Creating movement with ornamental grasses

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus in flower

Ornamental grasses are not everyone’s cup of tea, as they don’t tend to bring the desired colour to your garden. I feel it’s the movement which grasses offer, that can bring life and character to your garden. Another added benefit, is that of late season interest, as most impact and colour dissipates. With so many forms and looks to choose from, I felt it necessary to share some of my best recommendations:

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’

1. Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ – A fantastic option for limited space where some vertical height (approx 5ft) is required. Known for it’s fine sheath of blue-grey foliage and bearing purple-pink inflorescences which tend to pick up the colour of pink and purple late-season flowers. Another recommendation is the slightly shorter Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ with the burgandy-red tipped foliage.
2. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’ – The foliage of this one will catch your eye! The green spikey leaves are banded with cream-yellow, giving it the name of Porcupine grass. They bear pinkish crinkly flowers on arching 2m stems forming a graceful focal point in the garden.
3. Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ – a very popular clump-forming and upright green grass with linear leaves, bearing tall green flowering panicles at first which then fade to pale brown in Autumn and last well into the Winter.
4. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ – One of my personal favourites with the arching mounds of bamboo-like foliage. The variegated yellow foliage is striking and this grass is particularly good at softening the edges, partnered with something solid and structural like Buxus. Other recommended varieties are ‘All Gold’ with the bright yellow foliage and ‘Nicholas’ with its green foliage that is flushed with flame orange and red in the Autumn.
5. Pennisetum alopecuriodes ‘Hameln’ – Certainly one of the most popular grasses with its upright mound of arching green leaves, bearing bottlebrush spikes of silvery-white flowers which can be freshly cut as well as dried. The leaves tend to turn bright golden-yellow in Autumn and the plant can still look attractive until well into the Winter. Other recommended varieties are ‘Little Bunny’ which is just a more compact form and ‘Red Head’ with its soft smokey-pink flower spikes turning to buff as they dry out.

Calamagrostis x overdam ‘Karl Foerster’

Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’

If you would like to benefit from the softness, contrast and movement that these fantastic grasses can offer, then look for a partial shade or sunny position and work some grit into the soil to improve the drainage. Consider the growth over the years and ensure you give it enough space to grow to its full potential. Now gaze out from the window and see the difference they make when there is a slight breeze…

Happy gardening…

 

Luscious Lavender

It is the time of the year where the Lavender begins to fill the air with it’s uplifting scent and tantalises our senses. How can you not be attracted to the beauty of Lavender and all the beneficial properties that the plant has to offer. It may be tricky to maintain a beautifully shaped and healthy looking plant, but it has always been an integral addition to virtually any well designed garden. One cannot help brushing your hands along the flowers and foliage to take it all in or even admire the beauty of the abundance of flowers. That beauty is irresistible to bees and counts as one of the best attractions for pollinators if you would like to make a contribution in ‘saving the bees’.
The variety in Lavender can leave you rather indecisive and that decision needs to be made based on flowering time, habit and potential use. Some people may grow Lavender for a specific use such as aromatherapy or even a medicinal use while others may grow it as a functional plant in the design of their garden. They come in several groups and some of the most popular groups include English, French, Dutch and Spanish Lavenders. The flowering period varies according to the different groups and the habit of the plant can be vastly different too. The Spring varieties include French Lavenders and Spanish Lavenders while the succession continues with the English and Dutch Lavenders.

Some varieties worthy of a mention are listed below:

French Lavenders:
Lavandula ‘Devonshire Compact’ – A neater and more compact form with medium sized purple flowers and a fair scent on the foliage and flower.
Lavandula stoechas ‘Papillon’ – A fairly compact form with dark purple flowers with lilac flags and has a fair scent on both the foliage and flowers.
Spanish Lavender:
Lavandula pendunculata ssp ‘Lusitanica’ – A fairly tall stoechas-like form with large purple flowers with lilac flags and has a fairly strong scent on the foliage with a slightly lighter scent on the flower.
English Lavenders:
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ – A beautiful neat and compact or dwarf form with dark blue/purple flowers and a strong scent on both the foliage and flowers.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ – A fairly compact form with slightly lighter blue flowers and a strong scent on both foliage and flowers.
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Felice’ – Another dwarf/compact form with short flower stems and highly scented light purple-blue flowers.
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Sussex’ – A taller form carrying a pungent scent on both foliage and flowers.

Dutch Lavender:
Lavandula x intermedia ‘Vera’ – A very useful form for low hedging with light purple flowers and has a fairly strong scent on the foliage and flowers.

One of the most frequently asked questions is: ‘How can I stop my Lavender from getting too woody?’ This will happen at some stage in the growth of the Lavender, but through some good pruning in early Spring and following the rule of cutting back not more than two thirds of last season’s growth, you should be able to maintain a neat appearance with minimal woodiness developing.
If you have not yet grown Lavender, it is well worth a try, as the scent is to die for…, but do make sure you have a sunny spot with well drained soil.

Tips to a successful Lavender: Sunny position, loose gritty soil that drains well, trim back two thirds of last seasons growth in the early Spring and the odd bit of liquid feed to boost the flowering. With regards to watering, keep the plant slightly on the dry side.

Happy gardening!

Spring flowering Clematis varieties

If you think of one climber that puts on a huge show for us in Spring, it’s Clematis montana varieties. The plants are adorned with masses of four-petalled single flowers in a range of pinks and white from late Spring to early Summer. They are a perfect choice for a pergola or an arch, as they have a vigorous growth rate which creates fast coverage.

The secret to success with Clematis, is to ensure it is planted in a sheltered sunny position in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil. Even though a sunny position is best for producing good bloom, there are many varieties in the montana group that are tolerant of shade too. It is essential to keep the base of the plant cool by planting other plants around it to create shade at the roots or place a layer of pebbles or bark to act as a mulch. Always plant with the crown of the plant about 2 to 3 inches (5-8cm) below the soil level, as this will encourage plenty of new shoots from below ground level.

Pruning is always a bit of a challenge with Clematis and often it is hard to make sense of all the pruning groups and what they mean. The montana species fall into group 1. Like all early-flowering clematis such as the montana species, its requires little pruning other than the removal of any dead or damaged growth after flowering.

With so many varieties now available on the market, you are spoilt for choice. If shades of pink or white fits into your planting scheme, then why not try some of my recommended varieties to brighten up your garden this Spring:

Clematis montana ‘Grandiflora’ –  This variety has trifolate leaves with pure white blooms that can reach up to 7cm across.

Clematis montana ‘Freda’ – A fast growing shade tolerant variety reaching 7m and has bronze young foliage and deep cherry-pink flowers of about 5cm across.

Clematis montana var. rubens ‘Tetrarose’ – This vigorous variety has large bronze-green leaves on reddish brown stems with rich mauve-pink flowers with golden yellow stamens.

Clematis montana ‘Elizabeth’ – Another vigorous shade tolerant variety with bronze young trifoliate leaves turning mid green with age, bearing slightly scented pale pink flowers of about 6cm width.

Clematis montana ‘Fragrant Spring’ – a highly perfumed vigorous variety with dark-green divided leaves, tinged purple when young, and bearing deep pink flowers in abundance during late Spring.

Hopefully you are inspired to visit your local Garden Centre and see which varieties they sell, so you can buy one that will create some great visual impact on a bare wall or fence for this Spring.

Happy gardening!

Magnificent Magnolias

It’s the time of the year when the Magnolias begin to show colour. With blooms so bold, how can you not be blown away when you see a large Magnolia in full flower. With so much variety, there is also a Magnolia to suit everyone. You might think that your garden is too small to have a Magnolia, but with species such as Magnolia stellata, it makes it possible to grow them in pots too. So even in limited space, you could take advantage of their magnificent blooms.

Here is a list of some of my highly recommended ones:

Magnolia stellata is best used as specimen plants in gardens with limited space. Reaching heights of only 2m they can also be grown in pots on patios. Unfortunately, they only come in white star-shaped flowers, but they do produce an abundance of flowers to make up for it.

Magnolia x soulangeana is one of the most popular with the goblet-shaped blooms in a pink/white combination. One of these in full flower in a good year can cause car accidents on a roadside! As it gets in excess of 6m high, they are ideal for larger gardens that require a good focal point in early Spring, such as on the opposite side of a patio.

Magnolia ‘Susan’ has narrow goblet-shaped, fragrant flowers with burgundy on the outside and paler on the inside. Reaching about 4m, means that it can be utilized in most gardens as a specimen plant.

Magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’ produces goblet-shaped, fragrant blooms which are flushed with pale pink on the outside with a magenta central stripe.They can reach 12m high when mature, so keep this mind when picking this one…some space required, and a chat with the neighbour.

Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ may carry less bloom that other Magnolias, but their large goblet-shaped purple blooms stand out against the bare stems as if to demand attention. Absolutely awesome.

Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ is a nice compact form only reaching approximately 4m. Another fantastic option for containers or small gardens as a focal point. It produces lily-shaped dark purple-red blooms in early Summer.

Magnolia grandiflora is an evergreen species that produces highly fragrant cream cup-shaped blooms the size of a large hand (approx 25cm across). To see one of them at their best, they become a ‘must have’ plant for the avid gardener. It is also a popular wall shrub option, as long as it is grown on a sheltered east, west, or south wall.

All Magnolias are best grown in full sun or partial shade and require a moist, but well-drained ericaceous (acidic) soil – they seem to grow best when the soil is slightly acidic, even though they can tolerate neutral soil in some cases. They are not fond of cold winds so make sure the desired position is sheltered, for best results.
Pruning is best done when the tree is actually in leaf, so mid-late Summer makes for the best opportunity to shape it for the season to come.

They are certainly one of my favourite feature plants in the garden, as they make a huge impact and will provide you with many years of enjoyment.

Happy gardening!

Hellebores – the wonder of the Winter woodland

As the depth of the Winter draws closer, Hellebore blooms begins to emerge from soil, celebrating the start of the gardening calender and providing us with impressive Winter and Spring colour. Species such as niger, nigercors, x hybridus, foetidus and orientalis will extend the flowering period from January to April and provide plenty of colourful interest in the woodland garden or shrub border alongside the sensational Snowdrops, Crocus, Winter aconites and early flowering Daffodils.
Hellebores are easy to grow and require a moist position in partial shade to get the best results. They are best planted at the base of other shrubs and trees in a shrub border or a woodland garden. When not in flower, they still provide interest through all sorts of leaf shapes.

With many varieties available in the Helleborus group, there are some very interesting forms of all shapes and colours. Helleborus foetidus (Stinking Hellebore) is known for it’s smell has long thin foliage with the contrast of the impressive lime green flowers. It is a British native plant and can tolerate a dry shady aspect, making it a good choice for positions under very established trees.

With plenty of shade in London gardens, there is no doubt a position for a Hellebore in almost every garden.
Some of my recommended varieties are pictured above, namely: Helleborus x hybridus ‘Onyx Odyssey’, Helleborus foetidus, Helleborus x hybridus ‘Walberton’s Rosemary’, Helleborus niger ‘Jacob’, Helleborus orientalis ‘Slate’ and Helleborus orientalis ‘Cinderella’

Happy gardening in 2016!

Our top 10 plants for late season colour

It’s so rewarding to walk around towards the end of the Summer season and see gardens alive with colour when most have given up in preparation for Winter. If you have ever wondered which plants can provide that colour well into the cold season, I would like to share my top 10 for you:

Perennial Salvia – sage
Although classed as a tender perennial and requiring a sheltered spot to ensure Winter survival, perennial Salvias will never fail to deliver an abundance of flower until well into the hard frost period. Allow enough space for them, as a single plant can extend up to 3-4ft wide, often encroaching on neighbouring plants. Our favourites include Salvia microphyla ‘Hotlips’ and ‘Salvia greggii ‘Nachvlinder’

Sedum – stonecrop
Now this one is particularly for the bees in mind… The flower heads are like magnets for them and you may come across some bumble bees laying ‘drunk’ from overindulgence. The sheer variety of heights, flower colour and leaf colour, makes this an exciting choice. The long lasting flowers will remain until the frosty bite finally causes the stems to rot away…a very productive flowering plant indeed. Species such as Sedum telephium ‘Brilliant’ and Sedum spurium ‘Dragons blood’ are great for smaller gardens.

Penstemon
This hardy semi-evergreen perennial can keep going right through the Winter if it is planted in a sunny, but sheltered position. The tubular flowers are so inviting for the pollinators, they will create a hive of activity in the garden. If you have a gap of 3ft to fill, you have to give one of these a go! They are available in such variety, that you may find yourself buying two, even three! Our favourites are Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’ or Penstemon ‘White bedder’.

Rudbeckia – coneflowers
These will add so much brightness to a tired border after months of Summer action. The variety of flowers and heights makes for some interesting decision making on whether to plant it near the front or back of the border. This is another favourite with the pollinators and when the faded blooms are cut off frequently enough, they will keep producing new flower until the really cold weather finally sets them into perennial dormancy. A true favourite is Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’

Japanese Anemone
With so much shade cast by fencing, taller buildings and trees, the Japanese Anemones will add vibrance to any slightly darker/shadier area of the garden. Even the iridescent white can be seen in the evening dark! Ranging from singles, doubles and all sorts of heights, there is bound to be one that fits into your planting scheme. Most popular varieties are ‘Honorine Jobert’ and splendens

Hardy Fuchsia
A bit slow to get going in the late Spring, but they tend to build up momentum and flower their socks off just as the weather turns for the worse. As everything is looking tired, the Fuchsia are only reaching their beauty maturity… They come in many shapes, colours and sizes, with varieties such as ‘Janie’ and species such as ‘genii’ you can have a bold display until you find yourself indoors, escaping the cold.

Erysimum – perennial wallflower
They just simply keep going until they run out of steam, which is usually after three years! Regular deadheading does ensure you get continuous flowering, even in Winter (slower, admittedly, but still producing flower). As long as the bees have not been forced into hibernation, they will seek these out as a favourite and enjoy its benefits until they cannot anymore… The most popular is ‘Bowles Mauve’ but try ‘Fragrant Sunrise’ for an element of brightness throughout the winter.

Ceratostigma – blue-flowered leadwort
You cannot help noticing this plant as the Autumn approaches as there is no other plant that bears the vivid blue flowers at the same time of the year. It truly stands out. the foliage also takes on classical Autumn hues and depending on the position, it may remain evergreen, if sheltered from the Winter chill. Our favourite compact species is Ceratostigma plumbaginoides.

Dahlia
From little pom pom to dinner plate size, Dahlias are available in almost every colour and texture you can think of. They begin their show in June and it keeps giving until November or when the frosts kill the foliage – great value for money considering how cheap they are in the bulb form. Make sure to lift your bulbs if they are in an exposed sight, as they often don’t make it through a wet and icy UK winter. A firm favourite of ours is Dahlia ‘Karma Choc’

Erigeron karvinskianus – mexican fleabane
The dainty daisy-like flowers begin as white and then turn pinkish-purple. This plant looks fabulous along a path, steps or even cascading over a wall, softening it with a carpet of flowers. Flowering at a 25cm height and almost 9 months of the year, it’s the sort of groundcover plant that any garden should have. Great value and a ‘must have’ plant.

Introducing plants such as these, will ensure you keep the floral appeal alive well into the cold spells. Not only will you be the envy of your neighbourhoood, but you will also be providing a nectar source for those pollinators who tend to hang around that little bit longer…

Happy gardening!

Inspired by RHS Hampton Court Flower Show 2015

I always refer to this show as my ‘dose of design inspiration’ and leaving the show, I’m always filled with drive, renewed enthusiasm and inspiration to test out new planting combinations within my clients gardens.

The gardens that stood out for me were: 

The Macmillan Legacy Garden – with a great balance of hard and soft landscaping complimented by the fantastic green/white ‘edge of the woodland’ planting schemes. I always know when I’ve seen a good garden based on how long I spend taking it all in and this garden captivated me! The pod-like structure was so inviting and it’s the sort of calm space you would want to spend hours in.

The Living Landscapes: Healing Urban Garden – another ‘stopped me in my tracks’ garden and a sense of calm filled me as my eyes glanced out this space. The silver/blue/maroon planting scheme was a strong feature with Eryngium, Lavender and Salvia complimented by Artemisia and Festuca grass creating some eye-catching focal points. The curvaceous bench invited you in to take advantage of the relaxing and soothing effect this garden provides.

The Well Being of Woman Garden – with a strong purple/blue/white planting scheme of medicinal, aromatic and sensory plants promoting health and well-being. The calming effect of the water feature with a path leading to a seating area, created a space that encourages thoughtful reflection. The batten fence and living wall boundary combination was a great hard/soft contemporary combination working in harmony.

Noble Caledonia: Spirit of the Aegean – a tranquil and relaxing representation of the Aegean landscape with the calming blue/white planting scheme with the odd Bougainvillea and Oleander creating a bold contrast as the backdrop. Take a seat in the seating area and gaze upon the still turquoise waters set in the rills…ahhhh…relaxing.

I only just realised, while writing this post, that the common attraction for me on this visit, was that of a sense of calm and relaxation…an important element to introduce in the busy urban environment. We all need that retreat where we can escape the pressures of modern life, unwind and release any stress…so hopefully you can draw some inspiration from these design masterpieces and introduce something new in your garden this year.

Happy gardening!

Getting started…

It’s great to see the Spring growth and flowers already starting to push through on some of the shrubs and perennial with the milder Winter we have had this year. It begins to focus us on making sure we are ready with our plans for the season ahead:
Is there a theme this season?
What colour scheme represents this theme?
Is there structural or hard landscaping chores to be done, as this is the one item on the agenda that can be focused on, such as creating new beds, laying paths and building anything that may be used in this season’s design. It is very refreshing to think of things that can be changed in the garden to create a new ‘feel’ for the season ahead. Even a new colour scheme to your bedding can make a big difference! You know what they say: “Change is as good as a holiday”…and don’t we all need that?

Take a moment to look at the basic structure of the garden starting with the trees or shrubs which form the basis of the design. Do they need a good prune/shaping, or even taking out and making way for something new? Then work your way through the smaller shrubs and perennials and see if there is any winter damage, such as rotting, and remove all the dead, diseased or damaged  branches or plants to make way for some fresh additions to the planting scheme. Take into account the flowering periods of the new additions and make sure they fit well into existing successional colour, possibly even extending the flowering season of what’s there already.

Then give the bedding planting scheme some thought and try combinations of two but no more than three colour combinations. Consider using a foliage colour such as Cineraria ‘Silver Dust’ as a contrast and then choose two complimentary colours.
A great combination for the summer, for example, is Salvia farinacea (blue flowers), Red zonal Geraniums and Bacopa ‘Snowflake’ (groundcover with white flowers).

     

Even though there are three colours in this scheme, they combine really well and one or two of the blue, red or white can be repeated in the shrub / wall shrub / climbers selection to create further impact.

As we have learnt from the past, consider using plants that can tolerate fairly dry soil and you will be well prepared for any potential water restrictions or even a hosepipe ban, if they were to come into affect.

Have fun planning the seasonal planting and happy gardening…

Wonderful Winter stem colour

I can’t help noticing the stem colour you see on shrubby Cornus (Dogwoods) at this stage of the year. They create punctuation in the Winter garden and when planted en-masse, they can produce an eye-catching show. Even the onset of snow makes it more appealing, setting the stem colour off against the white backdrop.
One of the great benefits of shrubby Dogwoods is their ability to thrive in moist soil, making it an excellent choice for those areas that may have some drainage issues.
It might sound rather harsh, but they require a good hack back (coppicing) about every 2 years, to produce the best stem colour.

      

Some of my all time favourites and definately worth a mention are:

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ with it’s yellow-orange stems and orange autumn foliage
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ with it’s bright red stems and red autumn foliage
Cornus alba ‘Baton Rouge’ with it’s bright red stems and green foliage
Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ with it’s dark purple stems and purple foliage
Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ with it’s lime green stems and green foliage
Cornus canadensis (Creeping Dogwood) with it’s red autumn foliage

With this sort of Winter interest, you could have even a Winter Garden looking colourful.

Happy gardening…

My take on RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2014

After 10 years of not having an opportunity to see the Chelsea Flower show, the day finally came to attend the ‘Best Flower Show in the world’. The visit could be labelled as ‘inspirational’, ‘educational’ and an ‘experience’ you will never forget. Being more of a plantsman, I was drawn to the planting combinations used to create the ‘softness’ in each design of the show gardens as well as all the unusual perennials in the Pavilion. Of course, no design would be complete without the correct plant material to unify the design. One of the most appealing planting schemes to me was the Silver Gilt winner Positively Stoke-on-Trent garden. As you moved around the garden, the colours changed from creams and pure white to purples, plums and reds. A combination of spheres and Buxus was planted in between to give some structure with the grasses providing a different texture and creating harmony in the blending of the colours. Just outstanding,… and certainly rates as being my favourite planting schemes.
Another firm favourite was the planting combinations used in the Gold medal RBC Waterscape Garden. Grasses once again blend into a combination of purple, blue and white perennials to bring you a soft feel with punctuations of colour. A variety of leaf shapes and sizes provided a change in texture with the Rogersia foliage catching your eye. I just loved the way the Lysimachia atropurpurea ‘Beaujolais’ flower heads ‘popped’ up above the foliage of the other plants. Stunning display.
The Cloudy Bay Garden showcased a range of colourful
plants, delighting the senses and all working in harmony. The large Allium heads nestled amongst the fine foliage of the grasses made a great impact. While standing there and taking it all in, I had the pleasure of watching the bees take full advantage of this great mix of bee attracting plants. An environmental issue that is close to most gardener’s hearts and certainly a focus of my energy.
The cool, contemplative design of the ‘Best in Show’ and Gold winner The Laurent-Perrier Garden blew me away. I quote from the RHS website “The intention is to stimulate the enjoyment of observation, and to invite exploration of stillness and movement through relationships between the contrasting forms and materials in the garden.” What can I say…, but they got it spot on. It was so relaxing to stand there and slowly run your eye across the garden. Two things that stood out to me was the fantastic planting scheme (particularly the stunning yellow Lupins) and the backdrop being an excellent combination of soft and hard landscaping. Truly relaxing.
Another garden that seemed to slow my pace down was that of The Homebase Garden – A time to reflect. The planting combinations of yellow and blue seemed to achieve both a calming and energising effect. The patio area was particularly appealing to me, seeing myself spending hours in that setting…just chilling! Great design and ‘does what it says on the box’.

All in all, a fantastic and inspirational experience for any gardening enthusiast and well worth the visit. Just switch on the patience switch, as the crowds can get rather big and pushy.

See you at the next Chelsea Flower Show and happy gardening!