Kate's Cuttings

Some ideas for keeping the garden colourful as summer slips away..... Read more…

The vegetable patch has been more productive this year and the elephant garlic in particular is a real success.  It tastes like mild garlic but is actually more closely related to leeks rather than ‘proper’ garlic.  We roast it in the oven for about 40 minutes and the huge cloves are delicious, soft, and creamy and a perfect match for some potato wedges or in with other vegetables. I planted the garlic last Autumn with a generous handful of grit for each bulblet to ensure decent drainage in our very heavy clay soil. The first bulb was harvested mid-July.  I have tried planting garlic in ... Read more…

There has been a gorgeous display of ox eye daisies on the corner of Cotgrave Road and Cotgrave Lane of late (see photo mid June).  A classic sunny meadow resident, it shines clear and bright in the sunshine, lifting the spirits.  It is the kind of daisy a child might draw, simple, and just lovely. It makes me so jealous: I bought a special pack of seeds from Great Dixter Nurseries. A very few germinated and even fewer survived my clumsy pricking out and planting in our little meadow.  Have they thrived? No. Is that bloomin’ fair: No. And to add insult to injury there are a huge bunch of... Read more…

Over the last few years we’ve accumulated quite a decent collection of roses and their time is coming! Here are some of my favourites: The earliest is ‘Canary Bird’.  It is a shrub rose and usually only flowers once, but it is a sight to behold with its bright lemon, single flowers and pretty fern like leaves that are unusual for a rose.  We have it hanging over a low wall at the front of the garden.  ‘Adelaide  d’Orleans ‘ is a rambler, we have it growing through an old apple tree. The clusters of little buds are pink, opening to white, they cascade down to produce a weeping effect.  Fo... Read more…

At this time of year the vibrant greens in our gardens, parks and hedgerows sing out, lifting our spirits. Green is such an important colour and many gardeners prefer to keep with the different shades and shapes of green plants rather than using the whole colour palette. It can look amazing, even jungle like.  We’ve got a green and white theme running down one side of our garden that comes into its own in early spring and continues well into summer. The succession is: hardy cyclamen, snowdrops, white crocus if we can keep the mice off them, white daffodils (Thalia), Solomon’s seal,  lily... Read more…

The Lent Lillies have been gorgeous this year (see photo).  This is the dainty little daffodil naturalised in Britain, Narcissus pseudonarcissus.  She graces some of our woodlands by gently seeding around in elegant little drifts. They have taken at least 10 years to settle in well in our little meadow under the silver birches, but they really do look at home now. The bigger, bolder hybrids have their place, and we have those too here at Charnwood.   But this is a good one if you prefer a more gentle, natural look. Not that it is really natural of course. If you read my column regularly ... Read more…

Hooray, March is here! I’m celebrating as those dark winter nights are shortening and plants will be busily growing as the days get longer. So now is the time to get your wellies on, roll up your sleeves and get out in the garden. Time spent out there now will save you a lot of work later on.  Here are some jobs for you: ·         Herbaceous perennials such as day lilies, hardy geraniums and phlox will all be coming through in the next couple of months, and now is a good time to lift and divide them. If you don’t they may stop flowering well for you.  Just dig the clump up, get a spade t... Read more…

Soggy seems to be the best word to describe our garden In the middle of January. I know we are not supposed to walk on it when it’s in this condition, but I must admit I’ve thrown caution to the wind and ignored that advice just to be out in the fresh air and doing something useful. Of course there is the endless collection of mucky boots, trousers with wet and muddy knees and cold, stiff gloves when it freezes but I’ve been happy to get out there some days despite all that. Not that I blame those who choose to hibernate, that is probably the much more sensible option! Spring bulbs are, ... Read more…

It's damp, and cold. We've had a fair bit of snow. But these little beauties are starting to come into flower. Spring feels a bit closer - here's to a happier, healthier new year! Read more…

We moved into our garden (and house of course, but the garden was the clincher) in 1987, and one of the many good thing about the move was that we took custody of several beautiful trees. It has often been said that a true gardener is one who will plant a tree despite the knowledge that they will never be able to sit under it, in its shade.  We are certainly benefiting now from the generosity and imagination of previous gardening residents of Charnwood. In addition to a number of beautiful trees including a magnificent blue cedar, two glorious copper beeches, an oak and a lime, we also h... Read more…