a medium to larger tree, with assenting branches. White to pink flowers and mid green foliage. With large conical fruit yellow blushed red. Perfect for jams, preserves and jelly making.

Malus zumi var. calocarpa ‘Goldern Hornet’

M. zumi var. calocarpa ‘Golden Hornet’: An eye catching small upright tree. Which packs a big visual punch. White flowers, great buttery yellow autumn colour and large round golden fruit held well into the winter. Perfect for a tiny courtyard garden.

Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’

M. x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’: This is a wonderful crab-apple, A small mop-headed tree which produces a mass of branches in a dence crown. Masses of blush pink flowers produced in spring. Lovely yellow rust autumn tints. But the fruit are the show stopper. Clusters of large round red fruit held through the winter into early spring.

Malus scheideckerii ‘Red Jade’

M. x scheideckerii ‘Red Jade’: A lovely variety, A small tree with weeping habit, makes a great specimen tree. Blush pink and white flowers, mid green foliage and bunches of red cherry sized fruit, lasting into the winter.

Crab-apple trees planted on mass.

Often when I am asked to advise about designing small spaces, one of the first things clients will say is, I don’t have room for a tree. Yes you do, and Crab-Apples should be near the top of your list.

Fabulous purple foliage

Purple foliage plants making a splash in a mixed planting scheme.

Foliage doesn’t have to all be about the many shades of green. There are other foliage colours that can pack a punch and baring in mind that plant leaves are what we all spend most of our time looking at, it needs to be fabulous. Bring on the deep purple and burgundy. Here are some star turns to consider.

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’: This slow growing Acer is worth the wait. With a wide spreading habit and delicate small palmate leaves of a deep purple, which turn dark red in autumn. It makes a great choice for a lawn specimen tree. Height 4m spread 2.5 to 3m. Semi-shade and on humus rich acidic to neutral soil that dose not water log. Not full sun.

Fagus sylvatica ‘Riversii’

Fagus syvatica ‘Atropurpureum’: This is the big daddy of purple foliage plants, the copper beach is a large and majestic tree. This variety is probably the deepest purple of then all. It should be planted as a specimen tree and focal point. It can also be grown as a hedge, either as a complete copper beech hedge or as a ‘tapestry’ hedge where blocks of copper beech are mixed in with a normal green beech hedge. Grows on all free draining soils to even quite thin chalk soils, in full sun.

Phormium ‘Thumbellina’

Phormium tenex ‘Thumbelina’ : This is a wonderful small variety growing to less than a meter. With soft arching foliage of thin leaves in a deep dark purple, almost black. This evergreen shrub adds a dramatic focal plant for any planting. Full sun and most soils, dose not like wet soils.

Pottosporum tenuifolium ‘Tom Thumb’

Pittosporum tenifolium ‘Tom Thumb’: This is a versatile shrub, marvellous as a full stop to the corner of planting beds and as a low evergreen hedge. A dense rounded habit growing to about 70cm tall, higher if allowed. With small very rich purple leaves, which open as lime green and slowly darken to purple over the growing season.

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’: Is a large shrub with a slightly straggling habit, which can look untidy, if not kept in check, but its hansom foliage and striking flowers more than make up for this. Rounded leaves of purple, that go a rich red in the autumn. Misty masses of tiny pink flowers are produced June to July, giving the shrub it’s common name of ‘Smoke’ Bush. This really is a fabulous addition to the back of a large planting.

Vitis vinifera ‘Purpurea’

Vitis vinifera ‘Purpurea’: This purple leafed vine is a show stopper. It is less vigorous than it’s green cousin and to be honest the grapes are not anything to write home about. But the colour is fabulous and planted with a climbing partner like Clematis montana, it makes a striking statement. Grow on free draining soil in full sun.

Heuchera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’

Hechera ‘Chocolate Ruffles’: There are many different varieties of heuchera and most are purple or burgundy, but this one has particularly dark foliage. A taller variety with a more upright habit. At about 35/40cm tall. With evergreen palmate leaves with crinkly edges. Small dark purple flowers are produced on thin purple stems in mid -spring. A must for the edge of a boarder.

combining different purple leaf shades can creat a dramatic planting.

combining different purple leaf shades can create a dramatic planting.

Top Tips: Don’t go mad, and have every plant with purple foliage otherwise they will merge together and loose their impact. For real drama consider sliver and purple foliage combinations, but think about the growing conditions. Purple/burgundy foliage and magenta pink is a very good combination. As is apricot and golden yellow with burgundy/purple foliage.

I hope you are feeling inspired to lift the foliage pallet of you garden with some splashes of purple foliage.

All about the Daisy- Family Compositae

A mass of ‘Daisy’ A bright late summer display.

The compositae family is large and varied, but all the flowers look like daisies and there are a lot to choose from. As a general rule, most like full sun. Here are a few for you to consider.

Aster amellus ‘King George’

Aster amellus ‘King George’: A good choice of Aster with good disease resistance, less prone to mildew. Up to 60cm tall. Flowering from August into early October. With a mass of blue/violet daisy flowers with a yellow button centre. Full sun, to dappled shade, free draining soil.

Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’

Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise’: Delicate mid green foliage with a single soft yellow flowers borne freely from June to September. 45Cm tall grow in good soil in full sun.

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’

Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’: A dramatic large white daisy flowers with large orange central cone. Up to 90cm tall flowering from July to September and beyond. Dead flower heads look dramatic left up through the winter months. Good free draining soil in full sun.

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’

Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’: A must for late flowering planting schemes. 90Cm tall flower stems with rich bronze-red flowers with dark centres, from July to September. Grow in full sun in good water retentive soil.

Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Wirral Supreme’. Sadly there is no Free from Copyright image to illustrate this plant.

Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Wirral Supreme’: A wonderful showy daisy. Large pure white double flowers forming vigorous clumps up to 90cm tall. Flowering from June to August. Full sun, poor to good soil.

Rudbeckia var. sullivantii ‘Goldstrum’

Rudbeckia var.sullivantii ‘Goldstrum’: A dramatic daisy. Large clumps up to 70/80cm tall, with a mass of rich golden flowers with black centres from July to September. Good moister retentive soil. In full sun.

Vase of stunning Rudbeckia

I hope you are feeling inspired to look again at the humble daisy. There is so much to enjoy in this large family!

Lilies and Gladioli-The drama queens of the high summer garden.

Lilles planted in the garden, for maximum impact.

Liles planted in the garden, for maximum impact.

These two late flowering bulbs and corms, can add a splash of colour after earlier spring flowering plants are over and they can be used as under planting so they grow through other plants. With scent and razzmatazz they are more than just cut flowers, there are varieties that can work well in mixed planting and make your late summer garden sing. Here are some to try.

Lilium ‘Casa B;anca’

Lilium Casa Blanca: This is a reliable and wonderful lily with large open white flowers on tall 1.30m stems with a powerful heady scent. July – August. Makes a superb cut flower.

Gladiolus byzantinus

Gladiolus byzantinus: This late spring flowering ‘glady’ has a more delicate look than the later summer ‘cutting flower’ varieties. Tall dusky dark green foliage with flower spikes up to 60cm tall, of deep purple. Wonderful in a mixed planting with purple Alliums.

Lilium ‘Stargazer’

Lilium Stargazer: This is a classic lily with lots of wow facture open star like flowers in maroon and pink, with dark spots along the petals and with tipped edges. With a sweet scent added for good measure. At 90cm high good for a mid-boarder position. Flowering July-August.

Gladiolus colvillei ‘The Bride’

Gladiolus colvillei The Bride: An elegant selection of pure white flowers opening up a stem to 50cm in height. Flowering in July.

Lilium ‘Sunny Morning’

Lilium Sunny Morning: These hybrids are often called turk-cap lilies With a display of flowers produced along the stem and and often opening in supersession. A tall selection at 1-1.5m in height with a mass of orange-yellow flowers. The petals curl back under to reveal the spotted base of the petals and bright orange stamens. Flowering June -July

Sadly there is no free from copyright image to illustrate this plant.

Gladiolus narus Elvira: This is a dramatic ‘glady’ with tall flower stems up to 75cm in height. Pale pink flowers with red base blotches and soft yellow stamens. Packs a late flowering punch in August.

A mix of colourful Gladiolus

Top Tips: Both Gladiolus and Lilium, need a good sunny spot on free draining soil. They do well in poor soils. Do not allow to get water logged. Unfortunately slugs and snails love lilies in particular so watch out for signs of attract from early spring onwards. Also lily beetle is on the increase and is now wide spread across southern counties. So look out for the beautiful shiny red beetled adults, laying eggs on the lily stems in early summer. It is the hatched young that cause the damage. Turning the stems and leaves into mushy mess. Contact your local garden centre or plant nursery for advise on both chemical and organic control measures for both of these common garden pest.

I hope I have inspired you to add both these late flowering ‘Drama Queens’ to your garden planting scheme.

Geraniums-One for every aspect.

Geraniums are a great cover.

Geraniums are wonderful herbaceous perennials, not to be confused, with the Polygonums beloved for their striking flowers in summer bedding. They scramble, they form well ordered clumps and they carpet. They cope with very dry to slightly damp conditions, to full sun to dry shade. The variety and number to choose from is staggering. There surely must be a geranium to suit every situation in the garden as well as every gardeners taste.

Geranium cinareum ‘Ballerina’

G. cinareum ‘Ballerina’ : A good geranium for a sunny spot, it is has a compact habit and only grows to 10cm tall, it is idea for Rockies. It is free flowering from may to September with soft lilac pink flowers with distinctive red veining.

Geranium ‘Johnston’s Blue’

G. ‘Johnston’s Blue: An old favourite, large clumps of mid green foliage with deeply palamate leaves up to 35cm tall with clear blue flowers on mass from May to August, will grow in full sun to semi-shade.

Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Album’

G. macrorrhizum ‘Album’: A superb semi-evergreen geranium for semi-shade in a dry spot. Forming dense carpets of mid green foliage, which colours an attractive red bronze in colder winter weather. Delicate papery white flowers are produced from June to July.

Geranium phaeum

Geranium ‘Phaeum’: This is a hansom tall geranium reaching 60 -80cm in height. It will cope well with dense dry shade. Its leaves have maroon blotches in the centre. Flowers of dark purple/maroon are held on tall stems. Flowering from May -July.

Geranium pratense ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’

Geranium pratense ‘Mrs Kendall Clark’:This is a lovely geranium for a heavier soil in full sun. Up to 75cm tall with a clump habit. Lilac-blue flowers with white/pink veining, produced on mass from June to August.

Geranium wallchianum ‘Buxton’s Variety’

Geranium wallchiannum ‘Buxton’s’: This is a truly wonderful geranium it is a Scambler, that will do well in full sun to semi-shade. It can be allowed to crawl through the bottom of shrubs. It has light green leaves with pink stems and open purple/blue flowers with a white centre and black stamens, making a striking impression where ever it pops up in the planting. It flowers from June to September.

Geraniums are a superb garden plant and a must for all gardens.

Top Tip: To get repeat flowering from your geraniums, shear off the spent flower heads after the main flowering, to get a later flush towards the end of the summer and into the start of autumn.

I hope I have inspired you to add to your geranium collection. These herbaceous perennials are very easy to grow and extremely good natured about most planting positions, they can get a bit carried away and perhaps need keeping in check particular in newly planted boarders where the shrubs are small and establishing as it it doesn’t take long for a geranium to get settled in and make it’s presence felt. Happy planting!

If you would like help planning and designing your garden, I Know a woman who can help you 1 Do give me Emily a ring to discuss your garden project. Tel;01273 470753.

The Jewel Garden

Tulips-Orange, Purple, striking pink, all Jewel colours.

The Jewel Garden – through pastels out the window and think intense retina popping colour! Regal purples, claret rich reds, imperial orange, if the plants were materials for the richest clothes then they would be velvet, satin and silk. The jewel garden should be a vassal over load of contracting colours vying for your attention. Here are some to wet your appetite

Tulipa ‘May Time’

Tulipa ‘Maytime’; A beautiful mid-height lily type tulip. Flowering mid to late April. A vivid mid-purple, with the top of the petals slightly reflexed. Free draining soli in full sun

Tulipa ‘Ballerina’

Tulipa ‘Ballerina’: A stunning eye popping bright orange Tulip, with a narrow vase shaped flower. This is a mid-season lily type tulip of 40/50cm in height. Free draining soil in full sun.

Iris ‘Black Swan’

Iris ‘Black Swan’: A tall breaded iris of 90cm/1m tall. With swords of glorious grey foliage. Rich velvety dark purple almost black flowers are produced in May. Poor well draining soil in full sun.

Agapanthus ‘Purple Cloud’

Agapanthus ‘Purple Cloud’: A dramatic dark purple flowered Agapanthus. Clumps of dark green foliage with flower spikes produced late Summer August into September, with large round flower heads made up of dark blue/purple bells. A good rich soil moisture retentive in full sun.

Crococosmia ‘Lucifer’

Crococosmia ‘Lucifer’: A vivid deep scarlet red, this crococosmia is a must for any jewel garden. A tall stand of mid-green leaves up to 1m in high. With flower stems ridding above the foliage. A succession of rich red flowers open along the top of the stems. Full sun to semi-shade. Good to poor soil.

Penstemon andenken ‘Friedrich Hahn’

Penstemon andenken ‘Friedrich Hahn’: A wonderful penstomon, flowering from July through to the end of September, making a large sprawling clump with flower spikes up to 70cm. Rich dark garnet coloured bell shaped flowers borne in clusters along the flowering stems. Make it a wonderful addition to the jewel garden. Good humus rich soil in full sun. They can be short lived and a bit tender, but are easy to take cuttings from.

The joys of the Jewel garden

Top Tip: Your jewel garden or flower boarder dose not all have to be about flower colour, think of berries and fruits and dramatic contracting purple and golden foliage, get experimental. Also there are a wide range of new Silvia varieties to try, not all are fully hardy but with their long flowering season, they can be a major ingredient of your new jewel garden. I hope I have inspired you to get creative.

If you need help creating your Jewel Garden I know just the woman to give you a hand, contact Emily at Arcadia Garden Design on 01273 470753.

No Mow May-Let the Lawn Go!

Mowing a lawn

The Royal Horticultural Society have started a campaign in recent years, to encourage people not to mow their lawns in May. Doing away with the weekly cut for one month in spring and letting the grass grow to create a better grass habitat for invertebrates, insects. This is a lordable campaign to get us all to think about our gardens more as wildlife habitats and less as ornamental outdoor spaces for just our needs,

A traditional striped cut lawn

One of the best wildlife habitats our gardens have to offer is grass and we can all do our bit to help create a variety of lawn habitats in very simple ways even in the smallest garden. Lots of people seem to assume the default best and only thing to do is to either not cut your lawn at all or to rip it all out to create a wild flower meadow. The latter being really quite difficult to achieve.

A flowering meadow

But this is not so, the best way to create as many different grass habits to suit as wider range of different insects as possible; is to have areas of grass, cut to different heights throughout the mowing season and going into the autumn and winter months.

Spring bulbs planted in a lawn

From your neat family lawn, cut every 1 to 2 weeks, ready for ball games and family picnics, to areas of grass that have spring bulbs and grow long till June. To fuzzy fringes of grass that are cut every 4 to 6 weeks to the knee high meadow you strim in August. Creating different mowing regimes and different habitats.

Daisies and dandelions in a lawn

So even if you only have one lawn, can you decide on a sweeping shape at one end that you will only cut every 4 to 6 weeks on high, so it is always ‘daisy’ length. Allowing what traditionally were considered lawn ‘weeds’ to flower makes valuable insect food and your sterile green lawn will now have a sweep of colour that will be buzzing with life,

Bee on a dandelion

A round the edges of the lawn, or under the canopies of less dense trees, consider adding spring flowering bulbs, the same space can take you though from January with crocus and snowdrops, with Daffodils and Narcissi, from early to late spring. See the September 2018 blog about nationalising bulbs. Not only will this give you a slash of colour, it will be a valuable food source for insects, but the longer grass will also act as a different habitat. Either you can cut the grass at the end of June once the bulbs have died down and then continue with a 4 to 6 week cutting or you can let the area grow long and cut down in early autumn.

Crocus late winter in a lawn

If you have grass garden paths, then cut them about every 3 weeks and on a higher cut than the main lawn, as the wear will be intensified over the narrower area, making for a greener path and yet another different grass habitat.

A long grass lawn

If you do have space in the more wild and woolly edges of your garden to let a strip of grass grow up to meadow height, this will be an invaluable habitat. You don’t need to go to the effort and expense of making a ‘wildflower meadow’. Just allow your existing grass sword to grow. Other plants from cowpalsy to docks and nettles will appear, all are valuable food souses for a range of insects. The trick is to manage things, particularly if it is a small space as some of these plants can be very invasive and over 2 or 3 years you may find you have a monoculture. So weed out by pulling as needed. For larger areas mown paths will lead the way though your meadow so you can get up close to the insect life. At the end of August, beginning of September, Strim down the meadow, you may want to leave some woodier plants up like docks through the winter. Gather the grass into stripes for about 3 weeks. Remove most of the grass piles so the grass dose not die under nether, but leave the odd pile of grass staked through the winter months till mid February as an over wintering habitat for various insects. Remove late February to make way for the new season grass growth.

Mown paths through a meadow.

I hope I have inspired you to look again at your lawn and gassy spaces in your garden and that you will decide to create different grass habitats, after all it means less mowing, so it is win win for you and the insects.

Spring Blossom

Orchard of Almond Blossom

There is nothing that delights the heart more than spring blossom. The Japanese culture reveres the cherry blossom with the Sakura festival, where sitting under the flowering trees and ‘bathing in the blossom’ is a must, but there is far more than just cherries on offer. The spring is coloured with may different flowing trees, here are some to consider.

Malus hupehensis

Malus hupehensis: A wonderful small to medium sized tree of 6 to 8m,with graceful ascending branches. With clusters of pink buds opening into white flowers in April. With delicate mid-green foliage and current sized fruits yellow blushed red in the autumn. Grows on most well draining soils. Full sun

Cercis siliquastrum

Cercis silquastrum:’The Judas Tree’ is a great choice to break with the endless whites and pinks. With clusters of purple pea like flowers borne on the bare stems before the leaves in May. Grow, either as a multi-stemed shrub or single stem tree reaching 2.5 to 3m in height, with a rounded crown. The leaves are rounded and a subtle glaucous green. Good autumn colour. Full sun in well draining soil. Avoid heavy clay.

Amelanchier lamarckii

Amelanchier lamarcki: Grown as a mulit-stemed shrub or small tree with a loose doomed habit up to 6m tall. With clusters of small stared white flowers in April, followed by coppery early foliage which turns into a mid-green light headed canopy. Clusters of green blush red fruits follow with rust/orange autumn tints. Full Sun, humus rich soil that dose not dry out. Dose not like thin chalk.

Prunus ‘Accolade’

Prunus ‘Accolade’: There are so many ornamental cherries to chose from, but this is a tried and trusted favourite. A spreading habit, very graceful tree reaching 5-6m tall. Masses of deep pink flower clusters in early April open to semi-double pendulous blush white flowers. Mid green leaves give way to good autumn colour. Full sun, good draining soil.

Crataegus monogyna ‘Stricta’

Cratagus monoggna ‘Stricata’: This is a fastigiate form of the common Hawthorne. With a upright habit, suitable for a small garden. The bare Thorney branches have clouds of delicate scented white flowers in April. Mid green foliage with small leaves follows. With clusters of deep red fruit. Most soils, but not water logged soil. Full sun or semi-shade.

Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messei’

Magnolia x Loeberi ‘Leonard Messel’: A wonderful Magnolia, a little slow but worth the wait. Growing to 3-4m and spread in size. Soft pink star shaped flowers are freely bourne in April. Grow as multi-stemed shrub or a small tree. Good humus rich soil will tolerate some chalk.

Spring blossom in vases

I hope I have inspired you to look again at spring flowers trees and perhaps to not always choose the most oblivious. Happy planting.

Wall Tumblers !

tumbling plants over a wall

Most people think of climbers when it comes to walls, but a wall can be packed with planting possibilities including, a range of creeping and scrambling plants that are just made for the dry and harsh conditions of growing on or over a wall. Here are some to consider

Arabis ferdinardii-cobungii ‘Variegata’

Arabis ferdinandii cobungii ‘ Variegata’: This hardy vigorous alpine is a must for any wall, it makes dense carpets of low growing foliage and is smothered in tiny white flowers in late spring early summer that pack a visual punch.

Aubrieta ‘purple cascuade’

Aubrieta ‘Purple Cascade’: This is the classic wall tumbler and is very vigorous. It will spill over walls creating dense mats of semi-evergreen leaves, with vibrant open purple flowers from late spring to early summer. A must for any sunny wall.

Campanular arvatica

Campanula arvatica: An attractive low growing campanula, that seeds readily and will happily put it’s self in lots of niches and crannies of any wall. Low clumps that spill and crawl over any wall surface, with small soft mauve flowers early summer. It will also do well in part or denser shade.

Dianthus freynii

Dianthus freynii: a delightful, low growing alpine pink with mats of evergreen grey foliage, that will creep over walls. Small pink single flowers are borne , mid summer.

Geranium saguineum lancastriense

Geranium sanguineum lancastriense: A lovely delicate small leaved geranium that crawls along the surface, perfect to flop over the edge of the wall. Clear pink flowers produced intermittently from spring to late summer, as long as it is dead headed.

Hellianthemum nummularium ‘Whisley Primrose’

Hellianthemum nummularium ‘Wisley Primrose’: This is a lovely rock rose, that produces a carpet of sliver evergreen foliage, that will cascade over any wall. Soft yellow flowers are produces in a splash of intense colour in mid summer.

Wall timbering plants add an extra splash of spring colour!

Top tips: Most the plants I have suggested, will need full sun. They will do very well in thin, free draining soil. After flowering gently shear off the dead flower heads. This is also a good time, to keep the shape of the plant in trim, particularity if there are dead or bare areas, in the mats the plants form.

I hope I have inspired you to look again, at the walls in your garden, and consider adding a splash of planting colour.

Evergreen ground cover

Mixed ground cover

Ground cover, is the unsung hero of all planting schemes, whether scrambling over the base of trees in a densely shady area, or hiding unsightly man hole covers in the middle of the flower bed. Crawling under shrubs and other plants from it’s most basic being a weed suppressant to a highly decorative added element to the planting scheme. Ground cover planting deserves as much thought as the main stars of the planting show. Here are a few to consider.

Vinca minor ‘Illumination’

Vinca minor ‘Ilumination’: This is a superb ‘periwinkle’ like all of the minor variates it dose not have the same thug like qualities as the major and this is a real star. A low creeping habit with dark glossy green leaves, and a striking central splash of golden variegation. With purple open flowers in early spring. Witch tolerate quite dense shade, will cope with almost all soil conditions except waterlogging.

Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Album’

Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Album’ : A wonderful, low growing geranium with a spreading habit and easily seeds. The soft light green foliage, takes on red autumn hints when it gets cold. Soft pink buds open to white delicate flowers from mid summer, dead head to prolong flowering. Will do well in quite dark shade and dry conditions.

Euphorbia myrsinites

Euphorbia myrsinits: A lovely crawling ground cover plant for a sunny position on poor soil. Whirls of glaucous grey foliage spread low across the ground. Clusters of sulphur green flowers are borne at the end of the creeping stems. A striking plant.

Lamium maculatum ‘Sliver Beacon’

Lamium maculatatum ‘Sliver Beacon’: This is a vigorous spreading plant, growing low to the groud , it can be a thug, so only plant where it can get up a head of steam. Mid green foliage with central sliver/white variegation.. With soft pink small flowers in early spring. Will cope with dense dry shade. Most soils, accept very thin and water logged soils.

Bergenia ‘Baby Doll’

Berginia ‘Baby Doll’: A valuable ground cover plant that makes crowed dense groups up to 20cm high. Of glossy dark green leaves and flower spikes of vivid pink flowers in early spring, sun to dappled shade. Grow in a humus rich soil.

Hedra cancariensis ‘Sulphur Heart’

Hedra cancariensis ‘Sulphur heart’ ( paddy’s pride): This ivy is the “Big daddy” of ground cover planting. Ives are not just for large walls, they do very well scrambling across the ground. With large shinning leathery leaves of mid to dark green with a strong central yellow splash and cream leaf edges, this is a dramatic ground cover to brighten any dark corner. Will tolerate even dense dry shade and most soil types accept water logged soil.

I hope I have inspired you to look again at ground cover planting and the many plants that fill this all important niche.

Valiant Viburnums

Viburnums are wonderful shrubs, forming the evergreen back ground of the boarder, to specimen shrubs and much more in between, With varieties giving interest through out the seasons, there is much to recommend these fine garden plants.

Viburnum x bodnantenes ‘Charles Lament’

V. x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’: An elegant medium to large up right With mid green foliage and clusters of waxy blush pink highly scented flowers, borne on bare stems in December to January. Full sun to semi -shade.

Viburnum Carlesii

V. Carlesii: A medium sized compacted domed shrub with soft green foliage, with good crimson autumn colour. Round clusters of pure white flowers with a heady scent in April – May. Full sun.

Viburnum davidii

V. davidii: A small dense low mound forming evergreen shrub. With distinctive broad pointed oval leaves with well defined veins. White flat headed flowers in June followed by blue/black berries held well into the winter months. Full sun to shade

Viburnum opulus Aureum

V. opulus ‘Aureum’: A more zooped up version of the native ‘Guelder Rose’ Medium shrub with less vigorous growth and lime yellow leaves splendid autumn colour. Flat heads of white flowers May-June followed by rich red berries, thrives on thin soils. Semi-shade to full sun.

Viburnum Plicatum f. tomentosum

V. plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Mariesii’: This is a real statement shrub and can be planted as a solo specimen. A medium sized shrub with wide tiered spreading branches, giving it a striking habit even in the winter. Mid green leaves with dark red autumn tints. Showy wide flat headed white flowers, are borne raised above the branches in mid summer. Full sun.

Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’

V. tinus ‘Eve Price: A medium to large evergreen shrub with dark glossy leaves that will cope well in semi-shade. Small pink white flowers are feely borne in mid winter.

scented Viburnum flowers

Viburnums are versatile shrubs which are easy to grow and very hardy, They will grow in most soil conditions apart from water logging. Some will even cope with thin chalk soils.

I hope I have inspired you to look again at the shear range of plants and find a spot for some viburnums in your own garden.