Category Archives: Gardening Tips

The Garden Harvest.

Autumn Harvest

October heralds the garden harvest, when all your hard labours in the fruit and vegetable garden are now realised. It often also produces a glut of produce and once you have exhausted all your family and friends with ‘food parcels’, the next thing to do is get preserving so all this tasty home produce can be enjoyed through the winter months ahead. Here are a few ideas.

Apple Bramley’s Seedling

Apple Bramley’s Seedling: The classic cooker, found in many gardens, needs 2 pollinators, crops November to March. Large fruits with crisp juicy flavour.

Tomato ‘Gardener’ Delight’

Tomato Gardener’s Delight: A well know variety that is an easy to grow cane fruit, with medium sized red salad tomatoes.

Green Tomato and Apple Chutney: A classic chutneys and prefect for glut crop

Recipe: 900g/2lb Cooking apples, peeled, cored and remove all bruised and damaged areas. Rough chopped.

15ml/1tbsp: mustard seed, 900g/2lb, green tomatoes rough chopped.

350gms/ 12oz Onions, skinned and rough chopped. 1Garlic clove, skinned and finely chopped.

225g/8oz Sultans. 350G/12ozs demerara sugar. 25ml/5tsp curry powder. 5ml/1tsp cayenne pepper.

20ml/4tsp salt. 900ml/1 ¼ pints malt vinegar.

Using a large preserving pan. Put the apples in with ½ pint of water and cook till tender.
Add all the other ingredients and stir well until the sugar has dissolved.
Heat gently for about 3 hrs, stirring occasionally, to prevent sticking, until most of the liquid has gone and the chutney is a soft brown colour.
Prepare sterilised jars, warm ready, pot the chutney will still hot, and cover in the usual way with waxed discs (wax surface down).
Label and store. Tip: due to the vinegar in chutney, metal jar lids will go rusty, so use plastic lids or just the cellophane covers.

Blackberry Lochness

Blackberry Loch Ness: Thornless variety which is a reliable cropper. With large berries.

Blackberry cheese: cheeses became very popular in Elizabethan times it is like a very solid jam that can be stored in an open dish and be cut into sliced or squares to be enjoyed on crackers or toast.

Recipe: 900g/2lbs Blackberries, ripe and undamaged. 450G/1b cooking apples, peeled cored and rough chopped. Sugar ( quantity depends on the weight of the fruit puree)

Put all the fruit into a large persevering pan with 1 pint of water and cook for about 30 mins until fruit is tender.
Now spoon the fruit into a large sieve and press through with a wooden spoon. Measure the puree. For every 600ml/1 pint of puree add 350g/12oz of sugar.
Heat gently stirring the sugar until dissolved., bring to the boil cook until the mixture becomes thick and the wooden spoon leaves a clean line when drawn through the mixture.
All need to be sterilized. Either put in jars or shallow dishes and cover in the normal way or the cheese can be put into small moulds, so the cheese can be set and then turned out and served whole.

Redcurrent ‘Red Lake’

Red current Red Lake: Mid -season current with bright red fruit and a heavy cropper.

Raspberry ‘Malling Jewel’

Raspberry Malling Jewel: Main crop, firm good flavoured fruit perfect for freezing and persevering.

Summer fruits in Vodka: There is nothing like experimenting with flavours by adding fruit flavours to your favourite spirits. They also make great Christmas gifts as the fruit will have infused after a few months.

Recipe: 450gs/1lb of mixed soft fruit, red currents, raspberries, loganberries. All stems and leaves removed and any damaged fruit. 17g/6oz caster sugar. Vodka

Thoroughly clean a large glazed stone ware jar, with firm lid and which can fit a saucer inside it.
Toss the fruit in the sugar until completely covered and leave for 2 hrs.
Layer the fruit into the jar, then pour in enough vodka to completely cover the fruit.
Place the saucer on top of the fruit to keep it completely submerged. Now cover with a layer of tight cling film. Add the lid and store in a cool dry place.
Every week or so stir the mixture to make sure the sugar and vodka are fully mixed. Make sure you cover well.
Label and store for at least 1 month before using, the longer you can hold off the better the flavour. The fruits can be eaten with ice cream or cream and the fruit vodka will be like a liqueur.

Damson Farleigh

Damson Farleigh: Also know as the Crittenden Damson, The earliest Damson to crop. No need for a pollinator. Good flavoured black fruit with green juicy flesh.

Damson Jam: This is a beautifully flavoured jam and well worth making as it is not available in shops.

Recipe: 2.3kg/5lbs wash and undamaged and ripe Damsons. 2.7kg/6bls sugar. A knob of butter.

1) Put the fruit in a preserving pan with 900ml/1.1/2 pints of water. simmer until the fruit is soft and pulpy.

2) Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add the butter.

3) Put back on the heat and boil. Using a slot spoon, remove the stones as they come to the surface.

4) Continue to boil until setting point is reached.

5) Remove any scum from surface with slot spoon, pot and cover in the usual way.

Crab Apple John Downie

Crab-Apple John Downie: A large showy crab-apple with upright habit. White blossom and in September large conical yellow flushed red fleshy fruit, full of flavour.

Crab- Apple Jelly: Jellys are beautiful with their clear colour and full flavour. Either used with roast meets, traditionally Lamb or cold meats or as a less sweet treat on scones.

Recipe: 2.5kg/5.1/2 lbs washed undamaged crab-apples all stalks and leaves removed. 6 cloves. Sugar ( depending on quantity of jelly)

1) Rough crop the crab -apples ( do not peel or core!). Put in preserving pan with 1.7L/3 pints of water. Bring to boil. Simmer for about 1.5hrs. Until fruit soft and pulpy. Stir to stop sticking. Add a little more water if needed.

2) Spoon the fruit into a jelly bag. Turn a short stall upside down. Attach the jelly cloth to the 4 legs and leave to drain into a large bowl. ( over night is good.)

3) Once all the liquid has drained through the bag, discard the pulp.

4) Measure the liquid. For every 600L/1 pint of liquid add 450g/1lb of sugar. Return to pan and heat gently.

5) Stir to prevent from sticking and bring to the boil, boil until setting point is reached.

6) Remove any scum and pot and cover in the usual way.

Enjoying Homemade Jam

Top Tip: for all preserving, use ripe ( depending on the recipe) and most importantly undamaged fruit. Good equipment; a jam thermometer is a must. All jars and bottles need to be clean and then sterilized . Make sure all tops and lids are also sterilized. For jams, jellies, chutneys and relishes make sure you have wax discs and cellophane tops and rubber bands. NB the waxed side of the disc is what goes against the jam/chutney surface. A pack of labels with date made and in Chutney case a date it can be eaten ( All chutneys need about 3 months to mellow before eating, so one made in October will be perfect for the cold ham and turkey on boxing day!)

Stored jams, preserves, chutneys and pickles from the garden harvest

I hope I have inspired you to get cracking with preserving your crops or even to get planting some fruit so you can have home made, jams, jellies, fruit spirits and liqueurs and chutneys and relishes on tap. So even in the depths of winter you can still enjoy the abundance of summer.

Enjoy !

The Potager- Ornamental Vegetable and Herb Garden.

A Potager Garden

The Potager garden was originally designed by medieval French monks, but its hay day was in the 16Cth. When no french garden would be complete with out one. A potager is an ornamental vegetable, fruit and herb garden. With symmetrical and geometric patterned flower beds, intersected by narrow paths. The fruit and vegetables are as ornamental as possible but also edible and planted in groups and in decretive patterns.

Here are some varieties to get you started on the design of your potager.

Laurus nobilis as a clipped hedge.

Laurus nobilis- bay, in fact a large evergreen tree. But it can be chipped and trained into many topiary shapes from, cones, squares and lolly-pops. These trimmed trees will add structure to your Potager garden even in the winter months. You can add an extra dimension by training your lolly-pop standards to have twisted trunks. The leaves are used to flavour sauces and meat dishes particularly in Italian cookery. A must to define the axis’s of your design.

Rosmarinus officinallis ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’

Rosmarinus officinallis ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’: although Rosemary has in fact been re-classified as a Salvia, I think it is still best known as Rosmarinus and all nurseries will know what you are asking for. This is a lovely variety of the evergreen shrub with a small compact habit and upright stems, making it perfect as a low hedge to edge the vegetable beds of the Potager. The aromatic leaves are used in both savory and sweet dishes and to scent clothes draws. The flowers are also edible.

Thymus serphyllum ‘Russetings’

Thymus serphllum ‘Russetings’ : A wonderful evergreen low creeping thyme, which will grow in the cracks of the paths or run around under standards like gooseberries and bay trees. With a mass of pretty small purple flowers much loved by insects from mid summer. It has the added advantage of being a mainstay of the culinary herbs being just widely in the recipes of many cuisines.

Apple saturn ‘Stepover’

Apple Saturn ‘Stepover’ : grown on the most dwarfing stock, M27, these apples have been developed to grow low to the ground almost like a horizontal cordon, so you can step over them as the name suggests. A wonderful talking point to edge the main path. This variety is self-fertile, has good disease resistance and is a superb apple, with a strong flavour and a crisp flesh which is very juicy. Pick October and keeps to January. Surely a must for you Potager.

Rainbow chard cut & come again

Rainbow Chard: This is a wonderful vegetable which can be harvested for many months and particularly comes into it’s own in the autumn and winter when it has it’s main cropping season, just cut the stems and remove the tougher leaves but eat both stem and leaf. But it’s ornamental merit is what is attractive for the potager. It has vivid stems in white, cream, pink, red, orange and yellow. A stunning vegetable, that tastes good to.

Cynara scolymus ‘Gros Vert de Leon’-Globe artichoke

Cynara scolymus ‘Grosvert de Lean’: This is a statuesque hardy variety of Globe Artichoke from France. It produces a great sword of sliver grey leaves and a a tall flower pick up to 2m tall. With tight round green buds which are very succulent and have a knock out taste are produced in late summer. If you miss the odd one or two in your harvest then they will open to reveal their beautiful blue thistle like flowers. Insects will love the flowers and birds the seeds.

A potager garden

Top tips: The site for your Potager should be in full sun if possible a little shade from the odd tree over part of it is probably ok. But don’t forget it is all about symmetry so you want the same key plants to mirror in different parts of the garden then having the same light conditions through out will help. Also don’t forget that some flowers are also edible and this can increase the amount of colour in your potager garden. Marigold, Borage, violas and natstershams to name a few.

The mixed planting of a Potager garden

I hope I have inspired you to have a go at creating your own Potager, if you don’t feel confident having a go your self, then I know just the woman who can help you, just give me Emily a ring on 01273 470753.

Don’t forget, in a Potage Garden the edibles are the stars not ornamental flowers.

Spiraea, Philadelphus and Weigela- Late Spring-Early Summer Shrubs

Spring and Summer flowering shrubs

Spiraea, Philadelphus and Weigela, could be considered to be the holy trinity of summer flowering shrubs, these are the back bone and structure to any good large boarder planting scheme. Often summer colour is thought of as roses and herbaceous planting and shrubs get over looked. But they have much to add when in and out of flower and no good planting scheme would be with out these three. Here are some varieties to consider.

Philadelphus Belle Etoile

Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’: ‘mock orange’, it is all about the scent with Philadelphus, and this variety has to be amongst the best. A medium sized shrub with tall upright, arching growth, gives a statuesque feel to the boarder. Mid green leaves and wide open white flowers flushed with a maroon centre. Flowering June to July. Sun part shade.

Pheladelphus Manteau d’ Hermine

Phiadelphus ‘Manteau d’ Hermine’: A compact variety producing a neat mound of low growth with fresh green leaves. Long lasting sweetly scented flowers June into July. Will grow in any reasonable soil with good drainage, they do not like being water logged.

Spiraea Arguta

Spiraea aruguta: ‘ Bridal wreath’, this is a truly spectacular late spring early summer shrub, when in full flower. A mound forming medium sized shrub with long arching branches, it really must be given it’s head and allowed to fully develop its habit, which is graceful and eye stopping, but sadly to often is hacked into submission. Small clusters of white flowers produced in profusion line the branches from April to May. Followed by small mid-green leaves. Sun or a little shade.

Spiraea japonica ‘Candle Light’

Spirea japonica ‘Candle Light’: This is a small compact growing Spiraea ideal for the small garden or flower bed. With a compact dense habit and small bushy soft yellow leaves that mature into a strong yellow. Flat heads of soft pink flowers are produced from July to August. Sun or a little shade. These tough shrubs will put up with a lot of different soil conditions but not water logging.

Weigela florida ‘Foliis Purpureis’

Weigela florida ‘Foliis Purpureis’: A small to medium shrub which is slow growing with a dense compact habit. With grey-purplish leaves which act as a stunning foil for the pink trumpet like flowers produced in clusters from May to June. Grow in full sun although will tolerate a little shade. All good well drained soils.

Weigela florida variegate

Weigela flordia varigata: Medium sized shrub with a dense habit. Leaves have a delicate variegation of creamy white edging to the leaves. Scented pink flowers in June. Best grown in dappled shade, so the variegated leaves do not get scorched.

Spring shrubs can be wonderful in pots and containers

Tips: These three hardy shrubs will grow nearly anywhere. From good rich soil to thin chalk. They like good light levels and a sunny spot, but the yellow leaved and variegated forms of all three shrubs are prone to scorching in very hot sunny potions. Only prune if really needed, to reduce size or remove very old or diseases wood. If you have chosen the right shrub for the space it should not need to be pruned. If you do need to prune, then after flowering is the best time, to allow for regrowth and the development of next years flowers.

All these beautiful shrubs, add a bold splash of colour to the late spring garden.

I hope I have inspired you to take a fresh look at these under used shrubs, with their long flowering season, scent, spectacular flower displays and varied foliage colour. As well as the range of sizes. These shrubs really do deserve to be planted much more widely.

If you need help to revamp a planting area and to redesign a planting scheme, then I know just the woman to help you. Give me Emily a ring on 01273 470753, to discuss all your garden design needs.

Pretty in Pink

A pink flower border

The white garden and even now the hot garden and cool counter part, has been pretty much ‘done’ to death. So if you want to be in the vanguard of a new look, why not hit your dreamy feminine side, get all ‘Barbara Cartland’ and go ‘Pretty in Pink’. Here are a few plants to get you started.

Hebe ‘Great Orme’

Hebe ‘Great Orme’: A wonderful domed evergreen shrub up to 1.2/1.5m in size. With Swirls of long mid-green leaves and large dramatic spikes of bi-coloured flowers from rick pink to soft white. Mid summer. Any good free draining soil. Full sun.

Syringa pubescens Subsp. microphylla ‘Superba’

Syringa pubescens subp. Microphylla ‘Superba: This is a lovely slowish growing compact Lilic. Getting to about 1.5m in height or a little taller. Small rounded mid green leaves. With small clustered mid pink flower clusters which are highly scented in June – July. Good soil full sun.

Rosa ‘Gertude Jekyll’

Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’: This is a vigorous upright rose, produced by David Austin. Up to 2m, also can be used as a short climber for a fence or arch way. Good disease resistance. Eye popping shocking pink cupped flowers with strong scent produced from early summer up to the frosts. Good humus rich soil with good moisture retention. In full sun.

Anemone hupehensis japonica ‘Prinz Heinrich’

Anemone hupehensis japonica ‘Prinz Heinrich’: This is a great end of summer perennial that will just flower and flower. The huge advantage is it is shorter than most Anemones at 70cm and much better behaved, it is less likely to spread. Flowering from July to the first frosts with rich pink open flowers and golden stamens. Full sun or part shade. To even quite dense shade. Most soils.

Bergenia ‘Eroica’

Bergina ‘Eroica’:fabulous low growing ground cover perennial. Evergreen with rounded leathery leaves of mid green that go a superb wine red in the colder months. Flowers held on red stems are a eye shocking magenta with a black central eye. March/April. Good humus rich soil dappled shade.

Salvia hemorosa ‘Rosa Queen’

Salvia nemorosa ‘Rose Queen: Clusters of base leaves in mid green and a mass of mid pink flower spikes produced from May to August, this perennial earns its keep. Height 45cm. Full sun well drained soil.

Pretty in Pink !

I hope I have inspired you to try something a little different, whether you decide on one particular shade of pink or mix it up, don’t forget shades of foliage and even pink new growth. Splashes of white can help to space the colours, you can go as mad or as restrained as your creative juices desire. Good Luck.

Don’t forget,if you want help creating an eye catching pink garden, I would be happy to help, just give me Emily a ring 01273 470753.

Bulbs & Corms for Alpine, Rock gardens and Trough Gardens.

Bulbs in a rock garden.

Miniature flowering bulbs and corms add a splash of colour to the early alpine garden or the rock garden and are a must in trough gardens, here are few to consider.

Chinodoxa forbesii

Chinodoxa forbesii: A beautiful early flowering bulb March/April. With low clumps of flowers which are bright blue and open to show a white central splash. Flowers are held above the clumps of leaves. A bulb that is good for naturalising in the rock garden in Sun or part shade. 10-15cm

Cyclamen alpina

Cyclamen alpinum: These wonderful plants add a shock of colour to the winter garden. Flowering January/February. They have heart-shaped leaves with decorative sliver marbling. The dainty pink flowers are in clusters above the leaves. With a good long flowering period in dappled sun. A must for the winter alpine garden. 5/7cm

Iris donfordiae

Iris donfordiae: This is a lovely low growing Iris at 5/8cm high, perfect for a trough garden, giving very early colour flowering in February. Plant in small clumps to enjoy this elegant rich yellow flower. Full sun

Muscari maxabel

Muscari maxabel: A great addition to the rock garden this low growing muscari will naturalise well forming sweeps of colour. With it’s unusual flowers of sky blue and white edges. Perfect for a sunny spot. Flowering March/April. 10cm

Muscari maxabel

Narcissi bulbocodium ‘Golden Bells’: Small clumps of very fine green leaves, give way to this very delicate small flowered daffodil. Which has a very unusual golden flower with an wide generous trumpet and small tiny outer petals. Full sun, April flowering. 15cm. Lovely in any rock garden.

Scilla bifolia

Scalla bifolia : A wonderful early flowering bulb, not to tall so ideal for trough gardens at 5/10cm. This bulb likes more moisture and dose not like to dry out. But must not be waterlogged. Short wide leaves with star shaped open flowers are produced in March/April.

Groups of different coloured Iris

Top Tips: All of these bulbs require good drainage, they will not cope with water logging, so add grit to planting holes. To really get that alpine look plant in small clumps, surrounded by chippings and rocks, and if possible as close to eye level as possible, so you can appropriate the beauty of the individual flowers of this miniature world.

Iris retiuclata groups of varying colours can make a delicate but powerful impacted.

I hope I have inspired you to get planting, come the Autumn, so you can enjoy these winter and early spring gems.

Winter clean your garden shed

The Shed

Mid winter, particularly that nomens-land between Christmas and New Year is a great time to tackle, possible the most forgotten place in the garden, the shed. Often crammed to over flowing with, broken and discarded tools and cracked plastic pots and some very suppositious looking chemical bottles and boxes which have gone soggy and have labels falling off. This is the time to put aside a day or more and get things ship shape, ready for the growing season ahead.

The lawn mowers and other kit

The first thing to tackle is getting your lawn mowers and strimmers in to be serviced and have the blades sharpened, before Christmas if possible. Hopefully on the last couple of cuts, you managed to use most of the petrol, so it want go ‘stale’ sitting in the lawn mower/strimmer tank over the winter. Next unhook the spark plug for safety and on a dry day tip the mower over and remove all old grass and brush and scrub down also clean the surface of the mower. With strimmers give a general clean and in particular all guards. Ready to take your machines in for servicing.

Next check all seeds, they should be stored in a water proof box some where cool and dry. It is very easy to end up with lots of half packets of seed. Look at the ‘sow by date’ this is a good guide, however of course some can still germinate after this date. If you are not sowing direct into open ground of course you can use the seed and see what happens. If the seeds are for direct sowing, then perhaps use then up on a small area and buy fresh seed in date for a more guaranteed show. Always sow, carrot,parsnip, sweet corn and lettuce for example as fresh seed. Last years half opened seed will give poor results.

washing plant pots

Most sheds seem to be two-thirds full of plastic pots in a variety of shapes and sizes. Get bold and really reduce them down. Decide are they all going to be round or are you going for square, the stacking and sizing will be easier if you keep to the same shape. plastic pots also crack and break over time. So get sorting the sizes out and washing in a mild disinfectant solution, dunking in water afterwards and then leave to dry before stacking in the sizes back in the shed. Sadly plastic plant pots are the real environmental disaster of the horticultural industry, with few nurseries having a returns policy and at the moment as most pots are black, they can not be recycled in local authority recycling systems. However, there is some hope on the horizon, plastic pots in colours that can be recycled are being used, light blue and pink etc. But much better; pots are being produced for the nursery sector using compostable materials like cardboard fibre and coconut fibre etc. so we all have to hope this will become much more wide spread and will become the future

chain saws

If you have completed your winter hedge cutting and have used your chain saw a lot, then now is the time for them to have a full service. Disable the machines so they are safe to clean, with a soft brush, brush all surfaces and the blades and chain, so they are ready for surfacing. It is advisable to have at least one spare chain for the chain saw, so all the chains will need to be sharpened.

Fertilizers and plant food.

So now is the time to sort your way through your garden ‘Medicine Cabinet’ wearing rubber gloves. It is far to easy to keep that box of sequestrated iron over a number of years and then realise with the damp it is now one huge solid lump and falling out of the box. Some old compacted plant food/fertiliser can be broken up and dissolved in water and still used as a liquid feed. Follow all manufactures instructions.

Herbicides and Pesticides.

Then turn your attention to the ‘nasties’ these are the herbicides and pesticides that you have in your shed. Again were protective gloves and long sleeves and possible a face shield. Follow manufactures instructions on safe handling.

Firstly are they all still licensed for use? www.rhs.org.uk/prevention-protection/withdrawn-chemicals. Would be the first place to check, to see if the old bottle at the back of the shelf should still be in residents in your shed. Check all the bottles and containers are in there original packing with their instructions on use and handling attached. Check there are no broken or leaking containers. Check use by dates.

Any chemicals that need to be disposed off, must be in their original packaging. Contact your local authority for advise on where you can take your unwanted chemicals, you can also have a look at the website. www.gardenchemicaldisposal.co.uk

Sort your chemicals safely.

I would suggest having 2 separate high shelves, one for foods/fertilisers and one for chemicals/herbicides and pesticides.

Of course once you started sorting through your garden ‘medicine cabinet’ you might decide you want to go organic and let nature take control.

Clean tools and oil.

Now after a growing season of hard graft, check and clean and care for your hand tools. Do any need new handles? clean all mud and soil from the blades, sharpen spades and hoes, or send them off to be sharpened and oil all tools. Shears and secateurs after a long season will need sharpening, again you can do this yourself with a wet stone, but if you are not comfortable, then many garden centres and nurseries offer this service.

Go through you bags of opened compost, reduced them and roll or tie the top. If you can get them under cover so the rain is not leaching out the nutrients in the compost, that is better, perhaps a spot at the back of the shed. Also now you are not in a flat spin in the growing season, get that muddle of a fruit net out of the shed and fold or roll it and put in a labelled bag, do the same with any garden fleece.

hand tools

So now you can see the back of the shed and you can move about in it, would more selfing help or hooks to get the hand tools off the floor of the shed so there is more room for the mower be a good idea? As the enthusiasm is now high this is the moment to get going on some shed DIY.

Get painting or staining your shed.

Perhaps the shed it’s self could do with some TLC? a fresh coat or couple of stain or paint? re-felting? new door furniture, now is as good a time as any.

I hope I have inspired you to work off some of the Christmas pudding and get cracking on a winter clearance of your shed. One thing is for sure, you will have earned a cup of tea and a big slice of Christmas cake!

Autumn Lawn Maintenance

Hard working lawns

September is the time to give your hard working lawn a little TLC. After a long summer of ware and tare and this year 2022 a draught. There is enough warmth to germinate grass seed and with the early autumn rain, to help repair bold spots and get the lawn in good health ready for the winter.

Cutting lawn edging with edgeing shears.

Cutting lawn edging with edging shears.

1) Edging: Over the summer plants have no doubt spilt out over the lawn, so re-defining the edges is important, be weary of constantly making the beds a little larger as the plants flop forward. This ends up with wobbly edged beds and more weeding. Better to sharpen the edge of the lawn and repair any bold patches where the plants have grown over the summer. For existing edges, just a short trim with lawn edging shears should do the job. To redefine a long edge, mark with pegs and string or use marker spray and a good sharp half moon edging tool, to cut a clean crisp lawn edge.

Scaffing a lawn with a wire rake.

2) Scaffing Lawn: Over the growing season the lawn will have built up thatch and possible mossy areas, on a dry day, get a good strong spring-bok or similar wire rake and rake the lawn hard. Start at one end and edge of the lawn and work your way over the whole lawn. Then for a really good job rake across the lawn over the grain as it were, in the opposite directions. All the material you have removed from the lawn, can go into the compost bin.

Aerating with a garden fork.

3) Aerating the lawn: Aerating compacted areas of a lawn is really important it aids drainage and gets air and moisture down to the organisms that live in your lawn and make it healthily, It might just be the areas that have been the goal or a worn path across the lawn, or the dog run route or it could be the whole lawn. If it is just patches then using a folk will be fine or if it is a very small lawn, for anything a bit bigger if you are doing the whole lawn then I would suggest hiring an aerating machine or getting a lawn maintenance company in to carry out the hard graft. For small patches, starting just beyond the bold compacted area, hold the fork vertical and dig down to a ¼ spits depth about 75/100mm, give the fork a bit of a wiggle not too much and pull out, you need to work your way in lines over the whole area with a gap of about 70mm between each forked area. You can get specialist aerating forks that have hollow tines and remove a plug of soil, but unless you are doing a lot, I would say that it is a bit of kit you can do without.

An airrating machine, being used on a lawn.

An aerating machine, being used on a lawn.

Re-seeding the lawn.

4) Weeds and Seeding: So no doubt your lawn is now possible looking a bit bald after all your efforts of scaffing and aerating. Walk over the lawn with a small hand trowel in hand and dig up any really large and persistent weeds, unless you are happy with a more flowery lawn approach. Dandelions, plantains and the odd nettle. So identify the areas of the lawn that need seeding all those bald patches. With a fixed tine rack, rake them hard to get a thin soil thilth to seed into. Buy some lawn sand, or a lawn sand top soil mix, lightly spread this over the bald patches, to make a thin layer. Now with a watering can with a fine rose, gently water the areas you are going to seed. Now using a good quality grass seed for hard wearing domestic use, follow the quantise recommend on the packet and lightly seed the areas. For larger areas of the lawn where the grass is just looking thin after all your work, rake with a fixed tine rake, then water with a fine rose and the seed direct onto the existing grass. If you can you need to stop animals and people walking across the newly seeded areas, also anything else you can do to try to keep the birds of the seed is good. Water with a fine rose very few days, but making sure you do not displace the grass seed, if it is raining this will not be needed. After about 3 weeks the grass should be germinating well if it has been wet and warm enough. Re-seed where needed.

A beautiful striped lawn.

So don’t delay now is the time to be kind to your lawn, whether a small patch in a court yard that you sun bath on or a family lawn that has had ball games on all year. Or a lawn that has had the dogs running circles on. All can do with a little lawn TLC.

Alpines-Small is Beautiful

Alpine rock garden

Alpines, allow you to enjoy gardening in miniature, whether you are creating a small intermit rockery in a corner of a garden, or a low dish of plants on a table or a traditional rock basin with choice plants in. There is a lot to enjoy and discover about gardening with small Alpines. Here are a few to consider.

Arabis androsace: This is a tiny and perfectly formed alpine perfect for a sink or low saucer planting, reaching 2cm in height. A rosette of tightly packet leaves, with tiny white flowers in March-April.

Dianthus freynii

Dianthus freynii: This delightful alpine pink reaches the dizzying heights of 5cm. Making a pin-cushion of grey leaves, with fat pink flowers held on grey stems in April-May. Looks good in a scree garden.

Geranium sanguineum lancastriense

Geranium sanguineum lancastriense: 7cm tall, with a spreading habit. With small mid-green palmate leaves and pink flowers May-June. Would happily scrabble over small rocks in a rock garden of the right scale.

Lithospermum diffusum ‘Heavenly Blue’

Lithospermum diffsum ‘Heavenly Blue’: Getting a little taller this plant gets to 10cm in height. This is a striking alpine with intense gentian like flowers of a stunning blue, flowering from May to July. It makes an eye-stopping addition to a alpine planting.

Phlox douglasii ‘Eva’

Phlox douglasii ‘Eva’: A good upright habit reaching 10cm tall. With a mass of small open pink flowers with a darker eye. Flowering latter in the season, from July into August. A good addition to the Alpine garden to help to extend the flowering season.

Saxifraga burserian ‘Brookside’: A good completed plant at 5cm tall. With a dense cushion of grey tiny leaves. Tall red flower stems with white star flowers are produced from late April into May.

Alpines planted on a rock wall

Top tip: All the alpines I have chosen are hardy in Southern England. They like full sun and sharp well drained soil, so adding horticultural grit and sand will help. Plant Alpines like they are specimen plants, so you can really see the individual beauty of each plant. Think about the mulch and items round the alpines, the rocks and build of a rock garden with good horizontal stator to give a natural look also think of the scale of the plants and any rocks or mulches used. These should work in harmony with the planting. Even on the small scale of a pot, stones and pebble mulches can be used.

I hope I have inspired you to think again about Alpines, particularly if you have limited gardening space, as a few different pots with groups of alpines, can turn even a small balcony into a variety rich garden.

Enjoy!

More Unusual- Bulbs

Frittillary in a meadow

When you say ‘bulbs’ to most people they think Daffodils, a handful of tulips and a sweep of crocus, but there are many more tempting bulbs to try. Bringing extra and more unusual colour and form to the spring bulb display and lengthening the bulb season into the summer months. Here are some to consider.

Camassia cusickii

Camassia cusickii: This tall bulb makes a sward of tall mid-green leaves, with a central flower spike up to 60/75cm tall. Flowers unfurl from the bottom upwards in session. Flowering in June with good clear blue star shaped flowers. Excellent for semi-shade

Camssia leichtlinii ‘Alba’: A white form, with flowers creamy to white growing to 70/90cm tall. As with all Camassia excellent for naturalising in wild meadows and grassy areas in semi-shade like orchards.

Chionodoxa forbesii

Chionodoxa forbesii: This bulb is often commonly called the ‘ glory of the snow’. It is certainly one of the earliest to appear. Delicate and low growing at 10/15cm, plant in small clumps. Bright sky blue flowers with a white splashed centre. March-April.

Chionodoxa forbesii

Chionodoxa lucilliae ‘Alba’:Pure white large flowers March-April, 10/15cm tall. These bulbs are superb at naturalising in both sun and semi-shade.

Fritillaria meleagris

Fritillaria meleagris:The snakes head fritillary. This delicate bulb is small in statue but is a show stopper, only 20-30cm tall, it’s beautiful nodding heads reach above the grass. The distinctive flowers are bourne from March-April. In shades of white, cream and soft pink. With scale like markings on the petals, hence it’s common name. Grows well in full sun and well drained soil.

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Aurora’

Fritillaria imperialis ‘Aurora’: ‘Crown imperial’ this is the Emporia or fritillaries. A striking plant reaching 60/70cm in height with mid green base leaves a tall strong flower spike with a ring of orange bell like flowers set under the tuft of small leaves above. Flowering March to April

Ipheion rolf fiedler

Ipheion Rolf Fiedler: A hardy bulb from South Africa. Clumps of low mid- green foliage and open star shaped flowers in bright electric blue. This is truly a eye catcher for the early spring. 10/15cm tall. Flowers March- April

Ipheion Alberto Castillo: pure white open clear flowers. 10/15cm tall Flowering March-April. These bulbs like a sunny spot and good drainage, they naturalise well.

A mass of Chionodoxa planted under trees.

I hope I have wetted your appetited to try planting some bulbs that are a little different. Enjoy!

Redefining the Edge

Neatly edged flower borders

Mid-winter is a good time to take a good hard look at your garden. You can clearly see, the structure of the garden and it’s layout. Perhaps the crisp lines of the rectangular beds you set out and the geometric circles and square of planting on the lawn, have lots their crispness. Or has the straight boarder along the house begun to wavier. Have your planting beds become a little woolie about the edges?

Planting flopping over the path edges.

Now is a good time to redefine the edge of planting boarders, taking sprawling planting back in hand. Mature planting boarders can often become much larger than originally designed, the plants mature and flop and move forward, the edging geraniums and other exuberant herbaceous plants freely flow out of the flower bed onto the lawn, you start to cut round them and so year on year, the bed gets bigger and wider and the shape and form of it is lost. Paths can also fall prey to this, a little softness of plants edging the path is one thing. Overflowing planting can easily turn a wide path into a narrow slalom course, which can get almost unpassable, particularly in wet summer weather when the weight of wet planting flops and sags forward even more. It can also be quite a trip hazard.

Over grown path

But there are a number of things you can do to get your planting beds back into shape and this is the time of year to do it. Firstly take a good hard look at the shape and size of your planting, has it grown in size over the years? Have plants spilled to the front to get light leaving bare areas under other shrubs in the middle or the back of the boarder? So this may be the opportunity to not only redefine the existing edge of the boarder, but perhaps to completely reshape the boarder or even to reduce it’s size. So the next stage is to mark out using canes, the shape and size of the boarder, and then use string and pegs to mark the edges.

marking out the edge of a flower bed

Now you need to prune back any planting in the way of the new edge and possible even dig some plants out, perhaps they can transplanted back into new positions with in the same boarder or found a new home somewhere else in the garden or given to gardening friends. Be bold, it is no good putting an edging in that will instantly in the first growing season be swamped by the planting.

Digging up plants along the edge

Next you need to decide what job your edging is doing, to help you decide what type will be suitable. Is the edging to be laid flat and level with the lawn to make lawn care easier, so you can mow over it so it is a mowing strip. Brick or paving slabs work well.

brick mowing strip

Is the edging to help to retain a slightly higher soil level of the flower bed from the lawn level. Then both a metal edging of the right height like ever-edge or a brick edging would work.

Ever-edge edging round lawn

Is the edging to keep taller plants flopping on the edge of paths, perhaps you would like it to be decorative. Traditional rope edging tiles are beautiful, but if you do not have the budget or the time to hunt demolition yards then, there are dyed concrete edging kerbs that may be to your liking. As well as some fancy metal edging.

metal hoop edging

Think about the area of the garden and the style of your garden to choose the right edging, so if it is a cottage garden for an old thatched cottage, then tile edging or bricks on edge will be more suitable.

brick edging

Tiles used as an edging

A woodland garden would be best with old logs or even sleeper edges, which even if they are new would soon weather down, to fit the mood of the woodland planting.

log edging in Woodland planting

If your garden is a dry seaside garden, then, pebbles, and larger stones and even boulders, may be the edging of choice.

Once you have decided on you edging material and there is a huge choice on the market. Give yourself good working room in the planting bed to install your new edging. If you have reduced the size of the boarder then you may need to repair the lawn, with some top soil raked to levels, ready for seeding in the spring. Or you may have been lucky enough to have regained a path, from excess planting.

Well edged flower beds, give the winter garden formal elegance

If you need help to restore an old boarder or a planting area in your garden. Then I would be happy to help and this is the very time of year to carry out the work. Give me Emily a ring 01273 470753. I would be delighted to discuss your garden project with you.

Flowering Bulbs for Christmas

Forcing spring bulbs to flower ‘early’ for Christmas or New Year, can bring scent and flowering magic to your home in the depths of winter. From the blousy Amaryllis to the delicate paper white daffodils to the knock you over scent of Hyacinths. There is much to enjoy. You need to plan early to get your mid-winter display, planting prepared bulbs in September or early October. Here are some to consider.

Hippeastrum Aphrodite

Hippeastrum Aphrodite: A striking form, with hansom double pink and white flowers with delicate red edges, held on tall stems, with several flowers per stem.

Hippeastrum Barbados

Hippeastrum Barbados: This variety has Christmas written all over it. With rich striking red flowers with a central white stripe. Held on sturdy stems and if you are lucky you will get more than one stem per bulbs.

Hyacinthus Delt Blue

Hyacinthus Delft Blue: This is a classic hyacinths, with a delicate pale blue and slightly darker centre, with great scent.

Hyacinthus Pink Pearl

Hyacinthus Pink Pearl: This is a deep pure pink and will add a splash of colour to a house plant mid winter display and good fragrance.

Narcissi paper white Omri:multi-headed delicate flowers on 40/50cm tall stems with a subtle scent.

Narcissi tete-a-tete

Narcissi tete-a-tete: A good strong yellow dwarf form, from 15/20cm tall, ideal for indoor forcing. With multi-heeded small trumpet daffodils.

Groups of forced bulbs make a great Christmas display

Top tips; Always use prepared bulbs. Plant in September, early October at the latest. Use bulb fibre compost, which helps to prevent waterlogging particularly in containers with out drainage holes. Or even no compost at all, bare in mind the bulb has all the nutrients it needs in the bulb it’s self, the compost is merely there to act as an anchoring medium. It is important to choose a container that is the right depth and size for the bulbs you are planting. Also consider the colours of your bulb flowers and the sort of look you want to achieve, whether going for a classic old willow patterned chamber pot or a modern large glass jar filled with colour glass beads for an Amaryllis, or a coloured glass hyacinth jar, all should be considered. Put gravel at the bottom of your container to help with drainage, add the compost, place your bulbs in a group near the centre of the container, but so the bulbs do not touch. Have just the neck of the bulb peaking out of the top of the compost, make sure the compost finished about 30/50mm below the rim, to allow for watering. The compost surface can have a layer of decorative gravel/glass beads or even some moss from your garden (but not from the countryside). Water lightly before adding your mulch layer. Now leave the bulbs in a cool but dark place, like an outside shed or garage. An airy cardboard box can help to block out more light. Check weekly and water lightly so only moist. Once 5cm of shoots are showing, bring the pot of bulbs in doors to an unheated room with good light levels and allow the shoots to ‘green up’. Once there is good green growth, bring the bulbs into a warmer room to push the growth ahead for mid winter flowering. Use colour stems and canes to support taller flower stems.

Get creative with indoor bulb planting

So get planting to enjoy for Christmas!

Quinces and Pears- The Noble Fruit

An orchard of pear trees

While apples are all about quantity and glut, buckets of apples for cider making, huge pies and crumbles and endless chutney etc. Pears seem revered for their singularity and delicate flavour, if there was ever a fruit to be carried on a velvet cushion it would be a beautiful, blushed perfect pear. The Quince on the other hand is an ancient fruit enjoyed and praised for its culinary uses from ancient Prussia to medieval England and although more modern fruits have pushed it to the margins, it still has lots to recommend, not least it produces a tree with a beautiful habit, a rarity in most fruiting trees. Here are some to consider.

Pear Buerre Hardy

P.Buerre Hardy: Pollinator, from group 4. A pear that will cope well with the colder conditions in northern England. A strong grower with good upright habit and good autumn tints. It is dual use. Fruiting in October with large, copper, russeted red fruit, with an excellent flavour. Pick when still hard and allow to ripen in store.

Quince Meech’s Prolific

Q. Meeches’s Prolific: Self-fertile, with a hansom shaped tree, which is slow growing and needs no pruning. With delicate wide single open blossom white blushed pink, it is a beautiful tree. Large pear shaped fruit, October, with a dusty down finish. A regular and heavy cropper.

Pear Concorde

P.Concorde: This well know pear is very reliable and partially self-fertile, although fruiting will be more guaranteed with a pollinator from group 3. This pear produces a good compact tree. Fruiting October/November with dessert fruit, which are born in clusters, Long pale green fruit, ripening blushed yellow. Can be picked ripe from the tree, or equally pick hard and keep in the fridge and ripen one at a time.

Q. varanja (Bereczchi):A very vigorous tree, with all the habit and growth as described above. Named after the Serbian Pomologist called Bereczchi. It produces large very golden fruit, with a good flavour and is a good cropper. Fruit September/October.

Pear Doyenne du Comice

P. Doyenne du Comice: Pollinator from group 4. One of the best know older varieties of fruit, produces a strong growing tree, with vigorous growth. Fruit November/December. Large golden fruit, with slight russeting and a red flush. A delicious flavour, this dessert pear is a good keeper, lasting up to April in store.

Pear William Bon Chetien

P. Williams Bon Chrretien: Pollinator group 3. Must be one of the most widely planted and best known of pears, it will even grow very happily on a north wall as an espalier. This dessert pear fruits in September. With large pale yellow fruit and juicy white flesh with a delicious flavour.

Pear Shinseiki

P.Shinseiki: Asian pears, offer a delightful twist on pear growing. This early variety is self-fertile, producing at the end of August into September, round rust coloured fruit about the size of an apple. With white crisp flesh with an aromatic flavour.

picking pears

All pears do best in a warm sheltered spot. They like a good water retentive soil, they do not like dry conditions. Root Stocks, Pears are grown on either Quince A ( approx 16ft.)

or on Quince C (approx 10 -12ft) root stock. They can be grown as stand alone trees or a cordons or as traditional espalier, up a warm wall and a more modern approach is now fan trained pears up a wall.

Pears and quinces, making it to the table

Storing of Pears and Quinces: Quinces, bruise easily and even if you have picked the perfect fruit and keep it in ideal conditions, they just do not keep. Best to get going with the pies, jams, and fruit cheese straight away. Or peal and quarter dip in cool water with lemon juice, pat dry and weigh, bag and freeze for future use.

Quince jam in the making

Pears on the other hand vary, some it is best to pick when hard and store to ripen. All fruit that is to be stored must be without any blemishes and dry. Store somewhere with out strong odours, so not next to the stack of paint pots and the old tub of creosote in the garage. The store wants to be dry and ventilated if possible and most important of all vermin free, as the mice will love your stored fruit. Then put the fruit on trays lined with tissue paper, so each pear dose not touch. Or if space is an issue then wrap each fruit in a couple of sheets of tissue paper and stack in a box, 1 layer per box is best but 2 layers is the maxim. Keep an eye on your fruit, it is a fine line between a slightly hard pear and a ‘sleepy’ pear. For a small crop, keeping the pears in the bottom draw of the fridge and just bringing a couple out at a time to ripen over a few days in a fruit bowl, also works well. Long term storage of pears is only for ‘keepers’. Others will need to be enjoyed ripened straight from the tree.

Pear pie

I hope I have inspired you to find a spot for the ‘noble fruit’ or enjoy the ancient fruit of the Quince tree. Making sure you choose the right root stock, for your site and situation.