Kate's Cuttings

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…

A lovely day in the garden at Charnwood today potting on penstemon cuttings for the plant stall when we open on 6/7 May. These are such generous plants, they flower and flower all through the summer and into the autumn. One of the best is 'Firebird' - the colour of crushed raspberries. Also Blackbird (pictured) - gorgeous pink/purple flowers, quite tall for a penstemon at around 90cm, but absolutely beautiful. I have it with Rose' Tuscany Superb, a similar colour and a gorgeous, fragrant companion. There is a bird theme going on here you may have noticed, Raven is another good variety. ... Read more…

I've just spent a lovely morning in the garden shed potting on cuttings and putting large dahlia tubers overwintered in the greenhouse into pots to encourage them into growth before planting out in late May. I have kept the dahlias fairly dry and frost free over the winter, so they are looking fine and dandy now and ready to come to life.I chopped off all the slimy or mouldy looking bits before planting, if they are bit shrivelled they will probably be OK after a few waterings. I have two old favourites, Bishop of Llandaff (pictured) a really elegant plant with bronze, ferny leaves and g... Read more…

Our snakeshead fritillaries are just coming through, they look like little tufts of coarse grass or tiny tulips emerging at first so we are having to be careful not to tread on them. Peter planted 100 little bulbs in Autumn a few years back and they have steadily got themselves established and are gently increasing in number by self-seeding. They are such beautiful flowers, worth getting down on your hands and knees to appreciate properly. You will then see how aptly named they are! Read more…

After a welcome downpour the sun is now shining and the garden looks all perky again. I've just counted 13 varieties of daffodils out and more to come. Five of the best, smaller varieties are pictured, from the top left: Jenny - creamy white perianth (outside) and soft yellow cup (middle), so pretty and tasteful, lovely in our woodland setting. Jetfire - a bit on the brash side for me I thought as I like my daffs fairly gentle and 'natural' looking - orange cup - noooooo. But I read that this was one of Christopher Lloyds favourites so I gave it a go - he was dead right as usual. It ma... Read more…