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Gardening articles that may not include tips

Underplanting in Your Garden

Underplanting in Your Garden

Use your garden space more effectively by underplanting feature plants in a subtle manner.

under-planting-phormium

The What and Why of Underplanting

Underplanting as the name suggests is putting one plant under the stem, leaves or trunk of a larger plant. The effect if to have layers of plants as you might expect to find in nature. The effect also gives more comprehensive soil cover. It can help moisture retention eg using low water consuming plants like succulents.

Underplanting may help you grow crops when space is tight eg. Alpine strawberries under fruit trees other things tend to do poorly or act as weeds taking moisture and goodness from the fruit trees.

Many  examples of  using smaller plants such as ferns or perennial geraniums under the canopy of a trees exist.The picture shows a Phormium under planted with Bellis low flowering Daises.

Try autumn crocus under Flowering Cherry trees for varied interest later in the year. Obviously spring crocus are often grown underplanted with trees and shrubs but keep yellows and blues separate.
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Grow your Own Rocks and Pots

Grow your Own Rocks and Pots

Artificial rocks can be created cheaply and easily if you make your own from Hypertufa.

  • Make a batch of rocks by digging several holes in the ground the size and rough shape you want the rocks to be.
  • Line the holes roughly with thick polythene, do not worry about the odd crease and fold as this will add texture to your rock surface.
  • Mix 2 parts sand, one part cement and two parts coir together in the dry state. You can add cement die, buff or yellow seem to work well.
  • Add water and mix in to create a fairly stiff mixture.
  • Put the mix (Hypertufa) into the lined holes pushing in into the bottom and sides. You can leave a central hole but make sure there is at least 2″ of mix all around. This makes the rocks lighter and easy to move. You can also strengthen with bent chicken wire.
  • Leave for a couple of days until the mix is totally dry then lift out of the hole and peel off the plastic.
  • If they are a bit shiny you can rough them up with a wire brush but once in the garden they will soon weather, grow mosses and lichen to look quite natural.

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Wind Breaks for the Garden

Wind Breaks for the Garden

When the East wind doth blow we shall have snow and what will the gardener do then poor thing?

wind-break

Windbreaks are used to protect plants from excessive and strong wind. The right design can deflect wind and create a micro climate to the benefit of soft plants in need of protection. However the wrong design can create currents where only normal wind previously existed. A windbreak will be effective for upto 10 times its height so a 6 foot barrier will protect 60 feet but the wind will get progressively stronger as the vacuum created by the barrier is filled with wind. A narrow barrier wont get the job done as the wind will blow around the edges.
The wrong windbreak will pile up snow where it is not wanted but the oppposite should be true. Plan your location of any wind brak for all seasons.

Natural Windbreaks

  • Hedges and plants are a natural way of creating a barrier. A percentage of the wind will get through the balance drifting over and round.
  • A solid wall of vegetation is seldom the best solution the wind hits it and is forced over the top creating swirls and eddies. Slowing the wind with a layered defence is the best approach with several lines of shrubs and trees as a defence culminating in the larger backstop. In such cases the wind is slowed all the way through so little eddying occurs.
  • Willows are a windbreak plant par excellence. A double row can reduce windspeeds by as much as 60% even in the winter. They will typically grow 6ft or more in the first year and often reach 16ft or more by the third year. Control the roots and the height though.

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Growing Fothergilla Shrubs

Growing Fothergilla Shrubs

A cottage garden structural shrub that is making a comeback in popularity
fothergillia

All plants and shrubs seem to move in and out of fashion and Fothergilla are currently enjoying a cult status amongst many gardeners. However they are not so commonplace that you should be put off growing one.

Fothergilla major is a favourite plant for Autumn colour of reds, oranges and yellows that also produces frothy and fragrant white flowers in mid Spring. The spring leaves are glossy, dark green and rounded with toothed edges. Fothergilla leaves turn brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow in autumn. This deciduous shrub can grow to 20 feet but is best restricted in a small garden. It produces suckering stolens that may be propagated and plants can also be grown from seed.

Fothergilla gardenii or the Dwarf Fothergilla also called Dwarf Witchalder grows upto six foot high and is a better mannered version of Fothergilla major. All Fothergillas seem to like wet or moist soil and they should not be allowed to dry out.

A superb introduction from Commercial Nurseries is Fothergilla Blue Shadow with powdery blue foliage that was discovered as a sport from the cultivar ‘Mount Airy’.

Avoid too Much Water and Wet Gardens

Avoid too Much Water and Wet Gardens

You can have too much of a good thing in the garden and this also applies to water.

After prolonged rain some rose buds fail to open and the outer petals start to rot, creating a soggy mess (prune them off if it happens).
Waterlogged soil is the bain of badly drained soils – water displaces air and turns the soil sour. I can drown plant roots and invertebrates.

Water Excess

  • It is no accident that many if not most plants require soil with good drainage or free draining compost. That is because roots can drown and rot.
  • Do not stand pots in deep saucers or containers full of water or you may loose the plant.
  • Even too much rain can cause tender alpines to rot. Some need a glass roof or semi-shelter to keep off the worst excesses of heavy rain.
  • Flower-heads can fill with rain and droop or bring a plant too its knees. Shake out excess rain of possible.

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Garden Colour Wheel – Hints and Tips

Garden Colour Wheel – Hints and Tips

Am I a bit colour blind? I see shades in black and white because I do not think and digest what I see.

Colourful gardens are not hard to achieve but here are a few hints and tips to help you with various aspects of planning and using colour.

Tips and Hints for Colourful Tints

  • Light creates colour so think about the Sun’s effect in the morning, around mid day and in the evening. It has a cooler temperature and helps yellows and pastle colours early, can burn out soft colours in the full glare but adds warm tones later in the afternoon. Look at some old photographs to see what I mean.
  • Throw your own light into dull corners by painting trellis and furniture white. Light coloured bricks, paving and gravel can also make a huge difference.
  • Small gardens appear larger if you place soft colours furthest away with vivid colours nearest. For the appearance of width put dark blue at the back and pastels at the front.
  • Vivid colours make pastel colours seem washed out so separate them with the neutrality of white flowers.
  • Soften large areas of blue with its complementary colour orange. A complementary colour is directly opposite in a colour wheel. So red and green work well.
  • Cream, white and mauve can have a peaceful tranquil effect.
  • It is easy to forget the colour of a flower so tie a piece of coloured nylon yarn to the plant. Then when you move it or plant a companion you know what you will get.
  • Green is the predominant colour in the garden and has more shades than any other colour. Mix variegated leaves and yellow leaved plants for effect.

Read also Purple coloured flowers on Gardeners Tips
Orange Flower Photo club
This extract is from Red and Green in the Garden
Colour is classified in three ways.
1. Hue- This is the kind of colour and whether it is intense or greyed
2. Brightness – is the total light reflected that provides the tone or luminosity. It is how the eye perceives light to dark colours.
3. Saturation – Is intensity or pureness. spectral colours are the maximum intensity the eye can appreciate. Mixed with any other colour reduces saturation.

Alstroemeria

Wheel shaped arrangement of orange Alstroemeria

Top Ten Plant Hunters

Top Ten Plant Hunters

Another top ten list this time of top ten plant hunters.
Book Cover

Carl Linnaeus is known as the father of taxonomy

Sir Joseph Banks possibly the father of Kew accompanied Captain Cook on HMS Endeavour’s voyage to the South Pacific (1768-1771), was involved with the HMS Bounty and breadfruit and many early plant hunts. He was appointed as a of Kew Gardens by George III in 1773. A Joseph Banks Tribute Garden has been established in Lincolnshire which is now part of the National Gardens scheme. Many plants are now named Banksii as a tribute to his collecting, introducing and organising the Plant Hunting of the 18th century.

William Lobb and his brother Thomas Lobb were prolific plant hunters in the Georgian and Victorian era when new plant introductions were in great demand. South America was the terratory where they collected many trees and species for Veitch the nursery.

George Forrest, 1873 – 1932 was a Scot who collected Rhododendron forrestii, R. sinogrande, R. repens, R. griersonianum, R. intricatum and R. giganteum, as well as more than 50 species of primula. Also introduced were numerous buddleias, anemones, asters, deutzias, conifers, berberis, alliums and cotoneasters and plants that now bear his name including Pleione forrestii, Pieris forrestii, Iris forrestii, Acer forrestii.
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Thrive in the Garden with Disability

Thrive in the Garden with Disability

newby-hall-009

Thrive is a national charity that helps people with a disability to start or continue gardening. They have specific assistance for wheelchair users, those recuperating from heart disease or strokes and many other tips and assistance. I am indebted to them for these tips and ideas that we can all learn from.

Tips on Garden Design for all Disabled Gardeners

  • Garden layout can make a real difference to how you enjoy gardening. Depending on your disability, it might be easier to focus more on container growing. Make sure any ground level areas are low maintenance to keep the digging and weeding needed to a minimum. Plan plenty of seats around the garden to save your energy and have some shady areas where you can sit to garden on hot days.
  • Avoid large lawns and lawns with sharply curved edges as they will be more time consuming to maintain. Consider having a semi-wild lawn with mown paths to save time and effort. Lawns are difficult to manage so consider replacing some or all of the lawn with a hard surface.
  • Borders will be more manageable if you can reach across them easily. So make your flower borders no more than 2 foot wide if you have access from one side, or 4 foot wide if you can reach from all sides.
  • Containers and raised beds can look attractive and are ideal if you want to start gardening on a small scale. A raised bed can be raised just a few inches, or could be at a comfortable height for you to sit or even stand.
  • Ponds can be a delightful garden feature but be aware that maintaining a pond can involve heavy jobs like clearing weed, and open water can be a danger. A small raised pond might be safer and easier to maintain and it will be easier to enjoy sitting down than a ground level pond. Why not look at installing a low maintenance water feature instead of a pond so you can still enjoy the sound and visual interest of flowing water.
  • You’ll feel safer and will be able to get things done faster if all your paths are even, with a surface that gives good grip. A 3 feet wide path is recommended as a minimum. Changes in level are a common hazard in gardens so consider installing ramps.
  • Consider having a table outside for gardening jobs like seed sowing and potting up. A recess in the table will make it easier to reach things. Plan in water butts or stand pipes around the garden to save time and effort when watering.
  • Take time to choose any paving – it should be non-slip and non-glare.
  • Always choose safe power sources for any power tools or mower that you might want to use. All electrical equipment should be fitted with a residual circuit breaker.
  • Plan how you are going to move things around the garden. Twin-wheeled lightweight barrows, barrows to use one-handed, trolleys or flexible buckets are options that can save energy and strain. Choose a composting system that suits you – there are many different models and bins can be positioned at different heights to save bending.
  • Get rid of or avoid plants that cause you problems – rampant growers, plants that take up too much space, plants that are hazardous to you, or that cast too much shade.

Other Links

Royal Horticultural Society RHS ‘Gardening for All’
National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens ‘Conservation through Cultivation.’
Garden Organic National Charity for Organic Gardening.
BBC Gardening

More Spring Shrubs

More Spring Shrubs

Some of the first shrubs to flower, each year, produce the best show

Magnolia 11

Magnolia buds are just bursting on the top picture. This single Camellia has a vibrant colouring but has dropped some buds. The Rhododendron is a shocking pink for this time of year but what showy flowers.

Magnolia

The Magnolia society promotes this astounding flowering shrub.

camellia

Camellia Bud Drop

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Gardening Society as a Christmas Presents

Gardening Society as a Christmas Presents

There are all sorts of presents you can give an avid gardener for Christmas. A concept present may be a small collection of garden ornaments or funny sayings. More seriously garden tokens are always useful.

Another present could be a subscription to the Royal Horticultural Society or a specialist plant or society or charity such as one of the following (other clubs are available):

I hope you aren’t spoilt for choice but if so there is still: