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March 2016

31 March 2016

My favourite garden writing for April

I love the garden in April. So much promise, masses of green shoots and buds, all fresh and new, not too many weeds, the clocks have moved on so the light evenings are longer, wonderful. Gardening books are a passion of mine, I’ve often got my nose in one, sometimes when I’m supposed to be doing other things, especially cleaning. So this month, I’m taking you through a journey through some of my bookshelves to see what other, more eloquent and knowledgeable gardeners (surely not I hear you cry?) have said at this time of year: ‘I have just seen the most beautiful flowering tree in my l... Read more…
My favourite garden writing for April
1 March 2016

March jobs in the garden

March is the best month to get out into the garden. Time spent now will pay huge dividends later in the year. Halt your gym membership, don your wellies and pick up your border fork! Here are a few suggestions: • Weed your borders. Perennial weeds such as dandelions and bindweed need to be dug up carefully and put in your green bin or burned. If you leave a tiny bit of root, they will come back. Annual weeds such as chickweed are a pain, but are easy to pull up or hoe. Once clear, give the area a good mulch with bark chippings, gravel or better still compost to prevent seedlings from... Read more…
March jobs in the garden

February 2016

21 February 2016

Beautiful horse poo

You don’t need me to tell you the weather has been bonkers this winter. I can remember some odd flowering companions in the past, but I have never had snowdrops, daffodils, tender salvias from Mexico and delphiniums all out at the same time. See the photo taken on 9 January. It’s not a magnificent specimen I grant you, but it is a delphinium flower spike nevertheless. The weird weather has caused me a dilemma. Peter bought me 40 bags of beautiful, well rotted manure for Christmas*. I know not every wife would welcome bags of horse s**t for Christma from her husband, but it made me very ... Read more…
Beautiful horse poo

January 2016

17 January 2016

Snow on a delphinium!

After really unseasonal weather, snow! Have you ever seen snow on a delphinium before? Read more…
Snow on a delphinium! Snow on a delphinium! Snow on a delphinium! Snow on a delphinium!

December 2015

19 December 2015

Stoneywell and Christmas presents

In October we visited a National Trust property newly opened in Markfield, just outside Loughborough called Stoneywell. It is really unusual, partly because of the viewing arrangements. Parking is in a field about half a mile away, and you get ferried to it by minibus. You then have a guided tour of this small but fascinating place. It was owned by the Gimson family, one of whom lived it until very recently. It is described as Arts and Crafts, all the furniture and decorations are very much in that style, so it has a light and airy, rather peaceful atmosphere. The house itself is a shor... Read more…
Stoneywell and Christmas presents

November 2015

29 November 2015

Late season colour

This is the time of year I wish I’d planted more for autumn and winter interest. A bit of forward planning goes a long way in the garden (and elsewhere I guess!) but it’s hard when the season is 12 months long and varies hugely depending on the weather, rampaging wildlife and our lack of spare time and energy. Hey ho. Having said that we do have some late season stars here at Charnwood. One I’m gazing at right now is the dwarf Japanese Cherry, grown up name Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-no-mai’. If you read this column regularly you may be tired of my plugs for this lovely small tree, but I ask ... Read more…
Late season colour

September 2015

30 September 2015

Getting ready for winter

Now is a good time to take stock in the garden – what worked well, what didn’t, were there any gaps in the borders that need planning for more carefully? I’m heavily into succession planning so there is colour in as many places as possible all year. But it is hard to get it right all, or even most of the time, so here are some of my tips to keep your garden in good order with some colour all season next year: • Order a good number of spring bulbs: a decent show is much better that a few dotted around. I get mine from de Jager, but there are plenty of options on line and in the shops. ... Read more…
Getting ready for winter

August 2015

31 August 2015

Summer borders and 'Dark Plum' poppy

In June we had a week’s holiday in the Ashdown Forest. I made my usual pilgrimage to Great Dixter, which was looking fantastic, full of vibrant colour that makes you feel immersed rather than a mere spectator. The meadow was past its colourful best but still very beautiful with soft pink and beige grasses taking over from the early summer wildflowers. Just a few orchids were still evident, and wild blue geranium dotted about . For sheer contrast I visited Nymans. Also very beautiful but very tidy, almost manicured in places, the typical National Trust style of lovely colour themed plan... Read more…
Summer borders and 'Dark Plum' poppy
27 August 2015

Summer colour at Charnwood

From left to right: Celias pink buddleia, Inula magnifica, pink clematis scrambling through a myrtle, stachys with red sedum. Read more…
Summer colour at Charnwood Summer colour at Charnwood Summer colour at Charnwood Summer colour at Charnwood

July 2015

27 July 2015

Fab foliage for impact

It’s easy at this time of year to appreciate the gorgeous flowers in our gardens. Roses, clematis, annuals such as Cosmos and Nicotiana to name a few are looking lovely right now and give our eyes and noses a visual and fragrant treat. So I thought I’d spare a thought to those plants that give us a longer term back bone to our beds and borders, foliage plants that provide a much needed foil to all that bright colour. It’s been said about the white garden at Sissinghurst that it’s not just a white garden, and that is its strength. That’s because it also has grey and green leaves in abund... Read more…
Fab foliage for impact
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