2009

UK

2

Table of contents

January ´Perfect start’ blz. 3

February ´Winter colour´ blz. 5

March ´Celebrate spring´ blz. 7

April ´Spring favourites´ blz. 9

May ´Spring blooms´ blz. 11

June ´Pretty flowers´ blz. 13

July ´Summer spectacular´ blz. 15

August ´Sensory plants´ blz. 17

September ´Autumn colour´ blz. 19

October ´New ideas for hedging´ blz. 21

November ´Essential evergreens´ blz. 23

December ´Winter beauties´ blz. 25

3

January

Erica species

New start, new trends

Once the decorations have been packed away for another year, it’s time to get your gardening head on again! Early season planting is a great way of getting everyone in the family into the spirit of the growing year. If you can, get to work outside, otherwise spread some newspapers out on the floor and get ready to plant!

Visit the garden centre for containers, compost and some beautiful plants for potting-up. Children (of all ages!) will love the idea of ‘indoor gardening’ and planting-up containers will be a fun, rewarding activity for them if the weather is against you.

Erica

Erica or heath is the ideal choice of plant for early season gardening. It’s is an evergreen shrub, similar to heather, but unlike heather, many species and varieties of Erica will tolerate alkaline conditions, making it possible to grow them in a far wider variety of garden situations. And if you want to grow them in containers,

you can manage the soil conditions to suit those species that must have acid soil. Check when you buy and get the right plants for your situation.

Sorts of Erica plants

Erica carnea (Alpine heath or Winter heath) is a prime choice for getting maximum benefit right now. Flowers may be purplish, pink or white, and foliage is generally mid to dark green, but can also be yellow, golden or even orange-red. Look out for Erica carnea ‘Ann Sparkes’, with its rose-pink flowers and dark golden foliage or ‘December Red’, with its pink to purplish flowers. The flowers of ‘Springwood White’ are fabulous, as is its bright green foliage.

4

‘Foxhollow’ is a good option - the colder it gets, the more interesting its foliage becomes. In normal winter weather, foliage is yellow with bronze tips, but as temperatures drop it becomes orange-red. Look out also for Erica carnea ‘Aurea’ which flowers from January to May. This one has gold foliage throughout the year, with orange tips in spring. ‘King George’ or ‘Winter beauty as it is also known, is another winner, bearing lilac-pink flowers from January to April.

Evergreen shrubs and conifers

Heaths make excellent partners for dwarf conifers, either in borders or in large containers. Alternatively, grow them with others of their own kind for a delightful display. They’re easy to care for and will give years of enjoyment.

Establishing evergreen shrubs and conifers is also a fantastic way of doing your bit to improve air quality. Evergreens have been proven to be effective at removing particulates

(those horrible pollutants that are linked with a range of diseases and premature death) so that’s another powerful reason to get planting.

Colourful, tough and even potentially beneficial to our health, that’s what plants need to be able to earn their place in the garden at this time of year. The weather can throw anything at us, but we all want to kick-off the New Year with colour and fun. Erica is just right for this.

5

February

Mahonia media and Corylopsis pauciflora

A little magic

Right now there is a little magic occurring in the garden. A small and very special group of shrubs flower in late winter, just as the days are lengthening and spring is approaching. Of course these are a delight, bringing colour and excitement to beds and borders. What comes as an unexpected pleasure is the scent that some of these produce. Especially if situated in sheltered corners of the garden, this scent can accumulate and intensify in the moist, heavy air of winter days.

Mahonia media

Mahonia media is the perfect candidate if flowers and scent are what you want. Also known as Lily of the Valley bush, Mahonia media is the perfect choice for a shaded or partially shaded position. One way to maximise the benefit of this plant is to grow it at the back of borders so that when the plants in front die back, the flowers and foliage of the Mahonia are clear to see.

The fruits of Mahonia

‘Winter sun’ is an appealing idea as well as a beautiful shrub and if the real thing fails to put in much of an appearance, the dense clusters of beautifully scented yellow flowers along the stems of this Mahonia will bring joy to dull days.

The fruits of Mahonia deserve a mention as they are edible either raw or cooked. Some people swear by them as an accompaniment to breakfast cereals such as muesli or porridge, so after all the fun of flowers in winter you can enjoy fruit in spring.

6

Corylopsis pauciflora

If you are on the lookout for cracking shrubs that flower around now, Corylopsis pauciflora is another that delivers the package of tough shrub and early flowers, though they tend to come a little later than the Mahonia. Abundant flowers you can rely on, plenty of winter structure and attractive leaves in the growing season (bright green at maturity, bronze-tinged when young) give this plant real year round appeal.

Maintenance

Both shrubs are tolerant of a range of normally encountered garden soils; they’re trouble free and easy to look after. Mahonia needs a light trim after flowering to maintain shape. Corylopsis benefits from a thin out pruning in late winter to remove untidy shoots. Mahonia media is a much bigger shrub, achieving a height and spread of 5m and 4m respectively in comparison with 1.5m and 2.5m for Corylopsis pauciflora.

Both these shrubs will make a contribution to intercepting harmful particulates in the air that circulates around your house and garden. Placing several of these between your home and a road, for example, will improve the local air quality as well as provide you with a wonderful display of flowers – just another example of the broader benefits that plants bring to our lives.

7

March

Perennials

Country walks in spring

If you really love spring (and who doesn’t?) then why not celebrate it in your own garden? Re-create your own version of those magical little corners that you seek out on country walks in spring. This month’s plants are just the recipe you need to help you do this and bring reliable early flowers to beds and borders.

Primula

Perennial primulas flower in spring and their blooms may be the classic yellow, as well as purple, red, pink or white. They are easy to grow and have a long flowering season. Primula vulgaris is the common primrose, with a single yellow or cream flower per stem. They have been hybridised with introduced species to produce a wonderful variety of flower colours.

For the earliest blooms in spring, look out for Primula vulgaris ‘Alba Plena’ (a pure white primrose) or ‘Lilacina Plena’ which is a beautiful lilac-blue. Primula denticulata, also known as Drumstick primula, bears attractive bell-shaped purple flowers with yellow eyes. In ideal conditions of full sun/partial shade and a moist yet well drained soil with plenty of humus it will reach a height and spread of up to 45cm.

With all primulas, roots need to be kept moist, especially in spring and summer. It’s best to do this by incorporating plenty of organic matter into the soil, applying surface mulch and watering in dry periods.

8

Pulmonaria

Pulmonaria, brings flowers in spring, but interest at other times as a result of their semi-evergreen foliage, which can persist right into winter. Many are vigorous and easy to grow. Pulmonaria officinalis ‘Sissinghurst White’ is one such, and for lovely white flowers and spotted leaves you can’t do better.

Pulmonaria saccharata ‘Blauhimmel’ or ‘Blue Heaven’ produces gorgeous pearly blue flowers. ‘Redstart’ in contrast bears pinkish-red flowers and is great for early colour. Pulmonaria make ideal ground cover plants, love moisture retentive soil and semi-shade.

Corydalis

The final suggestion for celebrating spring is the Corydalis family. For early spring flowers go for Corydalis cava. This bears purple or white flowers and reaches between 10 and 20cm in height. Corydalis diphylla is an exciting, sensuous plant because of its fabulous flowers. They are pale violet, but Corydalis wilsonii have deeper violet or red-violet lips; they’re great in a rock garden, is an evergreen which has eye-catching blue-green leaves and

canary yellow flowers. It’s a great plant to grow in the shade of a wall.

Create a little magic in the garden this spring, but also get out to see it in nature too. The sight of hedge banks and lane-sides covered with primroses and cowslips is a sure sign that spring really is on its way.

9

April

Rhododendron

Exotic beauty of Rhododendron flowers

When you look closely at a Rhododendron flower it really is an amazing piece of work. And not only the detail of the flowers, but the way they sit among the foliage is pure plant perfection. Rhododendrons have been a familiar sight in this country since the middle of the nineteenth century when the Victorian collectors and plant hunters began bringing back specimens predominantly from China, Japan, and the Himalayas. Yet they retain their exotic beauty and still make a big impact wherever you come across them.

Dwarf Rhododendrons

Anyone who has wandered through a spring garden bursting with rhodos in flower must want to enjoy a slice of that glory on their own patch. The good news is – anyone can! At it’s simplest level, dwarf rhodos can be enjoyed in containers on a patio or balcony.

The Yakushimanum (otherwise known as ‘Yak’) hybrids grow slowly and with the right feeding and watering will put on glorious displays of

flowers year after year without ever out-growing their space. Container growing allows all the benefits of being able to get the soil conditions just right and you can relocate your plants as the fancy takes you. Handy if you’re moving house!

Combine larger plants with ferns

If you’ve got more space you can make them a bigger part of the garden. Acid soil is generally a must, although the RHS has been running long-term trials on lime-tolerant varieties and it may be worth asking after INKHARO hybrids (claimed

10

to have a degree of lime tolerance) at your garden centre. Combine larger plants, for example ‘Beauty of Littleworth’ (fabulous white flowers in spring) with ferns, perhaps in the dappled shade of mature trees.

Hostas make great partners too. Try matching the sumptuous Rhododendron ‘Blue Peter’ for example with Hosta fortunei to get maximum value from the lilac flower heads of the rhodo. A worthwhile guideline to keep in mind is that the more floriferous a variety is, the less suitable for naturalistic settings it tends to be.

For this reason, the really showy examples, like Rhododendron ‘Linda’, with its vivid cerise flowers, are best nearer the house. Even ‘Linda’, however can be moderated by planting in combination with cooler flowers, for example bluebells.

Which Rhodo for which garden?

Bigger rhodos have the potential to provide useful screening against eyesores or for protection from a busy road. Hardy hybrid or ‘iron-clad’ evergreen rhodos are perfect for these situations. Rhododendron ‘Cynthia’ is one such and reaches a height and spread of 6m in ideal circumstances and would be effective in this situation. Equally, however there are dwarf alpine varieties that are perfect in rock gardens, for example ‘Dora Amateis’ which bears lovely

white flowers in spring and achieves a maximum height and spread of only 60cm.

These wonderful shrubs bring colour and interest for much of the year but it is in spring that the greatest glories occur. Make your selection for your situation and as long as you give them a helping hand as they become established, they will bring you joy for many years to come.

11

May

Paeonia (peony)

A stylish perennials

This is the time of year to make a splash with big, beautiful flowers. Peony (Paeonia) is a stylish perennial that’s perfect for delivering fabulous blooms where you want them, when you want them. There’s an exciting range of colours to choose from: shades of pink and strong reds predominate, plus there are white and yellow options too, with many shades in between. Flower forms are varied and interesting too with singles, semi-doubles or

doubles in cup-shaped, bowl-shaped or anemone-form on offer.

Peony society

Peony is another of those plants that owes its popularity to the Victorians, but found itself sidelined by the gardening public in the middle years of the twentieth century. Now things have changed and there is even a peony society dedicated to telling us all how special these plants are and what a wonderful range there is from which to make a selection.

Sorts of Paeonias

The flowers really are breath-taking – brightly coloured and beautiful in form, they develop on the tips of stems, sometimes several to a stem. They are a fantastic addition to beds and borders, thriving in deep, fertile soil. Most cultivars are bred from Paeonia lactiflora, a very popular herbaceous species, bearing big, single, white or pale pink blooms. Look out for ‘Bowl of Beauty’, Paeonia ‘Krinkled White’, the pale or rose pink Paeonia ‘Avant Garde’’ or deeper pink Paeonia ‘Globe of light’, the flowers of which are soft pink with creamy white centres.

12

Combinations with Paeonias

Combining with other plants in the border can help to bring out the best of the peony. For example a combination of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Albert Crousse’, Rosa Gertrude Jekyll and Allium aflatunense will allow the colours of each to harmonise and their forms to contrast.

Another interesting combination that challenges expectation is that of Paeonia lactiflora ‘Auguste Dessert’ and the upright yellow-flowered stems of yellow loostrife. For the more conservative, delphiniums or lupins would make a subtler blend!

China's national flower

Peony is widespread in many regions of the world, but probably most treasured in China, where it narrowly missed becoming the national flower in 1994. It wasn’t that another flower was more popular – it just proved impossible to reach a final decision!

A wonderful addition to the garden

The European name derives from mythology when Paeon, the physician to the Gods obtained the plant from the mother of Apollo. Interestingly, in Japan the root of peony has long been

held to have medicinal powers, including the ability to calm convulsions. For us however, peony is simply a wonderful addition to the early summer garden, sometimes fragrant and always visually delightful.

13

June

Weigela species

Delightful shrub

As we head into early summer and June look out for this delightful shrub. Weigela never fails to catch the eye of passers-by, one of those shrubs that you can’t help stopping at to wonder what it is. In late spring and early summer Weigela produces a show of exquisite little bell or funnel-shaped flowers, the colour range goes from ruby red through to pink, there are also yellow and white options. The pinks are the real glory with this plant though, from strong to flushed the colours are striking.

Sorts of Weigelas

If you are interested in buying one of these versatile shrubs, here are some great options to look out for next time you are at your local garden centre. Weigela ‘Eva Rathke’ is a popular favourite with dark green leaves providing a perfect backdrop to lush deep pink flowers and white stamens dotting the centre of the flower.

Weigela florida ‘Foliis Purpureis’ is a stylish option with its pink flowers pale on the inside the bell and dark on the outside. Again ‘Foliis Purpureis’ has mid-green leaves provideing the ideal background to show off its flowers to the best. This plant works well in a shrub border with soft white flowers, perhaps cow parsley, planted in front of the Weigela – this would give a wonderful floating contrast to the pink Weigela bells.

Weigela florida ‘Variegata’ klein offers leaves edged in creamy yellow and soft white just-flushed-with-pink flowers.

14

Why Weigela?

These are stunning shrubs growing from 1.2m up to 2.5m tall and are great for a mixed or shrub border. Weigela are wonderful for that forgotten corner that needs a good strong shrub to fill it but provides lots of colour and interest in early summer before the main summer display of flowers around the garden. Plus Weigela is fantastic for informal hedging.

If you don’t have time or don’t particularly like uber-tidy trimmed hedges then the more natural informal look that plants such as Weigela bring could suit you. Most Weigela grow from between 1.2 to 2.5 metres wide – ample as part of an informal hedge. Not climbable and difficult to get through they are quite intruder-proof.

Maintenance

Weigela are easy to look after – they will do best in any fertile, well-drained soil, they like sun (don’t we all!) or partial shade. To make sure your flowers keep coming back, each year after flowering just cut back to a strong bud on the branches that have flowered.

Having a plant like this doesn’t just encourage you into the garden and help you get some of the all important ‘Vitamin G’ (that’s ‘G’ for green!) to boost your sense of well being and reduce stress. It also brings in much needed garden friends such as bees whose soft summer buzz tell you ‘summer’s here – time to relax!’ Who would have thought a shrub in your garden could bring so much to your life!

15

July

Hibiscus syriacus

Seasonal highlights

If any time in the year is the time for outdoor living, it is now! Eating, playing, working, even sleeping – do them outside now and feel the difference!

This is also a great time to cut costs and your impact on the planet. Dry all you your laundry on the line, eat fresh food like salads, fruit, juices – all things that don’t require non-human energy to prepare. Barbeques are always fun; enjoy them with a clear conscience by cooking over charcoal from sustainably managed sources.

Give the flat screen a rest and enjoy the evening sitting in a deckchair with the birds and flowers for entertainment. Walk or cycle whenever you can – it’s so much more appealing than when the rain is lashing down!

Beautiful July

If we are lucky, July should be the month for even the less dedicated sun worshippers among us to get out and catch some rays. There aren’t many better places to do this than your own garden, patio or balcony. Private, economical and when you fancy something to eat or drink, just pop inside to the fridge. So much better than fighting it out with the holiday-making hordes!

Hibiscus syriacus

If July brings out the human sun worshippers, it is also the time to see and enjoy the plants that are happiest when the rays are beating down on them. Hibiscus syriacus is one such shrub that performs best when the sun is out and the mercury’s rising. If you’ve got a sunny place in your garden with neutral or slightly acidic soil, then Hibiscus syriacus could be just the plant to deliver bags of colour and fun.

16

Well-flowering shrub

Given a bit of heat, this shrub really does flower well, and what flowers they are! ‘Diana’ bears big, white flowers, up to 12cm across. The blooms of ‘Woodbridge’ are a rich pink, with beautiful dark centres up to 10cm in diameter and the flowers of ‘Oiseau Bleu’ are a gorgeous bright blue. Hibiscus syriacus ‘Red Heart’ is another lovely plant that produces flowers with delicate white petals and rich, dark red centres.

A medium to large deciduous shrub, Hibiscus syriacus can reach a height of up to 3m and a width of about 2m. They are perfect for shrub or mixed borders and are great for combining with agapanthus, penstemons and asters. The purple foliage of berberis or smoke bush is also an attractive accompaniment to the various pastel shades of Hibiscus flowers. Once fully established, the larger varieties of Hibiscus can be draped with late flowering climbers which can help to maximise the plant value you can derive from small spaces.

Maintenance

July is when most of them come out to salute the sun, and this performance can carry on into early autumn, but do make sure you keep this shrub well watered through the growing season. Syriacus varieties are mainly frost-hardy, but ask when you buy if the variety you have chosen needs any special attention in cold weather.

Hibiscus syriacus is not a demanding plant to maintain, making it an ideal choice for people with a busy lifestyle, or newcomers to gardening. Tip-prune in late winter and early spring to maintain a healthy framework of branches in the shape that you want.

17

August

Flowering grasses

Seasonal highlights for August

More than at any other time, the garden is a refuge now. As a place to escape from sweaty cars and offices it can’t be bettered and in these recessionary times, leisure destinations that are as economical or rewarding are very hard to find.

This is the time when an old garden, one that you’ve grown with over the years, can be at its most delightful. As sun comes slowly round on hot days you relish the shade of an old tree or wall that you’ve known for many summers. It can also be fun to enjoy the novelty of something new if you’ve recently moved.

Now is not the time for working too hard (in the garden or at the office!). Carry on with your routine tasks and maybe take on a little project if you’re feeling especially energetic, but mostly, sit back and relax!

Flowering grasses, a spectacle in the garden

If you’re looking for a plant with architectural qualities, a hint of the exotic and very low requirements for care, then ornamental grasses could be your answer. Flowering grasses provide a spectacle in the garden that far outweighs their demands for care, or their initial investment.

Many, including Imperata, Pennisetum and Miscanthus are said to be ‘trouble free’ and

they can bring pleasure year after year. They’re also fantastic for softening up hard landscaping, perhaps on a new-build site.

18

Ornamental grasses

The range of ornamental grasses available these days means that you can find something for every situation. In even the smallest garden you should be able to plant specimens of several different species/varieties. The taller species and varieties offer the promise of sensory reward from the movement and sound as breezes sough through the leaves. Shorter grasses are suitable for container planting.

Sorts of flowering grasses

Here is a flavour of the wide variety of shapes and sizes on offer. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ (silver feather) can develop stems as long as 2.5m that remain as an attractive garden feature through winter. The leaves of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Zebrinus’ are shorter (reaching about 1.2m), but the creamy horizontal banding they exhibit can make them appear stippled in sunshine on cloudy days.

Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’, also known as the ‘Red Baron’, is another spectacular grass. It’s a clump-forming plant and the leaves are shorter, at about 40cm, but they turn red from the tips of the stems downwards, almost as far as the base. Penisetum villosum (also known as feathertop) is an example of a wonderful perennial grass that produces soft, feathery heads in late summer and early autumn.

Combinations with ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses combine well with other plants. Autumn flowering plants, for example, asters, helianthus or chrysanthemums make good partners, but foliage plants can also be effective alongside more subtle grasses. For example a side-by-side blend of the foliage of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ and Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ can be a delightful and understated combination.

Maintenance

Most grasses are easy to grow and will thrive in even poorer soils, though they do tend to need a full sun position. Once established they will perform year after year with the minimum of intervention and have low water requirements, making them perfect for drought-prone areas. However, if you want to do your best by them, feed in spring with a general purpose fertiliser. They’re sufficiently sturdy to survive the odd ball being kicked through them, which makes them the ideal choice for a family garden.

19

September

Acers

Archetypal Japanese garden

Imagine the archetypal Japanese garden, characterised by simplicity, refinement and calm. The garden is an idealised representation of nature arranged to create a sense of well-being and to serve as a refuge from the stresses of the world.

An Acer throws gentle shade onto the house, helping to keep it comfortable through the heat of the day and provides delightful colour effects through spring summer and autumn. A decorative bridge crosses running water and bamboo screens provide sympathetic divisions between the different sections of the garden. Don’t you just wish you were there? With the right plants you could achieve a similar feel in many British gardens.

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum)

Perhaps your most important ally in achieving this is the Japanese maple or Acer palmatum. A deciduous tree with a history of cultivation well in excess of 300 years, Japanese maples have been grown in temperate areas outside Japan since the 1800’s. They are well suited to garden conditions because of their compact root systems which are unlikely to undermine paths, structures or compete with other plants.

Many Acers have characteristics that are striking through the different seasons, including intense autumn colour, brightly coloured winter bark and fresh new growth in spring. Their style and compactness makes them ideally suited to courtyard gardens, so much so that Acer palmatum ‘Red Pygmy’ ranks second on Channel 4’s ‘10 plants for courtyard gardens’.

Sorts of Acers

Garden centres offer an exciting selection, with many having dedicated shade houses to show off Acers to their best advantage and protect them from too-strong sun which may

20

scorch leaves. Some Acers will grow into small-medium sized trees at maturity. ‘Osakazuki’ (brilliant red autumn colours), for example, may reach a height and spread of 6m.

‘Bloodgood’ (height and spread up to 5m) is always popular and the dark red-purple leaves take on a fantastic vivid red in autumn. For very finely cut leaves as well as colour, look to ‘Garnet’, ‘Burgundy Lace’ or ‘Dissectum’ (leaves turn gold in autumn). These are also on the bigger side for Acers. For very confined spaces or containers, look out for ‘Red Pygmy’, ‘Corallinum’ or ‘Crimson Queen’.

Maintenance

Acers are adaptable plants, but are unhappy in wet or dry conditions and find very alkaline soils difficult to cope with. Some shade is an advantage for green-leaved or variegated varieties, but red leaves do need sun to develop deep reds to their full.

As we move into September, the next event in the natural calendar is the turning of the leaves, prior to their fall. This selection of Acers, plus many others that can be found at retail outlets, can provide a wonderful reflection of autumn right by your doorstep. Couple this will some Far Eastern flavour and you can create some garden magic to come home to!

21

October

Hedges

Planting a hedge

Planting a hedge is an investment that will bring years of benefit and autumn is one of the best times for planting shrubs and trees. Even though containers offer convenience and the possibility of year-round gardening, autumn is still nature’s time.

The soil conditions tend to be right for establishing new plants and the slowed growth rates of most plants result in them being in

optimum condition for being moved. It’s also a great time for starting a new project, like establishing a hedge. The glories of the summer garden are past now and you can move about without disturbing beautiful displays.

Beneftis of hedges

Hedges offer all the benefits of hard boundaries, with a few more thrown in for good measure. Not only do they demarcate your property and provide privacy, choose the right plants and they will become prickly, intruder-proof barriers that might even result in a reduced home insurance premium!

Added to this, an established hedge is a better windbreak than a solid fence as it filters and slows wind (fences can cause turbulence and even accelerate wind). Hedges also intercept dust, litter and the microscopic particulates in the air that you can’t see, but which can cause a range of respiratory illnesses.

Berberis thunbergii and Ilex aquifolium (holly)

Our new ideas for hedging this autumn include using Berberis thunbergii and Ilex aquifolium (holly) to create beautiful, interesting and effective boundaries. Both offer the prickly

22

benefits that intruders hate and insurers love. Both provide flowers in spring/summer and are berry-bearing, which offers additional visual interest.

The berberis is deciduous, and will respond well to pruning into tidy shapes, if that’s the kind of hedge you want. The leaves of Berberis thunbergii come in a range of colours from bronze, red-purple, to yellow, depending on variety. It will do well in almost any situation or soil and its dense habit and compact growth (it will only reach a little over 1m in height) make it ideal for hedging.

Ilex aquifolium

Ilex aquifolium is evergreen, which brings the benefits of year-round foliage. It’s very hardy and great for winter interest. Holly grows well in coastal situations, areas with atmospheric pollution and in deep shade. Again, it’s perfect for growing into a hedge of up to approximately 1.5m and can be cut back hard when needed as new growth comes from old wood.

It’s easy and fun to establish a new hedge and the rewards come quickly. Many retailers now sell ‘hedging packs’ where you’ll make a saving per plant from the multiple purchase. Buy sufficient to put a plant every 40–60cm (depending on species/variety and size when planting) along the line of the hedge. Mark out the desired line of the hedge and cultivate the soil, improving it with organic matter as you do

so. Water-in new plants as necessary (and protect from rabbits). What are you waiting for?

23

November

Juniperus

Why essential?

Have you ever stopped to consider what evergreens like Juniperus deliver? Here are some reasons why no one should overlook this fantastic category of shrubs and trees.

Every garden needs structure, year round. Some plants deliver their goods in a rush – blossom on fruit trees, flowers on climbers or big blooms on rhodos – but evergreens are constant. They quietly deliver the goods, no matter the season. It is this dependability that makes them a key building block in the design process, they really are a reference point with which to co-ordinate all other elements.

Evergreens offer instant impact – they will deliver from day one. On air quality too, evergreens are strongly beneficial. They capture harmful particulates that adhere to the needles and eventually fall to the ground. They may then be washed away down drains and sewers or come into contact with soil where micro-organisms can detoxify particulates.

Possibilities with Junipers

Of the evergreens, Juniperus is an outstanding genus. With a range of between 50 and 60 species that includes prostrate shrubs to tall trees, there is a juniper for every situation, in rock gardens, borders, and as specimen plants. Juniperus squamata is popular in gardens because it can be either a prostrate shrub, a spreading bush or a small upright tree (depending on variety). Many of these have

gorgeous ‘glaucus’ or blue-grey foliage that adds a further interesting dimension.

24

Look out for ‘Blue Star’, a compact bush that tends to reach maximum dimensions of 40cm in height and 1m in width. ‘Holger’ has wonderful foliage effects, the new growth being sulphur yellow which contrasts with the steel-blue of the older leaves. Height and spread of approximately 2m. ‘Meyeri’ is different again, a larger shrub with arching branches and glaucus foliage, it reaches a height of between 4 and 10 metres and a width of up to 8m.

Sorts of Junipers

The common juniper (Juniper communis) presents some flexible choices, for example ‘Compressa’, which reaches a maximum height of 80cm and is ideal for growing in a trough or pot. ‘Hibernica’ is similar, in that it is another columnar shaped shrub, but bigger and faster growing than ‘Compressa’ reaching a maximum height of 3-5m. ‘Grey Owl’ is a low, spreading cultivar of Juniperus virginiana that is superb as a ground cover plant and will serve as a wonderful contrast with the seasonal colours of, for example, Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Flame’.

Junipers combine well with other small conifers, heaths and heathers in a range of garden design styles. Low-growing shrubs like ‘Grey Owl’ can even form the support for climbers such as perennial peas or delicate clematis.

Junipers are tolerant of many conditions and will thrive in quite hostile situations, such as hot, sunny sites or cold wet ones. Good drainage is certainly a help. Very little pruning, if any is required.

25

December

Salix (willow), Cornus (dogwood) and Acer (maple)

Winter gardening

Winter gardening used to be something of a contradiction in terms. Many people simply used to ‘put the garden to bed’ during the colder months, tidy things up at the end of autumn and wait for spring with a mug of a hot chocolate and a seed catalogue for company. Now this has all changed and planning the garden for winter beauty and enjoyment is a priority for many. It’s easy to see why.

Just look at some of the benefits that a beautiful winter garden can deliver:

the feel-good effect of looking out on attractive plants the chance to get out among them on those wonderful bright, crisp days, so good for

the soul shelter, shade and habitat (both for humans and our wild cousins the birds, insects

and mammals that bring the glories of nature right to our doorsteps)

Salix, Cornus and Acer

The palette of plants available now with which to create beauty in winter is very exciting. Three tree species that can bring immense value are Salix (willow), Cornus (dogwood) and Acer (maple). All drop their leaves in autumn and, depending on species and variety, may put on a great colour display as they do so. Come winter proper they are stripped to their bones and that is when some of their most appealing features are on display.

Acer griseum

Take, for example, the amazing peeling, orange-brown bark of Acer griseum, the paper bark maple). Tactile, fascinating, lovely to look at, the bark is a decorative feature that brings a wild yet stylish feel to the winter

26

garden. This maple is a slow growing tree that can reach up to 10m in height, so does need space to grow. As it gets bigger it will provide dappled shade in summer, helping to keep home and garden cool. In winter, when the branches are bare, it will let any sun there is through to warm where you live.

Willow and dogwood

Two species that are justifiably well known for their fabulously coloured stems are willow and dogwood. Salix alba (White willow) is a fast growing tree that if allowed to develop unchecked will reach a large size. However, some species, if pruned regularly (say every one to three years) will produce wonderful bright shoots that will bring a visual feast to the winter garden. Salix alba vitellina (Golden willow) is just wonderful.

‘Brizensis’ produces yellow to orange-red shoots following hard pruning and ‘Chermesina’ develops carmine-red shoots. The dogwoods Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ and ‘Kesselringii’ are well known for delivering eye-catching winter shoots too, bright red in the case of ‘Sibirica’ and blackish-purple for ‘Kesselringii’.

Bring enjoyment to your life

Planting garden trees like these will bring great enjoyment to your life, from the steady journey to maturity of the maple to the regular injections of colour and fun from the willow and dogwood. And trees of all kinds are also proven to improve our own living environments, as well as helping to absorb carbon as they grow.