Gardeners Tips » Garden Design

Grow Flowering Cherry Trees

hortoris — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:41:07 +0000

Flowering Cherry trees contribute most to the floral pageantry of spring blossom and they are easy to grow. Cherries are graceful and well shaped trees and many varieties have excellent Autumn colour. (Scarlet leaves of Prunus sargentii and pubesens, yellow of hybrids Pandora or Tai-Haku or coppery Ukon.)

Historically most varieties originate from China and Japan including the doubles called Yae zakura. Special parties and holiday trips are arranged to visit flowering cherries in Japan where they are revered as inspiration for artists and warriors as a symbol of purity.

Designing with Cherries

Double flowered varieties give the best effect when planted as solitary specimens or groups of 3 of the same variety.
Do not mix varieties that flower at the same time as they detract from one another.
An isolated specimen planted by a pool can be quite stunning when reflected in the water.
The wild species Prunus avium looks best in large groups perhaps on a hill side.
Single varieties are the best for avenue planting like Prunus Washi-no-o (with a name like that why not hunt it down).
Plant 20-30 feet apart depending on the vigour of the variety.

Growing Shapes or Habits

Different species have different habits and the ultimate shape of a Cherry tree is in the DNA. For a small space a narrow upright fastigiated (clusters of erect branches often appearing to form a single column) tree resembling a short Poplar may be useful. Prunus Yedoensis erecta for example.

Tulip or wine glass shaped are broader but still useful in smaller gardens Prunus Hillieri Spire. This sort can add height to a garden design without requiring too much ground space.

Upright spreading varieties such as Tai Haku are the most familiar. Prunus Spontanea and Okame are recommended varieties.

Weeping or pendulous trees are the opposite of fastigiate and are useful near ponds and are generally lower growing like Prunus Kiku-Shidare.

There are several other standard habits including Conical or Cone maintained in shape by pruning. For smaller gardens the Bushy topped varieties like Prunus Morello and the Autumnalis may suit. Another variety of note is Prunus Shirotae with a flat topped appearance when mature that is useful when a distant view is not to be obscured.

In Japan the flowering cherry has been revered for centuries. In 1594 cherry-flower viewing parties were held by the Japanese Emperor and holiday tour operators do similar trips today. Prunus is the family name for cherries and P. Serrulata the ‘mountain cherry ‘ is the Japanese favourite. Its pure white blossom is a symbol of chivalry, purity and honour.

Single and double varieties vie for our attention and shapes and sizes vary by variety so some guidance is given below.I prefer the single white but the double pink varieties. I am grateful for some comments on shape, form and examples by Geoffrey Chadbund in his book ‘Flowering Cherries’ ISBN 00211271X.

Further Cherry Trees Shapes and Varieties

Upright or narrowly fastigiated – slender habit useful for restricted spaces or junctions of paths. P. Yedoensis Erecta
Tulip or wine glass shaped – OK for narrow borders. P.Umineko
Inverted funnel shape – a rather stiff but common habit of cherries in street planting P. Kanzan
Upright Spreading- Familiar tree shape and habit of growth P. Spontanea
Flat topped or tabular – with branches spreading out horizontally this can be used in landscaping P. Shirofugen
Weeping or Pendulous – The opposite of fastigiated, all the branches hang or arch down in a pendulous fashion. Useful near streams or on the top of mounds. P.Kinku-Shirade
Bushy shrubs – as the description implies P.Incisa group

Tips on Selecting Flowering Cherry trees.

With so many varieties to chose from here are a few tips that may be of assistance in choosing your variety from a list of over 200.

Some trees have attractive bark with rings (lenticles), shine and colour. Select one of these for winter interest.
Fit the shape of tree to the surroundings. Consider if it will block a view as it grows or how it will look in say 10-20 years. Some grow quite robustly.
Consider Autumn colouring which can be quite a feature and cherries although many bred varieties are sterile.
Seek out a grafted ‘Standard tree’ if you want a small tree.
Hillier or Nocutts nurseries usually have a good selection or use the RHS plant finder.
There are two native species: the wild cherry P.Avium and the bird cherry P.Padus.

Floral Vistas Need Planning Before Planting

hortoris — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:22:58 +0000

Greenery is all very well but I like to see swathes of colourful flowers.
I try to envisage how mixed planting will shape up in terms of colour but generally my minds eye falls short when it comes to the imagination department.
The best tip is to keep it simple with only a very limited number of varieties chosen because they are due to flower around the same time.

By contrast my wife, on the other hand, is wedded to green leafed houseplants, green conservatory plants and even green outdoors. (She is also wedded to me and I am not as green as I am cabbage looking so at least I get some colour into the garden)
Perhaps she should grow Gloxinia

I do not mind seeing my colour in wild meadows or just as yellow in a field of buttercups. This photo looks like a pointillist painting rather than a snap shot but it was planned by RHS gardeners to look something like this when the ground was laid out.

A friend at our village gardeners club insists she only grows flowers that avoid yellow – I guess she thinks it too garish and she misses out on some grand flowers.

Woodland walks in Spring would not be the same if it wasn’t for the Snowdrops, Aconites and Narcissus.
Even wild garlic is better when you can see the white flower.
Is white really a colour some folk ask – to me a resounding yes, just consider a rainbow.

New for Ponds or Renovated Ponds

hortoris — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:05:30 +0000

I may be behind the times but here are some new, or new to me, ideas to enhance your garden pond this summer.

New Pond Design

‘Islandscapes’ and Floating Planters

‘The Next Big Wave In Ponds’ (Oh please) ‘enhance the beauty and biological health of ponds, providing innovative filtration and a lush growing environment for terrestrial plants. lslandscapes offer food and fun for fish, frogs and other wildlife’ according to the blurb on Freedomponds.com
Velda do several floating planters made in covered styrofoam.

Ecopond Tadpole Food

I have to admit to never thinking of feeding tadpoles but if I did here is the answer. Ecopond Tadpole Food provides the nutrition that tadpoles need up to the point where they develop back legs (4-6 weeks after free swimming begins). See also frogspawn tips on Gardeners Tips

Preformed Ponds

Rubberised or rigid plastic ponds are one of the easiest methods of creating a new pond. I bought one in a kidney shape with 3 different depths created by shelves. It saved a lot of hard work once I had dug an appropriate hole!
In one garden I saw such a preformed pond raised up rather than buried and think that is a creative idea if you can support the weight of water.

Pond Liners

Now you can cover black PVC liners with a stone coating. This makes the black edge of a pond look natural with a pebble or stone finish. Sold in various widths it could be used to finish off a butyl lined pond or as a run off into your garden proper. The brand I have seen is Oase Stone Liner.

All these products are available from the links above or a specialist like Bradshaws of York. Amazon supply the preformed ponds.

Pond Renovation

As winter approaches all ponds need a bit of tlc to see them through the winter.
If removing dead leaves and waste from the bottom of the pond leave the sludge on the edge so any small creatures can crawl back into the water.
Repair leaks to prevent having to regularly top up the water. Evaporation is unavoidable so you may want to think of easy top-up methods.
Create ways of stopping leaves dropping into the pond. Nets are unsightly unless semi submerged. Barrier hedges of box to stop prevailing winds may help.
Make edges safe and secure. Reinforce and renew if necessary any childproof measures.

Read more on Preformed Pond Shapes including installation tips.

Garden Design Styles

hortoris — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:45:11 +0000

Garden design is influenced by Location, Objectives and Resources. No two people would design the same garden for the same space nor would that garden grow and develop in the same manner.

My Top Ten Garden Styles

Cottage garden
Wild or Environmentally friendly garden
Walled or Victorian garden
Family and traditional garden
Fruit and Vegetable plot
Alpine, crevise or Rock garden
National gardens, Italian, Japanese, Himalayan, Swiss, Spanish, New Zealand or Mediterranean
Sculpture garden
The Peace garden
Water garden

There are so many gardens that could be designed that a top 10 list is subjective in the extreme.

Let us know what your personal favourite garden is or would be.
Also let us know what type of garden you detest. For me it is a ‘car park garden’ with all or mainly hard standing for numerous vehicles and no greenery.

Tips for Training and Growing a Topiary Cone

hortoris — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:29:47 +0000

Topiary looks good on containers and plants are easy to control in this environment. You can also move the pots around the garden to show off your topiary skills.

Starting Your Topiary

Select your plant and container. Box, Laurel or Yew are good subjects to start on.
Plant your shrub with some slow release fertiliser making sure you fill in with compost around the root ball.
Use lengths of bamboo cane pushed firmly into the compost and tie them together neatly at the top to make a wigwam shape.
Tuck any stray shoots behind the canes and tie strong shoots to the cane framework with garden twine.
Snip off any remaining straggly shoots.
Your plant will fill out the framework as it grows. Simply snip off protruding shoots until the plant completely fills the frame.

Growing and Caring For Topiary

Keep your plant well watered and do not allow it to dry out for lengthy periods.
Once you desired shape has been achieved keep your cone in tip top condition with small shears. Little and often encourages smaller tighter growth.
Top up the container with fresh compost in spring.
Feed your topiary, all your prunings need to be replaced somehow.
Turn your topiary by 90 degrees every few weeks so light and wind act evenly over the pot.

Other Topiary Shapes

You can buy or make wire frames in a variety of shapes and sizes to train your plants
Balls, spirals and clouds are now very popular topiary subjects
Trains in hedges are also hobby shapes that seem popular near my home
Arches and archways can be covered in topiary of Beech or Ivy
Good luck if you tackle something like the couple of green people shown above.

Topiary from Amazon

See Top Topiary Gardens
Shrub Sculpture and Topiary Tips
Conifer pruning into topiary
Thanks to pct24 for the use of the picture under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Blue Leaved Plants and Shrubs

hortoris — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:35:16 +0000

Blue is not the colour you associate with foliage but if you can bend your eyes just a little around the silver – grey through to green spectrum there may be some surprises.

In Praise of Blue Foliage

A very distinctive colour attracts the eye in a uniformly green garden
Blue works very well with dark coloured leaves such as purples
Blue tends to increase the perceived depth of view making blue recede.
A fine blue line separates glaucous leaves and silver foliage.
Perception of colour is best left to the beholder

Blue Leaved Primulas

The bloom or farina on may primulas can look blue. See the Primula kewensis at the foot of the page.
Auriculas often display the blue dust.
Primrose ‘Arctic Blue’ has deep green leaves but on a frosty morning their foliage turns to shades of icy blue

Perennial Plant selection from The Oregon

Acaena ‘Blue Haze’
Cynara cardunculus (cardoon)
Dianthus gray blue
Dicentra ‘Stuart Boothman,’ ‘Langtrees’
Eryngium (more gray-green, but you can’t beat those blue bracts)
Euphorbia (lots, particularly ‘Portuguese Velvet’)
Hosta (tons, check out ‘Albiqua Drinking Gourd’ as well as classics such as H. sieboldiana ‘Elegans’
Mertensia asiatica,
Ruta graveolens ‘Jackman’s Blue’ (rue)
Sedum ‘Bertram Anderson’ ( blue bruised purple), S. telphium, S. cauticola and some other succulent plants

Shrubs and trees

Abies pinsapo ‘Glauca,’ ‘Hortmann’ (blue Spanish pin fir)
Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (blue atlas cedar)
Cupressus glabra ‘Blue Ice’ (Arizona cypress)
Eucalyptus (close your eyes and pick)
Hebe (quite a few silver-blue, including H. albicans, H. x wardiensis and H. pimeleoides ‘Quicksilver’)
Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Carpet,’ J. virginiana ‘Blue Mountain’
Melianthus major
Picea pungens (Colorado blue spruce — an awesome selection)
Rosa glauca

Grasses

Andropogon virginicus glauca ‘Valdosta Blue’ (good old gorgeous bluestem)
Elymus magellanicus (a very blue form of Lyme grass)
Festuca cinerea ‘Elijah Blue’ (blue fescue)
Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass; check out ‘Sapphire’)
Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas Blues,’ ‘Prairie Sky’ and of course ‘Heavy Metal’
Leymus arenarius

Rockery plants often take on a blue hue. The plants that display blue may be reacting to moisture more than chlorophyll
.

Crammed Garden with too Many Plants

hortoris — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:18:15 +0000

My son complains that I cram in too many plants into my garden. I guess he is right but I garden for plants not hard landscapes, not sculpture and certainly not for bare soil.

Problems of Too many Plants

There is often no space for that great new plant but I cram it in anyway. I often put a plant in the only place available rather than the location that would best suit it. I regret it later because the colour schemes become totally random.
Weaker plants can be smothered and killed by the thugs in the garden.
Plants need space to reach their full potential and look their individual best.
Plants that are too close together can attract mildew and other diseases.
Water needs to get down to the roots and a canopy of leaves can create dry spots.

Garden Areas with Too Many Plants

I have started collecting and growing Alpines because I can get a lot more plants in a small space. Even so I find it hard to create gaps when everything is in full flow.
The border is intended to become ‘low maintenance’ to give me time to focus on other projects. For this area it is fine for the plants to be close together.
Vegetable gardens need allotted space as you do want good crops.
Natural gardens are fine with lots of wild flowers or local plants but too much grass can then smother smaller plants.

The Case for Too Many Plants

Life is too short not to aim for abundance. I love the free seeds from RHS and AGS seed distributions. This provides me with lots of plants of varieties I have not already got.
A riot of colour, shape and form can be therapeutic as can my informality.
You generally have something available to give away.
If you neglect a part of the garden for a while it can still seem naturalistic and in keeping with the rest of the garden.
You do not need to worry about ground cover, real selected plants can do that job.

Intensive Gardens

The term intensive gardening is usually reserved for a raised bed system. Deeper richer soil will support more and better plants or so the theory goes.
Interplanting is second nature in a crammed garden, in fact I interplant the interplants.

INTENSIVE SPACING GUIDE

Plant	Inches	Plant	Inches
Asparagus	15 – 18	Chard, Swiss	6 – 9
Aubergines	18 – 24	Courgette	18-24
Beans, runner	6 – 12	Lettuce, head	10 – 12
Beans, bush	4 – 6	Onion	2 – 4
Beetroot	2 – 4	Peas	2 – 4
Broccoli	12 – 18	Peppers	12 – 15
Brussels sprouts	15 – 18	Potatoes	10 – 12
Cabbage	15 – 18	Sweet corn	15 – 18
Carrots	2 – 3	Tomatoes	18 – 24
Cauliflower	15 – 18	Turnip	4 – 6
Cucumber	12 – 18	Leeks	3 – 6

Sources

University of Arizona for the spacing guide

Colour in a Garden Without Flowers

tejvan — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 10:57:26 +0000

This is an interesting photo because it shows a diverse range of colour in the garden without any flowers. This is an excellent way to design a garden because it provides year round interest. Flowers are then icing on the cake.

The colours in this garden shot also depend on the time of the day, the sun really brings to life some of the leaves and grasses.

The tall grasses also provide interest because of their swaying in the wind and gentle rustling sound.

Leaves of this Heuchera are now being bred in a range of colours and the textures that add additional variety.

Even in the vegetable garden you can grow some interesting colour schemes. These lettuce are just a couple of the varieties now available. I also like the ornamental cabbage giving colour throughout winter and the rows or savoy and purple cabbage can draw the eye.

Conifers are a bit passè but you can create some interesting effects with a bit of patience.

Bark can be black white or a multitude of colours in between. It often looks best in winter when it is not competing with as many shades of green.

Roots are not much to write home about but the ground can be coloured by nature as in this picture of autumn leaves.
Alternatively a nurtured but unnatural landscape of gravel, pebbles or chippings can colour the ground.

Naturalised Crocus – Growing Bulbs in Grass

hortoris — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 17:32:40 +0000

Naturalising means bulbs growing and seeding as they would in the wild; i.e. “in nature”. In most gardens this means growing bulbs in grass instead of borders.
To naturalize bulbs they need to be planted where they can remain undisturbed without the need for the foliage to be prematurely removed. Leaves need to die back for about six weeks after the flowers have faded.

Growing Crocus Bulbs in Grass

Crocus will thrive for years if planted in grass with a dry or fast draining soil. If the lawn is lush and gets lots of high nitrogen fertilizer it will stunt the flowering process of the bulbs. You’ll get lots of foliage but no flowers.
Plant in groups or clusters so you can mow the other area.
You need to be patient as a bulb seedling will take 5-7 years before it has built up reserves to flower.
Some bulbs do better than others in grass including Iris danfordiae and reticulata, Grape Hyacinth Muscari, Scilla, Snowdrops and small Daffodils but Crocus perform best.

Naturalising in Soil and thin Grass

Wood Anemonies will self seed and naturalise in a woodland glade
Hardy cyclamen multiply by seed dispersal and naturalise.
Winter aconites are also good naturalisers.
For yellow ‘wild’ daffodil varieties try Narcissus lobularis and the Tenby daffodil Narcissus obvallaris.
The dramatic white Narcissus ‘Actea’ follows a bit later and if you can wait the May flowering Pheasant Eye daffodil, Narcissus poeticus recurvus can be spectacular.

When and How to Plant Crocus in Grass

Crocus are sold as corms or bulbs from late summer. Try bulbs from Jersey Plants Direct“>Jersey Plants Direct.
September- October is a good time to plant new crocus as the soil begins to cool down and the autumn rains begin.
Cut an H-shape in the grass and peel back the two flaps of turf. Add some fertiliser and loosen the soil.
Leave plenty of space for the bulbs to increase over the years
Do not plant in straight lines but scatter to give a natural look
Crocus tommasinianus is one of the best variety for naturalising in grass.

Create a Stumpery from Tree Roots and Stumps

hortoris — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:07:17 +0000

The objective of a Stumpery is to create a garden feature from ferns, logs and old tree roots. The Victorians started a trend to build Rooteries, Ferneries and Stumperies as romantic woodland places to grow exotic ferns and woodland plants. If you have a dark corner or want to collect ferns then you could start your own Stumpery quite easily and add to it as the fancy takes you.

Construction of a Stumpery

Old trees are the basic raw material.
Up rooted tree stumps like those after a big storm or pulled out by chains form a great base
Gnarled and twisted shapes work well to create form and shape
Just cutting trees down to stumps can be enough in a small garden
If you live in or near the countryside finding logs and tree stumps should be relatively easy.
In a suburban gardens a few pieces of trunk from felled sycamore can form the basis for a mini-stumpery.
Drift wood old branches or any wood artfully arranged can also be used
Bark chippings can unite the feel for the area

Eco-Friendly Stumps

Different wild life to that found in tidy gardens love stumperies.
Fungus can thrive on decaying wood and moist conditions.
Insects and small mammals have a place to hide, feed and multiply

Plant Up with some Ferns

Mosses and lichen can be encouraged by painting uncovered surfaces with yoghurt
Ferns should be planted in spaces between stumps and roots. They like dark places without fertiliser but some leaf mold can be added to the soil.
Chose a variety of ferns for shape, size and colour.

Matteuccia Ostrich feather fern upto 3 feet
Dyopterarias erythrosora has elegant fronds that emerge bright orange and change to lime-green as they age.
Harts Tongue fern Phylitis has a smoother leaf and sword shape
Athyriums like the Japanese painted fern (niponicum pictum,) and Lady fern are smaller but can light up very dark places.
Adiantum pedatum is a small maidenhair fern with a fragile appearance but a hardy nature. It has a running rootstock that quickly makes a respectable clump.

Snowdrops, celandines,primroses and foxgloves may grow well in semi shaded areas or on the edge of the Stumpery.
If planting Bluebells make sure they are the native kind not the hybrid or Spanish variety

More information on Ferns is available on http://www.ferns.com/

Photograph of Stumpery at Biddulph Grange Garden – Biddulph by westher, on Flickr under creative commons license.