Kate's Cuttings

Wisterias are a bit of a passion for us, we have several around the garden. Looking really lovely now are the really long racemes (more than 1m, showing off now) of one I bought as Macrobotrytis (sp?) but I believe has been renamed something else? The overall effect is soft and filigree, the colour gentle. The white one has the best scent, it is almost overpowering about now, early evening. Peter prunes them all back really hard, to 2 or 3 buds in January or February, leaving an almost scupltural framework of branches tied to strong wires. He has another prune in summer to keep it under... Read more…

I've heard cleverer gardeners than me pointing out that the reason the White Garden at Sissinghurst works because it is actually grey, green and white. If it was white only, it would look like a bad accident between a meringue lorry and a milk float, messy, frothy, indistinct, we've all seen them. Box and artemisia as well as the lovely brick paths set off the lilies, roses and other beautifully grown plants to make for an atmosphere of elegance and serenity at Sissinghurst some of us try to create in our gardens. At Charnwood in April, the lovely willow leaved pear, white, green and gr... Read more…

Gardeners are such hardy souls. We had around 180 visitors on Sunday 6 May for our garden opening, the rain stayed away, hooray! On Monday 7th when the rain did NOT stay away we had 100 more, complete with brollies, what stars you garden visitors are! Many thanks to you all, and not forgetting Friends of South Wolds who provided the yum teas and music students from South Wolds School who played the sax so beautifully in the garden on Monday in the rain. Also a huge thank to our many loyal friends and family who helped out so cheerfully despite the damp! The stars of the garden were 2 la... Read more…

Whenever you read this you can be sure that one of the following is happening here at Charnwood. I am either: • panicking that the garden will not be ready or will look awful when we open on 6 and 7 May; • weeding; • chasing the rabbits, pheasants, pigeons and/or squirrels off the plants; • watering (if it’s dry) or praying for sun (if it’s wet); • driving Peter mad (actually that applies most of the time) or, if it’s after 10pm: • asleep, assuming I can nod off in the midst of the aforementioned state of panic. Anyway, please come if you can! We are open 1-5 on Sunday and BH Monday.... Read more…

I absolutely can't resist tulips. Their colours sing out at this time of year when everything is so green and fresh. I'll have a go at naming the ones pictured, but to be honest I don't really care what variety they are, they are all lovely and so easy. The only problem we have at Charnwood is that the squirrels eat them, so I soak them in tonic water with quinine first, they are not supposed to like the taste and it works to some extent.This year I have also tried planting them in pots with smelly alliums, that seems to have worked too, although I'm not sure if they will flower togethe... Read more…

For featuring 'Charnwood' so elegantly on their website. We are open here on 6 and 7 May 2012, from 1-5pm. The garden can be found in Nottinghamshire in the NGS 'Yellow Book', 120 Cotgrave Lane, Tollerton NG12 4FY. Cream teas and plants for sale all aid of Friends of South Wolds School as well as my Kates Cuttings first book launch! Read more…

Getting good colour combinations can be great fun, very satisfying, or, if it goes wrong, horribly disappointing. Your careful plan may not allow sufficiently for the fact that some plants respond to unseasonal weather conditions more obviously than others, so your pink tulips may be well over by the time your forget me nots flower.Or the rabbits may eat them, or the colours may not be as expected or.... I could go on. But us gardeners are optomists enough to keep trying, aren't we? I love green, white, orange and blue. Forget me nots, orange tulips such as' ballerina' next to the whit... Read more…

Thalia is probably my favourite daffodil. Pretty and elegant among the bluebells under our weeping pears.It's an easy and reliable variety, gently increasing here and looking good in most settings. At its best now at Charnwood. Read more…

I’m designating April as beetle alert month; especially two that are currently the most destructive in my garden, the red lily beetle and the viburnum one. Both do loads of damage unless you get on their case early. The red lily beetle is unmistakable and aptly named; bright, bright scarlet. If you don’t eliminate them they will munch your lilies until they are soggy brown heaps. They will then will bonk their mates on your remaining lilies in front of your very eyes, reproduce, and then their offspring will also nosh the leaves. The larvae look really yukky, like bird droppings. So rem... Read more…

Peter took this today, such a pretty sight at the moment and a gorgeous smell too, especially in the evenings. Someone told me it is called armandii becuase it smells of almonds - sounds a bit of a likely story? And anyway, it smells more of nutmeg to me. Nutmegii doesn't sound as good, I'll admit. Dead easy, this plant in a sheltered spot. Needs no pruning unless it gets out of hand, but it will want some strong support, especially when it gets to this size. Last year it fell down in a spring gale complete with a nest full of baby blackbirds. Not good. This variety is called 'apple bl... Read more…