Different Fruit Goji and Honey Berry

February 17, 2012 hortoris

If you are a gardener that likes to try something a bit different then there are two less common fruit that you can consider even in England.

Goji Berry was the health craze of last year and you can grow this ‘Superfruit’ in your own garden from seed or more rapidly from a 2 year old plant. Shrubs grow to 6 feet tall and have trumpet-shaped white or purple flowers in July August. They can be grown in a border and if pruned to 4 feet they create a thick bush with ample fruit. Coming from the Himalayas, once established, they are hardy and can take even poor soil conditions fruiting best in full sun. The berries will set in autumn and ripen to sweet, juicy, red fruit with a shiny in appearance. The flowers will continue to bloom until the first frosts.
Gemeiner Bocksdorn in German Lycium barbarum or the Goji berry is a memeber of the Solanaceae family the fruits of which are often poisonous eg Potato.

Lonicera Caerulea Honey Berry in Flower.

Honey Berry are varieties of edible Lonicera that produce sweet blueberry like fruit that have been eaten for ages in their native Siberia. Fruiting early in the year from June the plants are long lived. For good pollination it is worth planting varieties Lonicera Kamschatika and Lonicera Caerulea together. Not all Lonicera berries are edible so buy your stock from a reputable nursery.

Photo Credits
Honeyberry flowers 3 by Fluffymuppet CC BY-NC 2.0
Duke of Argyll’s Teaplant (Lycium barbarum) by Phil Sellens, CC BY 2.0
Gemeiner Bocksdorn by Gertrud K. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Duke of Argyll’s Teaplant (Lycium barbarum)?

Gardening in the Cyber Age

February 12, 2012 hortoris

Did you learn to garden when digital meant green fingered? When a web was created by spiders to trap unsuspecting green fly and birds flew inter’net that protected fruit crops?
If you answered yes to any of these questions then welcome to ‘the cyber age club’. You are old enough to qualify for one of the Cybermen to help you in your garden, just let us know and we will get Doctor Who to arrange a visit.

Cyber Gardening Knowledge

Apples are not fruit.
Palm pilots do not grow in tropical climates with large frondy leaves.
Tweets are not what you hear from around your bird feeders.
i-pads are not for the protection of blind gardeners.
Spam is not found in a gardeners sandwich lunch.
Microsoft is not a brand of horticultural fleece.
Digg has nothing to do with gardening.

Good News for Cyber Age Gardening

The more things change the more the therapeutic effects of gardening are recognised.
You have access to more pictures and information on plants and gardens via a computer, donggled phone or wifi device.
Best of all there are 1700+ pages on Gardeners Tips that you can peruse when it is too dark and wet to garden

Note
The picture is not a fascinated Gerbera as you might think. It is a digital ‘Avatar’ a graphical representation of the editor or the editor’s alter ego or character used with the Hortoris web pseudonym. (are you still with me or have you gone into the garden?)

Scots Pine – Root and Branch Review

February 2, 2012 hortoris

The Scots pine is Britain’s only native pine tree and is one of Europe’s most widely spread conifers growing from Spain to Scandinavia. The branches are horizontal in older trees whilst the roots may be deep or spreading.

Key Features of the Scots Pine

Latin name – Pinus sylvestris other common names Christmas tree
Height – up to 150 feet over a long life of 250+ years
Type of tree – Evergreen Conifer
Leaves – Long blue-grey needle growing in pairs
Flowers – male yellow in clusters at the base of shoots, female crimson at the end of shoots
Fruit – slim egg shaped cones, green ripening to brown
Bark – A tall tree with narrow trunk covered in orange-red to grey brown plates that are cracked and fissured
Family – Pinaceae

Origins and Distribution of the Scots Pine

Native to UK and Europe.
Grows naturally in Scotland where it is a key species and the national tree of Scotland.

Uses and Attributes of the Scots Pine

The timber is rich in resin and thus resistant to decay.
Pine is used in building and the long straight trunks were used for mast and ships spars.
The plant is rich in vitimin C and the berries and leaves were used to ward off scurvy.
Scots Pine timber is often called ‘Deal’.

Gardeners Tips for the Scots Pine

A long lived species that can thrive on poor soil.
Varieties that are suitable for the garden include ‘Aurea’ a smaller slow grower and ‘Nana’ a dwarf bush Scots Pine.
Scots pine will not reach their optimum size on shallow dry chalky or damp acid soils.
For the rock garden try Pinus sylvestris Beuvronensis or ‘Watereri’ which may eventually out grow the allotted space.

Other types of Scots Pine

There are numerous geographical variants some of which are more bushy than the tall single trunk we are familiar with. There are also several dwarf or pigmy species.

Scots Pine comments from elsewhere

Traditionally used as a Christmas tree it has been usurped by other trees except in the USA where it is still popular.
Roots of the Scots Pine can develop as deep taproots or as a shallow root system. This means it is very adaptable and can thrive in poor dry soils and at higher elevations.
Wildlife Friendly Scots Pine The level branches make good nesting places for birds of prey. The bark fissure host lichen and various wood ants. Birds such as the Siskin, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Crested tit and Crossbill can feed well around a Scots Pine. In Scotland Red Squirrels are particularly fond of the cones and seeds of this Pine

Read about our series on British tree reviews with a bakers dozen fact sheets

Credits
Scots Pine Forest by nz_willowherb CC BY-NC 2.0 “National Grid ref NN 328280 “An extensive southerly remnant of the ancient Caledonian Pinewood which once covered much of northern Scotland and is one of only two remaining ancient pinewoods in the Stirling District.”
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) by anemoneprojectors (2) CC BY-SA 2.0
Scots Pines at the Linn of Dee 4 by spodzone CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Forestry Commission

Tree Leaf Design, Shape and Function

January 25, 2012 hortoris

Leaves are the food factories of trees converting light into food via photosynthesis. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by leaves and converted using chlorophyll and water into carbohydrates or tree food. Oxygen is a bi-product of photosynthesis.
Tree trunks and branches of trees are designed to get the canopy of leaves in a position to receive the optimum amount of light.

Common Leaf Shapes

You Can Tell a Tree By it’s Leaf

Trees are classified by their leaf in that evergreen trees keep their leaves all year around whilst deciduous trees shed their leaves annually usually in autumn.
Various leaves are described by their shape. The names created often have some reference to the shape Ovate leaves bear a resemblance to egg shaped and Lanceloate to a lance or spear.
The bottom half of the leaf where it attaches to the tree twig or branch can also have distinguishing features as shown above.
Leaf colour varies from yellow to coppery red but the majority of leaves are a form of green.

Leaf Texture and Margin

This infographic looks at the edge of the leaf or ‘margin’.
Serrations are known as toothed whilst smooth edges are known as ‘entire’.
Ciliate leaves have hairs, eye lashes or short spines whilst pectinate has spiky edges
Texture can be another distinguishing features when trying to identify a tree from its leaves. Rough, leathery, fine, smooth, hairy, glossy, spiky etc each tree leaf has its own characteristic.
The underside of the leaf may have a different colouring

Other Leaf Issues

The above infographic includes more leaf shapes but shows how leaves are arranged on a stem.
Bipinnate has sets of pinnate leaves opposite each other.
Petiole is the leaves mini stem that attaches a leaf to the node or axil.
Trifoliate has three leaves at the end of a leaf stalk or petiole
The size and shape of the leaf can be affected by the position and age of the tree and where the leaf is growing.
Conifers often have needles which are flat or rounded individual or clustered. Alternatively they may have frondy fern like leaves

Notes
Composted and rotted tree leaves do not have much nutritional value. All the food has been given to the tree.
Composted leaves add humus and improve the texture of your soil.
‘Tree Root and Branch Reviews’ in our category section give some description of individual tree leaves

Credits
The Oxford book of Trees – B E Nicholson & A R Clapham
Hilliers Manual of Trees and Shrubs – H G Hillier
Ultimate Guide to Trees – Jenny Linford
Botany of leaves
Special and Extraordinary Leaves

Mahonia the Attractive Spiky Shrub

January 4, 2012 hortoris

Scented winter blossom attractive to early bees. Dark berries attractive to birds and sharp prickles unattractive to trespassers are just three of the reasons to grow Mahonia.

Flowering early this year this spiky shrub is renown for its winter blossom. On a still winters day the yellow flowers give off a delicate scent.

What You need to know about Mahonia

Growing to around 4 foot these evergreen shrubs give all year around interest.
I grow mine in an acid soil with Rhododendrons but they seem happy in all soils.
The spiky leaves make them a deterrent to intruders when planted in a mixed hedge
There are several varieties so try see your purchase in bloom.
The stems do not have spines but the leaves make up for this.
After flowering there are black berries loved by our local birds.

see Early blossom on shrubs

Names and Named Varieties

Mahonia Japonica and Mahonia aquifolium are species to watchout for.
Mahonia nervosa is a low growing species, Creeping Oregon grape is called Mahonia repens.
The berries give rise to the name ‘Oregon Grape’ for the Mahonia

John Cushnie 1943-2009

January 2, 2012 hortoris

John Cushnie 1943-2009

John Cushnie the landscape gardener, author and radio pundit has died suddenly from a heart attack on 31 December 2009 at the age of 66.

For the last 17 years John was a regular panelist on Gardenersâ€™ Question Time, the Hedge Man on Radio 2â€™s Chris Evans Show, and presented Greenmount Garden for BBC One in Northern Ireland. He always used his quick wit when offering tips and guidance to his audiences. As a feature writer with the Daily Telegraph he has a list of New Years Resolutions in the paper that were printed before news of his untimely death was available.

An experienced landscape gardener, who ran his own business, Mark Damazer controller at the BBC Radio 4 said “John Cushnie was a towering figure on Gardeners’ Question Time,” “His trademark acerbic wit was deployed with terrific timing against a wide variety of plants he did not like – and it was always done with an affectionate twinkle in his eye, with an exuberance of voice and with unrelenting sympathy for fellow gardeners.”

John Cushnie Landscapes web site focuses cleverly on ‘About You’ and has useful information for those considering landscape changes. As a good employer in Northern Ireland we hope the business continues in John’s name.
John Cushnie also wrote for the Belfast News Letter, Gardens Illustrated magazine, Gardeners World magazine, Amateur Gardening, Irelandâ€™s Homes Interiors and Living magazine and several books.

Top 100 Gardeners John Cushnie

Decorative Callicarpa Berries

December 20, 2011 hortoris

Callicarpa Beautiful Berries

The violet-purple beads formed in clusters make these Callicarpa berries look exotic.
Every branch is strung with these bead like berries through autumn and early winter and lasts for a month once cut for indoor decoration.
This deciduousÂ shrubs can grow to 10 feet tall and may be lightly tidied up with a bit of trimming or pruning when the buds begin to swell in spring.
Plant in a sheltered position and avoid any excessive conditions. Put several plants together for good pollination.
The variety Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ is freely available and flowers pink in July and has attractive young and old leaves.
Callicarpa dichotoma is commonly called the Beauty Berry.
The seeds are attractive to birds.

Callicarpa Varieties

Callicarpa bodinieri or Bodinier’s Beautyberry is an ornamental shrub. It is grown in gardens for its decorative purple light-berries.
Callicarpa dichotoma is also called Purple Beautyberry or Early Amethyst.
Callicarpa japonica is related to Verbenas
While the Callicarpa berries are not poisonous to humans they are very bitter. You never see blue fruit (or do you know better?)

Credits
Callicarpa (Beautyberry) at Streissguth Garden in Winter by brewbooks CC BY-SA 2.0

When to Move Shrubs and Small Trees

November 10, 2011 hortoris

A plant in the wrong place is one definition of a weed. All is not lost if this happens to be a favoured shrub or small tree. However it is nearly too late to move your shrubs this year if you want to give them the best chance of survival.

Season By Season Shrub Moving

Autumn from late September until mid November is a good time to move shrubs and trees. The soil is still warm and you can pick a time when the soil has been soaked with Autumn rain. This encourages plants to reestablish themselves more rapidly and give them a good start into growth in Spring.
Avoid transplanting tender or borderline hardy plants as disturbance can damage and rot roots. Frost can also penetrate broken soil more easily.

Winter is considered too cold and wet to move even hardy specimens. From December to February you are likely to mix cold top soil with lower soil and on clay you may exacerbate water logging problems.

Spring from March to May is the prime time for transplants. The temperatures are rising, the sunlight lasts longer and there is still moisture in the soil. Borderline hardy plants can now be moved as the chance of prolonged frost has receeded.

Summer moving risks a shortage of water which can be very harmful to larger plants. If you must move at this time cut back previous seasons growth to reduce the leaf area, reduce wilting and speed up re-establishment. Mulch well and keep watering through to winter. It may be necessary to cover foliage with fleece in hot summer sunshine to cut water loss.

Gardeners Tips on How to Move Shrubs

For special shrubs cut a channel, at least 1 foot from the main stem, all around the root ball during autumn. Leave until spring when it should have grown more fibrous roots to help the transplanting. Then lift with the rootball cutting under the shrub.
Soak the roots the day before you plan to move and have the new hole ready so the roots do not dry out.
Lift a block of soil with the roots as a root ball
Watering the new position is more important than feeding the plant. Add slow release fertilizer if required but avoid encouraging too much soft fleshy new growth
Mix garden soil, compost and water retaining granules with the soil you use to back fill the new hole.
Prune and pinch back new shoots to get a balance between roots and top growth.

Replanting Aftercare

Ensure your planting hole is large enough to accommodate the new plant with space to back fill with good compost or soil.
Tamp the soil down as you replant, water well and mulch around the newly planted shrub
In the first year after replanting keep well watered with copious quantities of water. Provide a through soaking rather than a light spray that may bring roots to the surface.
Provide some support if the new location is windy

Winter Tree Treatment

November 5, 2011 hortoris

Winter treatment of trees and shrubs should be well under way as we reach the middle of Autumn.

Basic Husbandry

Prune established trees and shrubs removing dead or diseased branches. On Apple and Crab Apple trees remove inward growing shoots and badly shaped branches.
Thin out weak shoots from climbing shrubs and hard prune misshapen or neglected plants like Solanum. Vines should be pruned by mid February or they will bleed sap. Cut back straggly Hamamellis lightly after flowering if required.

Water during autumn. Drying winds and lack of rain water can create drought-like conditions. Evergreens, such as hollies and rhododendrons are especially susceptible to dehydration since they lose moisture through the pores in the undersides of their leaves. Kkeep watering your newly planted trees and shrubs right up until the ground freezes

Mulch is a natural treatment for your trees in winter. It is no surprise that woodlands are covered in a thick, natural layer of rotting leaves from Autumn onwards.

Tidy up deciduous hedges with a light trim while you can still see the frame work. Collect any remaining loose leaves for composting.
Stake any trees that have suffered from wind rock during winter. Water young trees if the soil is dry.

Safety Treatment

Protect trunks and the bark of delicate ornamental trees from cracking by wrapping the trunk with strips of sacking. Wind them diagonally around the trunk, and secure the strips with twine. Protect young trees from Rabbits and Deer with chicken wire or a mesh surround.

Chemical treatments for winter coddling moth such as tar oil or proprietary sprays can be applied. Alternatively use grease bands on fruit trees.

Fertilisers are best kept until early spring but I do spread my compost heap and wood ash around trees in winter.

Prepare sites for planting.
Plant bare root roses when there is no frost in the ground, soak them in water for an hour first. Add compost and Blood Fish and Bone fertilizer and Mycorrhizal Fungi to encourage health root growth to a wide hole.
Plant seeds of trees and shrubs but be prepared for long germination periods.
Propagate Clerodendrum and Rhus from root cuttings.
Maintain good drainage and improve soil conditions

Best Garden Photographs and Tips November

October 20, 2011 tejvan

Early November before heavy frost. This Hydrangea bloom still looks very attractive despite flowers fading.

After heavy frost, this pond in Oxford Botanic Garden is frozen over, though this duck doesn’t seem too displeased.

…