Cotswolds Country Gardener July 2025

Cotswolds Issue No 217 JULY 2025 FREE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

It’s time to love your

TOMATOES High summer gardens to visit Figs - nature’s wonder fruits Taming the bamboo beast

PLUS:

M40 LEAMINGTON SPA A425 STRATFORD UPON AVON

DAVENTRY

SOUTHAM A423

A422 BANBURY M40 J11

A361

Farnborough Garden Centre B4100 M40

CHIPPING NORTON

BICESTER

Growing ginger Profiling Rosemary Verey Good and bad fungi

Hang up the herbs to dry Gardening news and stories from throughout the Cotswolds

Inspired Living AT THE GARDEN LOVERS GARDEN CENTRE A traditional garden centre that focusses on providing quality plants, garden products & giftware Open Six Days a Week: Tues-Sat: 9am - 5.30pm Sun: 10.30am - 4.30pm

On A423 Southam Rd, Nr. Farnborough, Banbury OX17 1EL

Also open Bank Holiday Mondays WATER FEATURES * PLANTED CONTAINERS * POND PLANTS

Tel: 01295 690479 www.farnboroughgardencentre.co.uk

Gardeners cuttings

in the Cotswolds

CUTTINGS

A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR AREA

LASBOROUGH PARK OPENS FOR THE NGS The historic gardens at Lasborough Park, Lasborough, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8UF opens for the National Garden Scheme on Wednesday 30th July from 10am until 4pm.

Lasborough Park was built to designs

by James Wyatt around 1800 and is a very picturesque, Historic gardens at Lasborough gardens in Tetbury castellated house overlooking a beautiful, steep-sided limestone valley. The extent of the garden has remained more or less unchanged since the 1840s but had been replanned by the present owners over the last eight years. The piece de resistance is the walled garden, planned around a large glasshouse which has been built on the site of a previous structure shown on mid-19th century plans. The planting throughout the garden reflects the fruits of a long collaboration between the owner and garden designed Tom Stuart-Smith. There are glorious roses, and there is also a long border dominated by groups of Cornus kousa and a castellated garden folly with seating on a slope above the walled garden from where there is an impressive panoramic view over the garden and landscape.

Pre-booking is essential. Go to the NGS website at ww.ngs.org.uk and follow the links. Admission is £17.50 which includes homemade teas (children enter free).

A limited number of tickets have been made available for two guided tours by the head gardener, Brian Corr, former Head of Gardens to the King’s Foundation.

Each tour will take approx two hours and will start at 10am and 2pm.

Find more gardens opening for charity on page 26

HM PRISON LEYHILL OPENS FOR THE NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME IN JULY Prison gardens at Leyhill

HM Prison Leyhill’s garden is becoming a star garden in Gloucestershire, and on Sunday 26th July the prison garden is

RARE PLANT FAIR AT MANOR HOUSE GARDENS, BLEDLOW Rare Plant Fairs continue in July with an event at the fabulous Manor House Gardens, Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, on Sunday, 20th July.

Bledlow Manor House has been owned Rare Plant Fairs visits Bedlow by the Carrington family since the 18th century. The garden came into existence in 1967 as the brainchild of the 6th Lord and Lady Carrington who commissioned the landscape architect, Robert Adams to create the garden.

The present garden covers about 12 acres, and utilises a mixture of different terrain and styles, ranging from a Japanese style water garden on converted old cress beds, a walled kitchen garden, to a sculpture garden with number of contemporary sculptures. The gardens were selected as the Judges’ Choice for the Historic Houses Association Garden of The Year Award 2023.

The fair runs from 11am to 4pm, with 15 exhibitors. Adult entry is £8, which includes access to the fair and gardens.

There is a great selection of specialist nurseries attending the Fair, all of whom are experts in the plants that they grow. Visit www.rareplantfair.co.uk for full details including a complete list of the exhibitors attending.

Manor House Gardens, Bledlow, Buckinghamshire HP27 9PA

HOMEOWNERS STAY PUT AND INVEST IN GARDENS New research in the Cotswolds has found a record number of homeowners want to ‘improve, not move’ with investment in gardens now a top priority.

One in five homeowners said they would like to move as affordability pressures reshape the home and garden market this year.

Landscaping gardens, creating outdoor eating and patio areas and investing in vegetable gardening come out on top of plans for those forced to stay.

Thousands are putting plans to move on hold and are instead investing in their current homes - a promising sign for the home improvement industry.

Over half of people intending to make home improvements over the next 12 months, with the most popular plans including gardening, installing a new bathroom, creating an outdoor dining and entertaining area, and installing a new kitchen.

Unhooked Communications for the Homes Unhooked 2025-2026 report, found that the motivations behind investments are evolving. Practical concerns like making better use of existing space increased in homes is a key factor.

NEW £1M TREES FUND NOW OPEN

opening for the National Garden Scheme.

Visitors will be taken on a guided group tour of the gardens at Leyhill, WottonUnder-Edge, Gloucestershire, GL12 8BT which will open between 10am and 4pm. Extensive perennial borders and annual beds lead to an alpine rockery.

Meandering via an incline path there are further annual beds, a memorial bed, established trees, and extensive lawns. There is a large commercial horticulture section growing salad crops, fruits and vegetables together with a plant nursery.

There is a small conservation area with a bug hotel, a pond with waterfall and a tropical area. An important focus is to provide a stress-free natural environment that promotes physical and mental health and wellbeing of individuals.

Pre-booking is essential. Please note that identity documentation will be required and the prison will contact you prior to your visit. www.ngs.org.uk Admission £8. There’s partial wheelchair access.

Grants to support the establishment of thousands of trees, orchards and hedgerows on streets, in parks, and in community and educational spaces, are now available through The Tree Council – including the introduction of a new £1m grant pot, funded by Defra.

The Tree Council, the national charity working together for the love of trees, offers a range of funding and free tree options to support planting projects; helping to bring greater biodiversity, improved air quality, reduced risk of flooding, and deliver significant environmental enhancement to grant recipients and their communities.

And now, a new fund is available is available for organisations throughout Somerset , offering grants of up to £40,000 for local authorities and charities to grow trees on land that is publicly accessible, or of benefit to the public.

Successful applicants must use biosecure stock and all projects must be completed by March 2026.

Successful applicants must show clear community benefit and involvement, and the planting must take place on publicly accessible land. www.tracking.treecouncil.org.uk

Then came July like three o’clock in the afternoon garden, hot and listless and miserable ALLIE RAE www.countrygardener.co.uk

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability SAM KEEN 3

OPEN GARDEN AT DOWN AMPNEY HOUSE

Cottage garden plants, shrubs & trees Plant, lawn & garden care products Specialist composts & decorative gravels Plastic pots, terracotta & glazed pots Specialist wild bird care range

Down Ampney, Cirencester GL7 5QW

In aid of All Saints’ Church Path Appeal THE WEEKENDS of 5th/6th and 12th/13th July - 10am to 4pm

Adult £7, Child under 14 free Stroll round the garden, have a cup of tea and a piece of cake.

SPECIAL 'TWILIGHT' EVENING 6pm to 8pm on 6th July For a guided tour to include wine and cheese – £15 per person

BEAUTIFUL HOME-GROWN BEDDING PLANTS, HANGING BASKETS AND PLANTED CONTAINERS.

Grange Farm NURSERY

If you would like to advertise your business or service in our magazines, please contact

amongst the beautiful wildflowers, browse our garden centre and gift shop and enjoy delicious food whilst soaking up the sun from the deck of our café. A perfect day out for all the family – including the dog!

Guarlford Malvern WR13 6NT 01684 562544

grangefmnursery@btconnect.com

A specialist plant centre situated in an array of farm buildings, with an abundance of beautiful plants to create your own unique garden.

Circulating 100,000 copies which are distributed to over 500 outlets

Enjoy magical summer walks...

1 mile from Prescott Hill Climb.

Open Mon-Sat: 9am-5pm Sun: 10am-4pm

Specialist Plant Centre

Reach a passionate and affluent audience of gardening enthusiasts

corina@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01823 410098

Gretton Road, Gotherington, Cheltenham GL52 9QY 01242 676722 www.gotheringtonnurseries.co.uk

• • • • • •

Shrubs Herbaceous plants Vegetable plants Climbers Herbs Trees

Opening times: Monday – Saturday 9am - 5:30pm Winter 9am - 5pm

Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden The Michaelmas Daisy Specialists since 1906

Specialist nursery and beautiful 1.5 acre garden just waiting to be explored ORDER ONLINE or catalogue available by request.

www.batsarb.co.uk BATSFORD ARBORETUM AND GARDEN CENTRE Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 9AT. Tel: 01386 701441 E: arboretum@batsfordfoundation.co.uk BatsfordArboretum

@BatsfordA

Open Wednesday to Saturday 11am - 5pm Succulent success: Join us on 11th or 12th July for an afternoon learning about some of the most popular tender succulents and how to look after them.

Finishing up with creating your own ‘Pixie Garden’ of succulents to take home with you. Tea and cake included. Price £20pp. Booking essential.

Also open 9TH JULY and 14TH AUGUST for the National Garden Scheme

Tel: 01684 540416 www.oldcourtnurseries.co.uk Old Court Nurseries, Walwyn Road, Colwall WR13 6QE

4

Country Gardener

CUTTINGS

OPEN GARDEN AT DOWN AMPNEY HOUSE

New gardening experiences at Blenheim Palace

BLENHEIM PALACE GARDENS WITH A HOST OF NEW EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES Visitors to Blenheim Palace this summer can immerse themselves in a new range of activities which bring even more life to the stunning formal Cotswolds gardens.

Alongside the transformation of the gardens, led by head gardener Andy Mills, visitors can now enjoy walking tours, painting demonstrations and a striking exhibition.

Visitors can enjoy free daily and weekly walking tours of the gardens, all included in their ticket admission. Every day at 11am, there is the chance to explore key features of the gardens, learning about 300 years of history.

Blenheim Walled Garden Walking Tour. At 2pm daily,visitors can join an entertaining and thought-inspiring walking tour with several stops around the formal gardens and walled garden area, accompanied by one of the Palace’s guides.

Introduction to the gardens. Every Wednesday at 11am,you can join Andy Mills, or one of his team, for a 30-minute introduction to the gardens talk on the Lower Water Terraces.

Woodstock watercolour artist Rod Craig will be giving monthly painting demonstrations in the gardens throughout the summer months - on Tuesday 8th July and Tuesday 5th August.

The Walled Garden boasts not only a new extension to its Kitchen Garden, but until 14th September it hosts A Conference of Birds, a stunning new exhibition from acclaimed sculptor Bridget McCrum.

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock OX20 1PS

The grounds and gardens at Down Ampney House have evolved and flourished for many centuries to reflect garden design of that era as well as the preferences of each owner. The new custodians of this Grade I listed house, working with skilled gardeners, have a vision to revitalise the gardens, the work of which is well underway.

The Victorian walled garden is situated to the left of the drive and borders the church graveyard. It is filled with hundreds of colourful, scented shrubs, climbers and flowers. The swimming pool and pool house sit neatly at one end. The numerous flower beds and borders are filled with traditional country house flowers, roses and herbs. The early 19th century potting shed has been recently restored and Down Ampney House gardens the greenhouse tidied ready to store frost-tender plants in winter. All Saints’ Church spire looks most picturesque when it’s framed by pastel-coloured foxgloves and roses in early summer. Of particular interest is the competition-quality croquet lawn; the woodland, which is currently being planted out with bluebells, ferns and rhododendrons; the reflection pool; tennis court; and numerous rare trees.

The gardens at Down Ampney House were last opened in 2006 but will be open from 10am to 4pm on the weekends of 5th and 6th and 12th and 13th of July, plus a special ‘twilight’ evening on the 6th from 6pm to 8pm for a guided tour of the gardens including wine and cheese.

Down Ampney House, Down Ampney, Cirencester GL7 5QW

BUTTERFLY COUNT CRITICAL THIS YEAR Butterflies were once a quintessential part of the English countryside, a regular sighting throughout the Cotswolds. But latest figures show some of the UK’s most iconic species are in real danger of disappearing.

Last year was one of the worst years on record for butterflies and data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme showed more than half of species are in longterm decline for the first time since records began.

In September last year wildlife charity Butterfly Last year was one of the worst Conservation declared a UK-wide Butterfly Emergency on record for butterflies following the worst ever results of its annual Big Butterfly Count. This alarming downward trend makes taking part in this year’s Big Butterfly Count more important than ever.

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is free, simple, and only takes 15 minutes to complete, but the data collected plays a vital role in guiding efforts to protect UK butterfly populations. If you catch the bug and want to take part multiple times, why not try different locations?

The Big Butterfly Count 2025 reopens on the 1st of July ready for the main event between the 18th of July and 10th of August.

To join in, download the free Big Butterfly Count app or visit the website. www.bigbutterflycount.org

WESTONBIRT PREPARES FOR A BUSY SUMMER

NGS OPEN DAY RETURN TO BRISTOL BOTANIC GARDENS The National Garden Scheme open day returns to the Bristol Botanic Gardens at Stoke Park Road, Stoke Bishop, Bristol, Avon, BS9 1JG on Sunday 6th July from 10am to 5pm where visitors can see the garden in all its summer glory.

The new Guangzhou Garden, winner of a Chelsea gold medal and the coveted ‘Best in Show’ in 2021, is now rebuilt and open. There will be garden tours at 11.30am and 2.30pm, and refreshments will be available. Admission £9, children free. Friends of the Garden enter free, but a small donation to the NGS, helping to raise much needed funds for nursing charities, would be welcome.

The AUGUST issue of Country Gardener will be available from Saturday 2nd August Find your nearest stockist www.countrygardener.co.uk/magazine/stockists www.countrygardener.co.uk

Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, is hosting a packed calendar of events throughout the summer. Organised by Forestry England, the summer programme includes themed trails, hands-on workshops, volunteering days, and open-air cinema evenings.

Older children can take part in the ‘Arboretum Apprentice’ programme on 12th, 13th, and 14th August, a hands-on experience designed for 11 to 14-year-olds.

Participants will explore careers in environmental management and learn about the relationship between people and trees. For those interested in history, the ‘Roots of the Past – Uncovering Westonbirt’s Heritage’ event on Saturday, 19th July, offers a chance to explore the arboretum’s archives and discover its fascinating history. Families looking to get involved in conservation can join the Community Woodland Public Volunteering Day on Saturday 12th July, helping to replant trees in areas affected by ash dieback.

Westonbirt Arboretum,Tetbury GL8 8QS 5

Fabulous figs!

Sweet, succulent figs may sound like exotic treats for warmer climes, but if you choose the right variety, you can enjoy home-grown figs in a mild, sunny site. about one cm deep. Water the soil to moisten it, but don’t overwater or your seeds could rot.

Cover the pot with a plastic bag or plastic bottle with the bottom cut off, then place your pot in a sunny, warm spot .Seedlings should start to appear in a few weeks to a few months. When this happens, you can take off the plastic cover.When your plants are large enough, you can pot them on into bigger containers. Keep growing them indoors until they’re about 30cm tall and have a few pairs of leaves, then plant them in their final position in a large pot or in the ground.

Three to grow

Who’d have thought that figs would be one of the easiest fruits to grow?

They’re undemanding, hardy and productive, and as they grow best in pots, a fig is the ideal patio tree.

When they’re this good and this straightforward to grow, what could be better than growing your own figs?

Where to plant Fig trees grow best and produce more fruit when their roots are restricted. This means that the ideal way to grow them is in large pots. Position them against a sunny south or east facing wall in a warm, sheltered area. If you’d rather grow your fig tree in the ground, you will need to bury rubble or paving slabs around the tree to get the same effect. The tree will also be happy in a conservatory or greenhouse if it gets plenty of light and warmth. A position in full sun is best, although most varieties will cope with a little light shade in the afternoon.

The best soil is loamy, well-draining and fertile - this describes most ordinary garden soils, but if yours is on the heavy or sandy side, you can enrich it by digging in plenty of compost.

New fig trees may need to be watered more frequently until the root system is established (in roughly a year), but after that they are drought tolerant and will only need watering in hot, dry weather.

Feed your fig trees weekly with tomato food or generalpurpose fertiliser once the fruits start to appear. Your trees will also benefit from an annual mulch of manure or well-rotted compost to discourage weeds and add nutrients to the soil.

Protecting your fruit In really cold weather, fig trees need protecting - this is particularly important for young trees. Cover the branches with horticultural fleece or bubble wrap or if your tree is in a pot, move it indoors to a shed or greenhouse. Move it back outside in spring and give your tree a good mulch to stimulate new growth.

Pruning fig trees To keep your fig trees tidy, well-shaped and producing fruit, aim to prune them twice a year, removing dead or weak branches in winter and trimming them lightly into shape in the summer. You may not have to do all this every year, but a pruning session is a good opportunity to check your tree’s progress and detect any problems early on. You should avoid pruning fig trees in spring as they can bleed sap, weakening the tree.

Harvesting figs A container grown or bare root fig tree will start to produce fruit after just a year, and you should see a decent sized harvest the year after. Once it’s established, a fig tree is 6

capable of producing up to fifty fruits per season!

Figs are ready to harvest when they’re soft, the neck of the fruit starts to wilt and the fruits hang down. This is typically between late summer and towards autumn.

Because ripe figs are quite delicate and bruise easily, you should always pick them carefully and handle them as little as possible. Wait until they’re fully ripe, as they won’t ripen any further once picked. To pick your figs, gently pull or cut the fruit from the stem, leaving some of the stem attached if you can, as this makes them last longer.

Brown Turkey - best for beginners Brown Turkey grows well - it’s resistant to most pests and diseases and it crops better than any fig in the UK. It’s compact - you can grow it in a pot or train it up a wall - and has the reputation of the best taste of any fig.

Brunswick Fig - best for cold areas This is a great choice for colder parts of the country or even garden, as they’re hardy down to at least -5°C. They’re naturally small, ideal for container growing and in a hot summer, they’ll produce two crops per year.

‘Little Miss Figgy’ - best for smaller spaces This pocket sized fig tree grows to just 1.2m x 1.2m, making it a great choice for patio pots and smaller spaces including balconies and conservatories. The fruit crop isn’t small however - you’ll still get loads of sweet and delicious figs.

Q&A ON GROWING FIGS

GROWING FIG TREES IN POTS If you chose to grow your tree in a pot, choose a large, deep one at least 30cm deep and wide.

Put a layer of broken crockery or gravel in the bottom of the pot and add compost to fill a third to a half of the pot. Take your fig tree out of its nursery pot or ecowrap and loosen the roots if needed. Fill in the pot with compost and firm down.

Trees in pots will need more regular watering and feeding than those in the ground and will benefit from a fresh layer of mulch at the top of the pot every year. Aim to re-pot your tree every two years into a larger container. Signs that your tree is outgrowing its pot include: • Soil drying out quicker than it used to.

• Roots poking out through the drainage holes.

• The tree looks miserable - the leaves may be yellowing or the crop not as good as it used to be.

Choose a pot at least 25per-cent larger than the previous one and use fresh compost every time.

Growing a fig tree from seed It can take seed grown figs many years to produce fruit but for the gardener with a bit of time it’s worth a go? You can collect your fig seeds by scraping them out of a ripe fig.

Rinse them and let them dry, then you’re ready to start.

Plant seeds in a small pot of compost or potting mix, Country Gardener

WHAT MONTH ARE FIGS RIPE IN THE UK? Figs can produce several stages of crop simultaneously but usually, only one crop will ripen in late September. The tiny, pea-sized embryo fruitlets formed in the autumn are next year’s harvest – they will overwinter to produce a crop of figs the following year.

DO FIGS DO WELL IN POTS? Figs thrive in containers and are an excellent option for gardeners with limited space. If you live in an apartment with only a balcony or reside in a cold climate where winter temperatures drop significantly, container gardening might be your best bet.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE FIGS GROW BIGGER? If growers can maximise the growth area and reduce the number of fruits on the tree, then the existing fruits will likely grow larger. Ultimately, the balance of energy within the tree plays a crucial role in determining fig size.

WHY ARE MY FIGS SO SMALL? Not enough water is a common reason for small figs on a fig tree. Fig trees need consistent moisture, especially during the growing season. If the tree doesn’t receive enough water, the figs will remain small or drop off prematurely.

WHY DON’T MY FIGS RIPEN? Fig trees are very susceptible to stress and when under stress, they will slow down or even stop ripening their fruit.

The most common stress responsible for when figs don’t ripen is lack of water especially when the weather is warm.

Fig trees in containers are especially prone to this.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO PLANT A FIG TREE? The ideal location for planting a fig tree in the UK is a warm, sunny, and sheltered spot, ideally against a southfacing wall. This provides the tree with maximum sunlight and heat retention, which are essential for fruiting and ripening in the UK’s climate.

Beechnut, Chipping Norton

TIMBER MERCHANTS AND FENCING SPECIALISTS Open: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Visit our well-stocked yard for timber, gates, fencing, decking, trellis, pergolas and arches, plus expert advice.

www.hartwellfencing.co.uk 01386 840373 The Timber Yard, Weston Subedge, Nr Chipping Campden, GL55 6QH

ENJOY COLOUR IN YOUR GARDEN

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www.countrygardener.co.uk

Office in Stow-on-the-Wold

GARDENING IS a state of mind Pensioner Julia Daniels has in the past ten years found the wildlife in her Devon garden an inspiration and joy and has found ways to help the wildlife thrive As I have grown older, I have tried to discern the thing or things which truly bring me joy.

One of those things is simply seeing life in my garden.

I don’t mind that it is not neat and tidy all the time. It is more important it is busy with life.

Everyone has an idea of what their garden should be. I am a committed enthusiast for making it as wildlife friendly as I can.

Many of us are lucky enough to have green spaces on our doorstep, too, home to bustling birds, bees, and butterflies, but also hedgehogs, squirrels and it is an endless joy. I have lived on my own now here in Devon for the best part of ten years and it has been my garden, along of course with family and friends which has given me joy for life. I’ve learned how to do things and I suppose my gardening philosophy is mostly to leave things alone as much as you can.

BIRDS

Birdfeeders - such a joy

Birdfeeders are such a joy in the garden and every day of the year, and I just couldn’t be without them. Yes, I know bird feeders make a bit of a mess on the ground but the little birds soon mop up the bits and pieces. Rats have been a problem in the past in the garden, but I haven’t seen any for a couple of years so maybe they just keep themselves to themselves’ As I feed them day after day, I keep a list of who likes what: Finches favour berry cakes Goldfinches favour seed Starlings favour peanut cake.

Blackbirds and thrushes favour over-ripe

READER’S STORY

apples, raisins and other fruits.

Nuthatches, sparrows and finches favour sunflower heads.

Wrens and small birds favour chopped animal fat and grated cheese.

FOXES Foxes romp through the borders and squash things flat when they have a snooze in a sunny spot. They have preferred routes around and through the garden and I love seeing them sleeking around. They often knock down plants in their path, but I have decided not to mind.

DANDELIONS I have decided to welcome dandelions up to a point and no see them as a problem to that saves the worry about weeding. If I see too many, I sometimes just snap the flower head off. I like the colour and we can always decide how many we want.

USING PACKING STRAW Mail order plants arrive in a box of straw so rather than discard it I stuff the straw into pots and leave them tucked around the edges of the lawn to make bug homes.

THROW EVERYTHING INTO A CORNER I have a back corner to the garden where I chuck all green matter including flowers from the house, cardboard and everything cut or pruned. The pile just sits there cooking away and being eaten and decomposed by bugs. I don’t use it for compost -it’s more a living pile adding to life in the garden.

Gardening is a state of mind. As a place I see a garden we have to share rather than somewhere we have to battle to keep control of all the time.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Straw in pots make bug homes 7

Cornus mas

Dogwood

DELIGHT

When it comes to summer flowering trees and large shrubs there is nothing to touch flowering dogwoods There are few more breathtaking sights than a flowering dogwood in full bloom. Many, such as Cornus ‘Porlock’ and Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’, make splendid flowering trees for small gardens. Flowering dogwoods belong to the genus Cornus. These fabulous multi-stemmed shrubs or small ornamental trees look good for much of the year with spectacular flowers, foliage that develops glowing autumn leaf colours before falling, and colourful, showy, long-lasting fruits.

Depending on the variety, dogwood flowers are borne in winter, spring, or summer. Most flowering dogwoods also have an attractive shape and are therefore superb for small gardens.

There are several flowering dogwood varieties, but most are cultivated varieties of Cornus kousa, which originates from China, Japan, and Korea, and Cornus florida, which comes from North America. These are renowned for their showy and long-lasting flowerlike bracts, which are modified leaves that surround much smaller, insignificant flowers, and last much longer than the flowers themselves. Other popular dogwoods are Cornus controversa, known as the ‘wedding cake tree’ for its architectural shape, and Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry) which is winter-flowering.

THE BEST OPTIONS: Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ Known as ‘wedding cake tree’ as the branches grow in almost horizontal tiers.

Large clusters of many small, star-shaped, pure white flowers are borne all along the branches, held upright on the upper side, almost like candles. Large green leaves have cream-white margins, and turn a rich reddish purple in autumn along with rounded dark blue, almost black berries. Site in sun or shade, with plenty of space around it to appreciate the architectural shape.

Cornus florida

How to grow flowering dogwoods Grow flowering dogwoods in well-drained, fertile soil in sun or partial shade in a site sheltered from strong winds. Ideally plant in autumn, which is the optimum time for dogwoods to settle in, staking larger plants to prevent wind-rocking, and keep watered during periods of drought for the first two to three years. Mulch annually with leaf mould, garden compost, or chipped bark. Do not prune, apart from removing any dead growth.

Cornus florida

Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’

Where to grow flowering dogwoods Flowering dogwoods are compact-growing and attain a maximum height of around six to eight metres and are therefore ideal for small gardens. Grow flowering dogwood at the back of a border, as a stand-alone plant in a lawn or in a woodland border, or as a specimen in a courtyard garden.

One of the showiest varieties of Cornus florida, making a spectacular display of large, bright ruby red to pink bracts, followed by brilliant autumn leaf colour. Plant in sun or part shade, in neutral to acid soil.

Advice on buying flowering dogwoods • Flowering dogwoods are slow growing, eventually attaining mature height after 12-15 years. So buy as big a plant as you can afford, as it will fill the space sooner.

• Nurseries and garden centres sell a limited selection of flowering dogwoods, but you’ll find a wider range available from specialist suppliers.

• Always check plants for signs of damage or disease before planting.

Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’

Flowering dogwood problems Flowering dogwoods, especially Cornus florida, suffer from various fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew and anthracnose. These, along with the dogwood borer insect, have caused damage to and death of many trees in their natural habitat. The fungal diseases can be a problem in gardens but many new hybrids, such as the Cherokee and Celestial hybrids, are more resistant. Cornus florida and Cornus kousa both resent poor drainage, which causes root rot.

Types of flowering dogwoods The cultivars of Cornus kousa are often collectively referred to as Chinese dogwoods, although many originate from Japan and Korea. Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is deservedly popular and has the advantage of large flower heads produced on young plants; some cultivars take a few years to bloom with any enthusiasm. Cornus kousa ‘Teutonia’ is another large, flowering form with immaculate flower heads of rich cream.

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Vigorous and wider-spreading than most dogwoods, forming a conical large shrub or small tree bearing masses of white to pale pink bracts that are joined at the tips as they open, creating an attractive overall display. Showy red and purple autumn leaf colour. Plant in sun or part shade, in neutral to acid soil.

Cornus kousa var chinensis

Cornus kousa var chinensis This handsome flowering dogwood forms a small roundheaded tree smothered with bracts that turn from soft green to white then pink, borne on the upper sides of almost horizontal branches. Leaves turn rich shades of bronze and crimson in autumn, along with pink fruits. Plant in sun or part shade, in acidic, welldrained soil.

Cornus mas (see image above)

Cornus mas (Cornelian cherry) originates from central and southern Europe.

Although less showy than spring and summer-flowering dogwoods, this species blooms in late winter and is tolerant of a wide range of soils and situations. Masses of small yellow flowers are borne on bare stems before the leaves, followed later in the season by cherry-red edible fruits, and leaves turn reddish-purple in autumn. Plant in sun or part shade, any reasonable soil.

Country Gardener

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Garden advice for July It is the height of the gardening season and there’s lots to think and worry about. Our list of questions from readers grows ever bigger and this month has a wide variety of problems. If you have a query or gardening problem you would like help with then email us at editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

Can you tell me why does my honeysuckle not flower. It is on a south facing wall in very well drained sandy soil. It has plenty of foliage and is two years old.

Linda Farley Minehead There are lots of different types of honeysuckle, some of them with special needs. It could be something as simple as the plant is not yet old enough to flower. Most varieties of honeysuckle bloom on new wood and some are best pruned straight after flowering so if the pruning regime has been done wrongly that would be an issue. Another issue could be watering: honeysuckle do not like to dry roots which can often happen if grown close to a wall/trellis. If the plant feels unable to produce a crop it will abort resulting in loss of buds. This can sometimes happen where the plant is growing too well and has been fed too much nitrogen – if this is the case an application of sulphate of potash can improve the situation.

I have a good crop this spring of runner and climbing French beans. I have left some of the older pods on the plants to swell and produce seed. Can I later dry these and save them for next year?

Timmy Greene Barnstable The simple answer is yes. You can leave the pods on the plants until they wither and then start to split then lay them out on a newspaper indoors in a dry airy place until they are completely dry. Open the pods and remove the seeds. Store them in a cool dry space in a paper envelope. If you store in an airtight box make sure the seed has really dried out.

My apple trees are showing signs of slight dieback. I have also noticed similar problems on the mountain ash or rowan tree. The dieback seems to be associated with roughened patches on the bark. Is there anything I can do?

Archie Johnson This sounds like apple canker. This is a fungal problem which is quite common and which you may also find on pear trees. The cankers that form start to ring the infected stems or branches. As a result, growth becomes poor and spindly. If the canker rings the branch entirely then everything beyond that point will die back. Prune out all the infected limbs. Take the branches back to perfectly healthy growth and to a suitable outward facing spur or bud. If the canker is present on the main stem or trunk of the tree, then obviously you cannot cut this out. In this case take a sharp knife and attempt to scoop out the entire cankered area.

Can you suggest a few shrubs that would be looking good in my garden in early September? Our garden always looks good in spring and summer but is always disappointing in September and we would long term like to remedy this.

Mary Logan Dorchester There are lots of things which should be particularly attractive, including potentillas, perovskia, indigofera, hypericums, hydrangeas, fuchsias, Hibiscus syriacus, Buddleja davidii, caryopteris, ceratostigma, vincas, hebes and Abelia grandiflora. Your local garden centre or specialist nursery will have shrubs which are looking particularly good at that time of year, will be prominently displayed, so you have got the pick of the bunch and of course you have also chosen a perfect time for planting.

I read your article last month about old roses and wondered if we could use them to form a hedge rather than other shrubs.

At our gardening club I was told they would be a lot of trouble as a hedge.

Help! My pond is now bright green and packed full of what my neighbour says is blanket weed. Is there anything I can do?

Andrew Hammond Ilminster If your pond has become green and full of a tangled mass of strands of that common problem, blanket weed it will not only look awful but may also entangle fish or wildlife as they swim. The best method of control is to regularly use a rake or a stick to remove the blanket weed, pulling it out of the pond and composting it or binning it if you do not have a compost bin. Make sure you leave the mass of weed on the side of the pond and trailing into it slightly for a few days before composting so that pond life can escape back to the pond!

Some of the stems of my clematis have fallen and are growing along the grounds where they seem to be doing quite well. Can I leave theme to act as ground cover or it is in their nature just to be climbers?

Keith Greene Lyme Regis A lot of gardeners use this trick of using clematis as ground cover as they provide lots of flowers and the result can be very attractive. Climbers have no inborn need to climb - just somewhere to grow and this is also true of the yellow veined honeysuckle or climbing hydrangeas, and roses especially ramblers can also be used this way.

Rea Davies

Our Cambridge Favourite strawberry plants still look very healthy and this year we had a bumper crop after three years. Can we keep them for a fourth season or is this about the end of their active high cropping?

Zoe Richards Burnham This is one of the most vigorous varieties you can grow but it is likely that cropping will start to decline and a less warm early summer than we have had this year might slow the fruit down a lot in the fourth year. However, it might be worth keeping them for a fourth season.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Portsmouth The big advantage is they will provide almost continuous colours throughout the summer and into the autumn. If you opt for upright roses you will need to stagger plant them if you need a substantial rather than a decorative hedge. The older varieties need space to grow so plant them five feet apart which may seem a lot but they are fast growing and will need the space. Many people worry about pruning and whether it will take a lot of time but once the roses become established you can be quite aggressive with pruning – using shears for example.

9

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

I would like to grow white currants. Are they difficult to grow? If not, what would you recommend for a small Somerset garden?

Donna Stevenson Williton White currants ae not all difficult to grow and they seem to have returned to favour in recent years. Like redcurrants they fruit on the old wood. ‘White Versailles’ is an excellent cropper, the berries are large and the plant is certainly the best variety for wherever you are.

Can I add straw directly to the soil to improve its quality. There seems to be a difference of opinion on this?

Pam Hartley Bath Undecomposed straw can be dug into the soil if you add nitrogen at the same time.

Straw contains less nitrogen than that required by bacteria to decompose it so one pond of sulphate of ammonia needs to be added to each 110 lb of straw. Lime is also needed.

Straw is a valuable source of humus and is usually rotted down with grass cuttings and other vegetable matter in the compost bin rather than being used by itself.

I love miniature roses and believe they are very underrated. Can I grow then indoors?

JOBS IN THE HIGH SUMMER July garden July is often one of the hottest months of the year and probably the best time to sit out and enjoy your garden. It is vital to keep plants looking good by regularly deadheading, which will mean a longer display of blooms. Make sure you keep new plants well-watered, using grey water where possible, and hoe off weeds, which thrive in the sunshine. There’s plenty to do to keep the display going and to enjoy great crops, including harvesting veg at its peak and feeding the lawn. Summer is progressing in its relentless way, and the garden is the place to be.

1

Katelyn McDade

Bournemouth Not permanently unless you are prepared to invest in strip lighting for them and provide the humidity they need. In most houses the light is not good enough and the air is much too dry, and they will quickly wither. If you position them on a windowsill the sun will be too strong from them. One option is a cool greenhouse then when the buds begin to show colour they can be brought into the house. They must be taken outside after flowering or the leaves will yellow and drop off.

Would you recommend foliar feeding for fruit as a good alternative to applying fertilisers to the soil. I am trying to find something different to help half a dozen fruit trees which have started to look really sick in recent years?

Ian Harrison Bristol No. Foliar feeding is useful for the leaves of fruit trees and can greatly help plants under stress during the growing season, but it should be regarded as a first aid treatment rather than any complete nutritional answer. It is mainly nitrogen which is absorbed by the leaves, potash and phosphates are not. Start with a balanced fertiliser in the spring which is not only better but cheaper than a foliar feed.

After planting out my cucumber seedlings grew badly and began to wilt. I dug a couple up and found large numbers of tiny grey insects jumping around in the soil.

Could these have caused the problem and does that mean the soil is infected?

Amy Treadstone Exmouth Your cucumbers have been infected by springtails (collembola) and some species of these soil-living wingless insects feed on plant roots and are often found to have damaged tomatoes roots and other vegetables. They feed on the roots initially on stem bases and on any leaves which touch the soil. The soil will not be damaged but you need to make sure you have got rid of them. Avoid replanting where you found them. Work some new compost into the area and apply a drench of soapy water.

I have developed a love of lilies in recent years. I love their colours, strength and structure and they are a wonderful addition to borders or especially in pots. Are there any secrets in how I can increase my stock of lily bulbs?

Donna Young Exeter Lily bulbs divide and from clumps which can be lifted and split after flowering.

Small bulbs maybe found near the large bulbs and often on the stem below ground.The tiger lily (L. tigrinium) other produce bulbils in the leaf axis where the leaf and stems meet. Growth of bulbils can be artificially stimulated by removing the topmost flowering part of the stem as the flower buds appear. The seeds of many lilies can provide flowering bulbs after two years.

10

Tomatoes set to flourish You should be seeing tomatoes flourish this month. Feeding the plants will ensure they continue to thrive all season to ensure they continue to produce healthy, flavourful fruit. Use a balanced fertiliser which is high in potassium, or one specifically formulated for tomatoes.

Feed plants every two to three weeks, moving to every week once the plant is mature.

Avoid getting fertiliser on the leaves as this can cause burn. It’s also important to make sure tomato plants are well-watered before feeding, as fertiliser can cause root burn if applied to dry soil. Water deeply after feeding to help the nutrients reach the root zone.

2

Deadheading will encourage a longer summer for your flowers

One of the most important garden jobs in July is keeping on top of deadheading, particularly for bedding plants. Deadheading in July is particularly important for bedding plants to encourage further blooming and maintain a tidy appearance. Firstly, look for flowers that are faded, wilted or starting to develop seeds. Cut the flower stem back to the first set of healthy leaves or a bud. This encourages the plant to direct its energy into producing new flowers rather than seeds. It’s important to use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears to avoid spreading disease. Always check your plants at least once a week during the growing season and remove any dead or dying flowers.

4

You must support your plants

Supporting your plants is one of the most important jobs in June and July when there is often a great deal of height in the garden.

Stake tall growing bulbs such as dahlias, lilies and gladiolus. Their flowers will make them top heavy and liable to blow over in the wind without some support.

Loosen ties on trees and standard roses if they are becoming too tight. Fix tree ties so the buckle is on the opposite side of the stake to your tree, remembering to put the spacer in the middle to prevent chafing. Allow a little space for growing room but have it sufficiently tight so the tree cannot jiggle around excessively in the wind.

Country Gardener

3

Water anything recently planted

Anything you’ve planted in the past few months will need regular watering while it puts out roots into the surrounding soil and establishes itself. Make sure that you give these plants a thorough soaking rather than a gentle sprinkle.

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6

Don’t stop with making compost

Try to maintain a green/brown balance in the compost heap throughout the summer. Green materials are soft, high in nitrogen and not necessarily green in colour, for example coffee grounds, veg peelings and leafy prunings. Brown materials are often drier, more fibrous and with a higher carbon content, for example, twigs, cardboard, and wood (but not coal) ash. In the summer, most ingredients are green, which results in compost heaps with a lack of structure and air being squeezed out, so it’s important to add an equal proportion of brown ingredients.

7

Time to lift onions In about the middle of July, watch for when about two thirds of onion tops are falling over, then push the rest down to soften the neck as sometimes they can develop a long stem and a neck that doesn’t dry very well. You don’t need to wait until the tops go yellow before lifting, but you’re looking for the bulbs to begin to change colour.

Pull them up and put them in a crate without being crowded so that air can circulate around them. Put it somewhere undercover such as in the greenhouse or garage.

Allowing them to dry like this is important as they will store better. Done this way they should keep until spring.

After they’ve dried in the crates for about a month, they’ll be ready to bunch up and hang in the house or in net bags until you need them.

8

Keep sowing vegetables throughout July

There are lots of veg that can be sown over the next few weeks even though it is high summer to fill gaps as earlier crops are cleared and to give fresh veg into the autumn and winter. Sow kohlrabi, lettuce, leaf beet, chard, endive, chicory, Florence fennel, chervil and coriander.

Finish sowing beetroot and savoy cabbage in the first week of July.

After mid-July, sow land cress, Chinese cabbage and spinach.

From the end of July to mid-August, sow mustards, pak choi and salad rocket.

Keep your pond healthy and looking great LOOK OUT FOR ANY YELLOWING LEAVES If they are left on water lilies and other water plants, remove them promptly.

Allowing them to fall off and rot in the water will decrease water quality.

REMOVE BLANKET WEED This will let oxygen into your pond.

Use a net or rake and remember to give aquatic life a chance to get back to the water by piling the weed next to the pond for a day.

TOP UP WATER LEVELS. Water can evaporate rapidly from water features and ponds in the height of summer, so top them up if the water level drops significantly. Rainwater from a water butt is best – chemicals in tap water can affect the nutrient balance in the pond.

HOSEPIPE BAN. If your area is under a hosepipe ban, you can still use it to top up your pond if you have fish.

CLEAR FILTERS. Remember to clean any filters and pumps.

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9

Get the right feeding plan for different plants

Different plants have different nutritional needs and different fertilisers are available to meet them. Fertilisers are available in different combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with a different mix being needed for different parts for the garden.

Nitrogen encourages the production of strong stems and foliage, so fertilisers with high nitrogen levels are best for lawns and leafy vegetables.

Potassium-rich fertilisers help nourish flowers and fruit without over-feeding the stems, making them well suited to plants like dahlias and tomatoes.

Phosphorus is essential for seed germination and for young plants to develop good root growth. Root vegetables such as carrots and turnips need a high phosphorous fertiliser.

11

Lift and divide wherever you can

Lift, divide and replant congested and over-sized clumps of early-flowering perennials such as bearded iris, polyanthus and pulmonaria once they’ve finished flowering. This will allow them to form roots and flower buds for next year in their new location before the weather gets too cold.

12

Take cuttings from shrubs and alpines

July is a good time to take cuttings from shrubs and alpines. Take the cuttings from non-flowering shoots and place them around the edges of small pots that are filled with peat and perlite. Water the cuttings in and keep them warm but out of direct sunlight.

13

Thin out the fruit on trees June into July is the season for maximum plant growth which mean that fruit trees can abundantly over-produce. Large quantities of heavy fruits such as apples, pears and plums on the branches can often result in a final crop of disappointingly small fruits. This is due to the high demand put on the tree’s resources and the limited sunlight penetrating its heavy branches.

July is the prime time to thin out your dense crops by removing any excess or damaged fruits from the plant, enabling it to develop a more evenly ripe crop of fruits.

Prune stone fruit trees such as cherry and plum this month, removing any crossing branches to maintain an open framework. These fruit types are susceptible to certain fungal diseases through open wounds if pruned in the winter, whilst pruning at this time helps to avoid risk of infection.

Fruit and vegetables • Water and feed everything regularly especially tomatoes. Tie them into their canes and pinch the outside shoots on cordon varieties to encourage fruiting. The last sowing of French beans and carrots can be done this month.

• Also transplant purple sprouting broccoli and winter leeks into their final position. Water leeks well. They will be approaching their main growing season and regular watering will help them to swell • Keep sowing seeds for salads, a few at a time as well as autumn cropping peas, turnips and spring cabbages. www.countrygardener.co.uk

14

Don’t forget to feed roses

It is a good idea to feed your roses in midsummer as this will help them produce a second flush of flowers.

For any roses that have finished their first flush of flowers, trim them back before feeding.

Roses need pruning because this encourages them to produce new shoots, since cutting back a branch helps the rose to produce a growth hormone. When cutting them, make a cut 5mm above an existing bud with gardening shears. Ensure the cut is angled away from the plant as this prevents rainwater from collecting and causing disease as a result.

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TAME THE BEAST Bamboo is an incredible plant. Fast growing, the largest member of the grass family, tough as steel, and it can be beautiful. However, if you put the wrong kind of bamboo into your garden it can be a recipe for disaster.

Bamboos have never had a good press. In recent years their reputation has gone from bad to worse and is now seen as an almost evil plant which, given favourable growing conditions, will spread quickly, with strong, fast-growing stems shooting up some distance from the parent plant.

Bamboo is in fact, a woody plant in the grass family Poaceae, with tall, upright canes and long narrow leaves.

Most bamboos have evergreen foliage with canes that come in shades including green, brown, yellow and black.

The bad press for the bamboo plant is not totally fair.

It can be a popular screening , fast growing , dense and offering security. The problem is controlling it!

HOW BAMBOO CAUSES PROBLEMS According to Kew Gardens, some species can grow one metre in 24 hours. Although most species of bamboo will not grow that quickly, certain bamboo varieties can become a problem if they’re not contained.

There are two types of bamboo: clump forming and running. As you can guess, clump forming pretty much stays put, whereas running bamboo will run.

It’s important to understand how to stop bamboo spreading, because left unchecked, running bamboo will spread all over your garden and your neighbour’s garden. Running bamboo spreads by rhizomes under the ground. New shoots can emerge several metres away from the main plant. This type of bamboo can cause damage to paving, growing up between the cracks, and spread into neighbouring properties. Clumping varieties tend to be less vigorous but can develop into large clumps if not managed.

It’s a common misconception that all parts of the bamboo underground are invasive and can regrow. However, only the rhizomes are capable of regeneration, while the fibrous roots that extend off them cannot regrow on their own. Therefore, removing bamboo is made much easier when you know that you only need to get rid of the typically tough and ribbed rhizome, leaving the fibrous bamboo roots that don’t regrow behind.

BAMBOO AND THE LAW There’s no law restricting the growth of bamboo in gardens, but you may be held liable if bamboo in your garden invades a neighbouring property.

BAMBOOS Choose a clumping type of bamboo as these are easier to control than running types. You should see the description ‘clumping’ on the plant label or in the description online. Clumping types have short rhizomes which form more of a root ball, whereas running types have long rhizomes which spread further from the main plant.

When planting bamboo put in root barriers to contain it. You can buy purpose-made root barriers.

Plant bamboo in containers – for a large display of bamboo, try planting in long troughs and make sure pots are as deep as possible, at least 45cm.

For established bamboos that are outgrowing their spot, you can control them by digging a trench around the bamboo. It should be about 30cm deep and at least 30cm from the bamboo. Cut through any rhizomes in the trench and dig out any that have grown beyond the trench.

Q&A ON BAMBOO CONTROL How to kill bamboo The best way to get rid of bamboo is to dig it out.

Make sure that you remove all the pieces of rhizome as bamboo can grow back from a tiny bit of root. First of all cut the canes down as these can be saved and dried for use in the garden. Then dig out the clump, removing all the roots.

Can boiling water kill bamboo?

Boiling water can help kill bamboo shoots and roots that are near the surface, but using this method may not eradicate the whole plant. The water might not penetrate deep enough to kill all the roots. It will need repeated attempts on any new shoots that emerge. A more effective method is to dig out the plant or use boiling water to weaken the plant before digging it out.

How do I stop neighbours bamboo from growing in my garden?

You can insert a physical barrier into a trench to form a blockade. Purpose made bamboo root barriers are easiest to handle and insert. Edges should overlap by at least 30cm (1ft) and be bonded. The barrier should extend above the soil level by at least 7.5cm (3in) to prevent rhizomes growing over it.

Can dead bamboo come back?

There have been a lot of instances when what looks to have been a dead plant starts to recover So in fact, there is always the threat that new shoots and stalks will grow back.

What happens if you cut the top off bamboo?

Once topped, bamboo will never grow vertically again. Bamboo doesn’t experience secondary woody growth like a tree. Once the bamboo is topped, it will remain the same height for all the cane’s life cycle.

Does bamboo have a lifespan?

Without any protective treatment, most bamboo species have an average natural durability of less than three years. Stored under cover, untreated bamboo may last up to ten years.

Is bamboo stronger than wood?

Yes, bamboo is generally stronger than wood, especially in terms of tensile strength. While it’s technically a grass, bamboo has a higher tensile strength than many common hardwoods like oak and pine. This means it can resist stretching and bending forces more.

“It’s a common misconception that all parts of the bamboo underground are invasive and can regrow” 12

Country Gardener

READER’S STORY

The thoughts of an ageing YORKSHIRE BORN GARDENER

Ellie Davison’s mother Hettie was a gardener who over the years developed her own ways of doing things, ways which her daughter remembers with affection.

I don’t want to give the impression that my mother was a miserable so and so but she was a no nonsense Yorkshire born woman who lived for 25 years in Somerset and always remembered her roots and remained true to them.

She was a passionate gardener and vegetables were her forte on an acre plot plus for a few years an allotment.

I love your magazine and when I read about tips and tricks passed on from older gardeners, I think of her. So much so I have been trying to remember and share some of her favourite garden ‘speeches ‘which she would pass on to anyone who cared to listen.

The first had a very Yorkshire theme to it when she told people not to waste money on fancy gadgets like compost aerators or tumblers or herbal compost activators.

Nature she would say has been turning garden waste into compost for millions of years and needed no encouragement from you. You didn’t need a bin or a home-made cage – just have a tidy pile for composting out of the way which you can get to easily and turn. She did this for as long as I knew her, making perfect compost.

When it came to pruning hybrid tea roses which she loved she advocated a very basic method: take the shears to them and don’t be precious, don’t waste time looking for every outward facing bud, just cut them back hard like you would a hedge. Later in life she told my husband to use his hedge trimmer!

She had a favourite dislike for buying nest boxes for wildlife to nest in or hibernate in from hedgehogs to bees. They were she suggested a total waste of money apart from birds. They didn’t work and were not worth buying. In later life again she conceded a bit about nesting holes for solitary bees but thought a few drilled holes in a spare piece of wood would do the trick perfectly.

She also thought it was a waste of time trying to get rid of moss on lawns. In a damp climate she though moss was a necessary component of any grass and took a lot of time and effort to get rid of.

Gardeners in former times she always said had better things to do with their time. Moss would always come back in the winter and I think she advised people who didn’t want moss in their garden to go and live in the Mediterranean!

She also went against popular gardening advice when it came to planting shrubs and argued it wasn’t necessary to fill in a newly dug planting hole with organic matter. She argued that roots would always struggle to break out of the new compost into the surrounding soil Also, the modified soil would dry out in the summer and the hole would fill up with water in the winter. She always planted shrubs and trees into unaltered soil and then added organic matter as a top dressing after planting. I don’t know whether she was right or wrong but I do remember everything she planted seemed to end up looking wonderful. She also loved to see insects in the garden and while not being able to identify them all thought some of the ugliest were probably the most useful. Hoverfly larvae may not be good lookers she said but few were as good at hoovering up aphids.

I think these gardening views from the past moved from being the ramblings of an elderly lady to good quality great advice from a wise gardener which might be a bit away from the garden advice being offered to gardeners these days but certainly worth stopping to think about.

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13

READERS LETTERS

HAVE YOUR SAY...

We hope you enjoy our latest round up of views, questions and ideas from our very enthusiastic and helpful readers. If you want to join in email editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

PATIENCE REVEALS ECONOMY I saw tomato plants, not very well established, say about three inches tall in a garden centre two weeks ago. They were priced at £4.50 per plant and didn’t look all that healthy. I bought a packet of seeds with 100 seeds in February for £3.50 and the ones I need are flourishing in my greenhouse. The rest I have given away to friends and family. Is this what comes when you plan early and are patient?

Irene Thompson Wellington

Sage and rosemary -great value Sage and rosemary are a great way to get value into the garden. Just buy reduced plants from the supermarket herb section (I’ve also had success with sage cuttings just struck in the ground). Rosemary makes a lovely informal border and bees love it, but a supermarket sage plant after three years is a thing of beauty: absolutely covered in big blousy pillars of purple flowers and that gorgeous soft grey foliage. It will be a mass of bumble bees on a sunny day.

Absolutely the best value plant: I had loads in my last home, buying plants from different supermarkets/ different times of the year sometimes meant you got different looking ones too.

Pam Harrison Bath ALL IN CLOVER

On the economy trail This summer I’m on a real mission again to save money and it’s been so far hard work but good fun. Herbs like rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme are very easy and save you lots of money throughout the summer. Low maintenance.

Cherry tomatoes are not bad, £4 for a pack of seeds that ends up maybe saving me £30 to £40 throughout the summer, just like last year. My grandchildren love to harvest them.

One that surprised me was kale. I bought a £2 seed pack and have already had an amazing lot of plants which I can harvest in the autumn.

Other thing I love is green onions or even chives. Buy once from store, cut them down except the white root part, leave those in water for a few days and replant them. They grow fast and regrow each year- £2 bundles of each have served me for two years now. Needs must sometimes with a young family but it all gives me a great sense of achievement- and I am not really a gardener.

Maggie Thomas Portsmouth A sign of hope on allotments?

Allotments may be an unlikely political battleground, but the public appetite for rented garden plots has seen a record number of local authorities clash with the Government.

A debate has taken place in Parliament over the proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the Government has been urged to provide more ‘space to grow’ with increase numbers of allotments as part of that.

As part of the campaign with the Royal Horticultural Society, National Allotment Society, Horticultural Trade Association and members of the National Community Garden Network, there needs to be changes in legislation to provide more land for allotments and community gardens.

Eight million people in the UK have no garden at home and the waiting list for allotment plots is now nearing 160,000.

The Minister for Housing has said proposed legal change was ‘not necessary’ as there was ‘nothing preventing’ local authorities from including these policies in their spatial development strategies.

She responded to that, by stating: “A person’s ‘space to grow’ should not be dependent on their postcode, or the whim of their council. Especially when 60 per-cent of the loss in allotment land in the last 75 years has been eight times greater in deprived communities.”

Small-scale growing projects are proven to reduce stress, improve mood, reduce loneliness and support overall well-being through light physical exercise. I urge your readers who I am sure are passionate about this subject to start knocking on the doors of their local councillors and MP’s and contact them. There is just a suggestion we might be able to do something.

Amanda Prescott Taunton 14

Here's a picture of my clover, daisy and buttercup filled lawn here in Somerset. I just let it grow and I prefer it this way and clearly so do the bees. Most people just seem to think I'm lazy and it needs 'treated' and it will soon turn into a mess. But for a few weeks it has been a delight. Even though wild flowers are classed as weeds, they are beautiful and so good for wildlife, I have buttercups, daisies, self-heal, nipplewort, clover and wild geranium, so nice to see the bees enjoying the flowers.

Anna Harris Burnham In praise of coffee grounds I am always telling my gardening friends not to throw out coffee grounds. They are a fantastic source of nitrogen, a vital component for flower growth, and also contain trace amounts of other nutrients like potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, which contribute to plant health. I have always used them on my garden and it really does work wonders. They can enhance soil quality as coffee grounds promote aeration and water retention. They also work on camellias, hydrangeas, and roses. Not only will you have healthier plants, but you will save on garden fertiliser, and know that you are being 'green' as a gardener.

Kerry Greene Bideford

IN PRAISE OF MARK HINSLEY I have been reading your excellent magazine now for many years and I love it. It offers much better advice and help than many more high-profile gardening titles. But that is not the reason for me writing to you. I am rather tempted to start a formal fan club for your tree expert Mark Hinsley whose column every month is something I always look forward to. He has such a passion for trees.

Last year I went along to a gardening club where he was giving a talk and he was wonderful knowledgeable, witty and with an encyclopaedic knowledge of trees. Anyone want to join the club?

Hetty Braithwaite Dorchester Country Gardener

All a question of timing I saw a sign at our local arboretum last week which fits almost alongside the one you highlighted in your magazine last month. It said: "Here we believe the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now."

Andrew Fisher Cheltenham

GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Bishop’s Palace gardens set to host a series of summer events

High summer DAYS OUT

The Bishop’s Palace garden in the heart of the City of Wells has an exciting summer ahead. The 14 acres of tranquil gardens in the heart of medieval Wells will be hosting a series of summer events for the family including a sketching tour, a performance of Sense and Sensibility, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and on July 19th a horticultural highlight featuring a beginners guide to growing cut flowers. The focus of course remains the stunning, gardens in the heart of Wells.

July is surprisingly possibly the best chance there is in the whole summer to get out and about There is a quoted gardening saying that June in the garden is busy with growth and August is busy with harvesting but July is a time for putting one’s feet up.

If that is at all true then it bodes well for gardeners who do want to take a busman’s summer break and get out and enjoy other people’s gardens ,plant fairs and garden shows and high summer events.

When it comes to gardening events it remains one of the busiest times in the year, village and local shows come into their own, reflecting the hard work which goes into such traditional events; the great gardens of the south west are often at their colourful peak in the warm sunshine and long evenings and there are still high profile shows to be visited.

For the garden lover there’s a huge choice. NGS gardens open are still in their peak of activity and deserve your visits.

Certainly its true that this is the month when you can treat yourself with a day out and we have some suggestions for you.

You can wander along and around the many herbaceous borders, savour the scent of roses in the parterre, admire the beautiful views of the gardens, moat and further afield from the top of the ramparts.

Over the years the gardens have changed as successive bishops have added their legacy and today these gardens have Grade II listed garden status due to their historic nature.

In 2016, the gardens were acknowledged by the Royal Horticultural Society, by being made a “Partner Garden”.

Entry is free most Fridays to RHS members with starred cards. This offer is not valid on certain event days so check the website for details where you can find details of all the summer events being held.

Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, Wells BA5 2PD www.bishopspalace.org

Barthelemy – a living piece of horticultural history Barthelemy and Co near Wimborne Dorset is a Japanese maple nursery that was founded in 1920. From sourcing and picking the seeds, some years over 100,000 Japanese Maples are produced and grown each year on the nursery by the Skinner family. Approximately 1012,000 of these seedlings go on to be grafted with named varieties, using techniques passed down through the generations. Their focus on Japanese Maples has allowed them to perfect their growing and grafting techniques, producing some of the finest specimens available in the UK. Barthelemy & Co is not just a place to buy plants, but a living museum of horticultural history, where every aspect of the growing process is done with care and attention to detail. Visitors to the nursery can see the passion and dedication involved on display and leave with a new appreciation for the beauty and complexity of these unique and captivating trees.

Barthelemy & Co, 262 Wimborne Road West, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2DZ Tel: 01202 874283 www.barthelemymaples.co.uk

A celebration of sweet peas at Forde Abbey – to delight the senses The popular gardens on the Dorset/ Somerset border is inviting visitors to visit and immerse themselves in the charm of the sweet pea fortnight, from 1st to 15th July and a highlight of the summer season. As always, the abbey gardens have prepared wonderful array of sweet peas carefully chosen and sown.

The iconic wigwams have been lovingly erected and freshly planted, ready to support the elegant tendrils and abundant blooms that will soon weave their way upward.

The garden anticipates peak bloom in July, when the garden will be at its most vibrant and fragrant.

Whether you’re a gardening enthusiast, a flower lover, or simply looking for a tranquil and beautiful place to spend a sunny day and experience this seasonal spectacle. The gardens are open from 10.30am to 5pm with last entry at 4pm.

Free entry to Forde Abbey & Historic House Members.

A date for the diary is 6th September and the annual gardening and plant fair.

Forde Abbey Estate, Chard, Somerset TA20 4LU

Enjoy a unique summer of creativity at Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire Kelmscott Manor was the iconic country home of William Morris; poet, designer, craftsman, socialist and founding father of the Arts and Crafts movement. This Grade I listed house was loved by Morris as an example of traditional craftsmanship in harmony with the nearby village and surrounding landscape, towards the very upper reaches of the Thames.

Award-winning poet Robert Seatter and acclaimed visual artist Jessica Palmer will bring the fascinating stories and compelling atmosphere of Kelmscott Manor to life as part of the Manor’s programme of learning and public engagement alongside our inspirational new exhibition, ‘A literary man’: William Morris and the Book which is open now and runs until 25th October.

Kelmscott Manor Kelmscott, Lechlade GL7 3HJ

July Fairs 13th July Winterbourne House and Garden, Birmingham B15 2RT 20th July Manor House Garden, Bledlow, Bucks HP27 9PA

Enjoy the delicious fragrance of roses this month

www.rareplantfair.co.uk Please visit our website for full details of admission fees and times of opening.

Find your perfect garden: ngs.org.uk

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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Hartland Abbey & Gardens ENJOY LAZY DAYS IN HIGH SUMMER AND THEATRE ON THE LAWN Visit our family home with its beautiful Walled and Woodland gardens, Fernery and Bog garden, walks to the Atlantic Coast, fascinating architecture, collections, displays and film exhibition. Location for Enid Blyton’s ‘Malory Towers’. * Dogs welcome * Holiday Cottages * Hartland Quay 1 mile * Homemade light lunches & cream teas * House, Gardens etc and Café open until 2nd October Sunday to Thursday 11am - 5pm (House 2pm - 5pm last adm 3.45pm)

Honiton Agricultural Show We look forward to welcoming you on Thursday 7th August 2025

Fabulous entertainment, Delicious food and drink, Over 400 trade stands.

Majestic livestock and horses, Bees and Honey, Dog Show, Vintage Tractors and Classic Cars, West of England Hound Show, Cookery Theatre, Young Farmers Clubs and NEW Family Fun Zone.

Please apply for trade, livestock and horse schedules.

For more information and special events see www.hartlandabbey.com Hartland, Nr. Bideford EX39 6DT 01237441496/234

ADVANCE TICKETS JUST £20 (ACCOMPANIED UNDER 16 GO FREE) AVAILABLE FROM www.honitonshow.co.uk Secretary: Marcelle Connor, Bank House, 66a High Street, Honiton, Devon, EX14 1PS info@honitonshow.co.uk

JAPANESE MAPLES Acer palmatum varieties We produce and grow the largest selection available in the UK. Plants are pot grown and suitable for garden, patio or bonsai.

Visitors welcome Mon-Sat 9am-1pm & 2pm-4pm GARDENS & TEAROOM Open every Friday 2pm - 5.30pm from 2nd May to 26th September

Also last weekend in May & August Bank Holiday weekend - Sat, Sun & Mon GARDENS: adult £6, child £1

CADHAY, OTTERY ST. MARY, DEVON, EX11 1QT 01404 813511 www.cadhay.org.uk Member of Historic Houses

Tea Room & Walled Garden Nursery

WELL BEHAVED DOGS ON LEADS WELCOME

Marwood Hill Gardens is a tranquil 20-acre private garden nestled in a North Devon valley near Barnstaple. Established in 1949 by Dr. Jimmy Smart, this 20-acre garden has evolved into a horticultural haven, featuring three serene lakes, a variety of sculptures, and an impressive collection of plants from around the world including four National Collections, Champion Trees and Marwood is also Camellia Garden of Excellence.

Indulge in homemade cakes and light lunches in the award-winning tearoom, while the plant nursery offers an unusual array of plants for sale.

Enquiries & Tea Room 01271 342528 Plant Sales & Nursery 01271 342577 e info@marwoodhillgarden.co.uk w marwoodhillgarden.co.uk Marwood Hill Gardens, Marwood, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 4EA 16

Country Gardener

Barthelemy & Co (DCG), 262 Wimborne Rd West, Stapehill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2DZ

Tel: 01202 874283 enquiries@barthelemymaples.co.uk www.barthelemymaples.co.uk

Magic moments at Marwood Hill Gardens Currently, the popular north Devon gardens at Marwood are adorned with vibrant colours characteristic of high summer, ranging from the intense scarlet shades of Rosa moyesii to the delicate pink tones of phloxes and the creamy, frothy blooms of astrantia.

The award-winning National Plant Heritage Collection of astilbes are well under way – they surround Marwood’s three lakes and streams and give off a crescendo of colour, from gaudy pinks and reds to the muted tones of silver and white forms.

Stately bushes of Cornus kousa grace the borders with their display of creamy-white bract like flowers while others turn rosy- pink.

It is such a cheerful time of year, with people and plants alike enjoying basking in the sunshine, and long days allow us to soak up the enormous number of plants in flower. It’s also a great time for a cream tea at the tea-rooms, not forgetting to take a peek, and maybe even buy something in the fascinating plant sales.

Marwood Hill Gardens, Nr Guineaford, Barnstaple, North Devon EX31 4EA Tel: 01271 342 528 www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk

GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Honiton Show promises to be one of Devon’s days of the year The Honiton Show is planning for a great celebration of rural life and entertainment in the east Devon countryside on Thursday, 7th August.

There will be an array of entertainment including the return of the Bolddog Lings FMX team return, Honda’s official and the UK’s number one motorcycle display team. Organisers also will welcome the HOH Equestrian Team performing two displays with skilled team of horses and riders.

There is also children’s entertainment in abundance with the animated characters Sheridan the Sheepdog and Pumpkin the Pony, and the chance to enjoy the Twistopher Punch & Judy Show and Professor Crump on his stilts. The fabulous Magical Musical Bike will be touring the showground hosting games and a giant bubble show! A new family fun zone includes Whacky Races for all ages, Professor Pop’s bubble workshop, a circus skills workshop and a pottery painting den. Take a trip down memory lane with over 100 Vintage Tractors and over 50 stunning classic cars. There’s also a vast array of shopping on offer, food and drink including a cookery theatre with a full schedule of chef demonstrations.

For further details or information on becoming a member of the association please contact the secretary on 01404 41794. Gates open at 8am with family entertainment until 6pm. Discounted early bird tickets are available for £20 in advance, (show day prices are £22) accompanied children (Under 16) are admitted free! Visit www.honitonshow.co.uk for early bird tickets.

Cadhay stunning in July’s high summer

Great gardens, great cakes, great causes

The borders at the popular Devon gardens at Cadhay will be at their best in July and the new gardening team are starting to make their mark giving these popular gardens a different feel.

Somehow, they have managed to keep the blanket weed at bay in the ponds which look magnificent with the water lilies and hostas at their best. The dahlias should be as good as ever and the allotment holders have excelled themselves in the kitchen garden.

Cadhay is just outside Ottery St Mary with the postcode EX11 1QT. The gardens are open from 2pm to 5pm every Friday afternoon and more details can be found on cadhay.org.uk

From stately acres to country cottage gardens the National Garden Scheme opens exceptional private gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. In July, thousands of beautiful spaces open, many serving delicious home-made refreshments and plants for sale, all offering wonderful value for money while helping to raise millions for nursing and health charities each year. Visit a National Garden Scheme Garden in July and be inspired. Find a garden open near you: www.ngs.org.uk

Be part of the world’s leading cultivated plant conservation charity Something for everyone interested in plants and their conservation: • alks and celebrity lectures, • plant fairs, garden visits,

• plant exchanges • propagation & social events

AUTUMN PLANT SALE

- A return to our New Venue Staunton Country Park Petersfield road, Havant, PO9 5HD

Sun 31st August 2025 1pm - 5pm

Set in a historic estate with a listed Regency landscape that contains parkland and formal gardens. Specialist Nurseries & Plant Heritage plants for sale. Refreshments on site. No entry charges. Free parking for Plant Heritage members. www.countrygardener.co.uk

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Vivary Park Taunton

1-2 Aug 2025

DISCOUNTED TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW Available to buy online Children go free with a paying adult

www.tauntonfs.co.uk

Summer at The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens

14 acres of tranquil RHS partner gardens, moat, medieval Palace building and award winning Bishop's Table café in the heart of medieval Wells.

Plan your visit: www.bishopspalace.org.uk 18

Country Gardener

GREAT PLACES TO VISIT

Rare Plant Fairs in July The programme of Rare Plant Fairs continues during July, with events held in interesting and unique gardens with their own individual style, making a visit to one (or more!) of the events a great day out for all gardeners. A fabulous selection of specialist nurseries attends each of the Fairs, all of whom are experts in the plants that they grow.

WINTERBOURNE HOUSE AND GARDEN, Birmingham, Sunday July 13th, 10:30am-5pm. Winterbourne is one of the best surviving examples of an Edwardian Arts and Crafts suburban villa garden. Today, the botanical garden contains plants from around the globe with Manor House Gardens, Bledlow collections of plants from China, North and South America and the Alpine areas of the world.

MANOR HOUSE GARDENS, Bledlow, Buckinghamshire, Sunday July 20th, 11am-4pm. Bledlow Manor House has been owned by the Carington family since the 18th Century. The present garden covers about 12 acres, and utilises a mixture of different terrain and styles, ranging from a Japanese style water garden on converted old cress beds, a walled kitchen garden, to a contemporary sculpture garden.

Visit www.rareplantfair.co.uk for details of the events, including admission charges and a complete list of the exhibitors attending.

July is a lovely time to enjoy the gardens and walks Hartland Abbey has so much to see and do in the summer, come wet or glorious!

The house is full of family history, fascinating architecture and quirky family memorabilia. The ‘Malory Towers Quiz’ is fun for children. The film display, included in the garden ticket, is a reminder of the many productions filmed here over the years.

Out in the gardens and walks there is so much space for families and dogs to explore the beautiful valley leading from the walled gardens to the sea. Theatre is making a return to the lawns too!

Details at www.hartlandabbey.com 01237441496/234

GINGERING THINGS UP You can successfully grow ginger from a basic shop bought root. It’s fun to do, cheap and very rewarding.

Yes, you can grow ginger in your garden.

If you want to try grow it, it’s best to start ginger indoors or in a greenhouse during the cool months, typically around late winter, or early spring.

Normally, you can grow ginger from a piece of ginger root, which is also called as ‘seed piece.’ Once the risk of frost has passed, you can transplant it outside in a sheltered spot, so that it will receive plenty of sunlight and regular watering. With the right care, you can successfully cultivate ginger, enjoying its unique flavour in your cuisine.

It might be called ginger root but it’s technically a rhizome. Ginger grows and spreads underneath the ground. Above ground, ginger plants have lots of leaves that you can harvest and use in teas, tinctures, and salves.

Ginger likes warm, humid conditions and well-drained, fertile soil, so this may require special care for your environment and climate. Ginger is best started indoors in late winter/early spring in the UK, as, although it needs warmth and moisture, the climate can be too cold in the early stages. Once the risk of frost has passed and temperatures are consistently above 15°C (59°F), you can transplant the ginger outdoors. Choose a sheltered spot with partial shade to protect it from strong winds and direct sunlight, which can scorch the leaves.

The ginger that is commonly used in cooking comes specifically from the species Zingiber officinale, which is cultivated for its flavourful rhizome. While there are many types of ginger plants, including ornamental varieties, only this one yields the rhizomes that are suitable for culinary use. So, it important to ensure you are growing the correct species if you want to harvest ginger for cooking.

Taunton gets ready for iconic flower show

THE GROWING PROCESS

Taunton will be a buzz in August as the oldest flower show is back for its 194th year. Taunton Flower Show will be opening the gates to Vivary Park on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd August for two days of entertainment, shopping, eating and fun.

The amazing floral and competition marquees, as well as stunning gardens, built in five days and especially for the show will be one of the main gardening features. The arena is welcoming All Stars Formation riding team, who will be featured on Britain’s Got Talent in 2025, as well as the amazing Paws for Thought and the very popular The BMX Show, an amazing stunt team. There will be lots of musical entertainment, supporting local artists, acts and choirs.

Designer Gardens makes a welcome return with multi-award-winning landscape gardener Chris Hull from BBC Garden Rescue, joining the judging panel as well as making an appearance during the very popular Gardener’s Question Time.

Families can enjoy the children’s village with free face painting and entertainment, and children can enter free with a paying adult.

Tickets are now available at a discounted rate. Children 17 years and under are free with a paying adult.

Select a fresh piece of ginger root from the supermarket that has visible ‘eyes’ or buds.

Look for plump, firm roots without any signs of mould or shrivelling.

To prepare ginger for planting, cut the root into segments, ensuring each piece has at least one bud. Allow the cut surfaces to dry for a day or two to prevent root rot.

Use a pot with drainage holes, filled with a well-draining potting mix. Ginger prefers slightly acidic soil, so a mix designed for tropical plants can work well.

Plant the segments about an inch deep, with the buds facing upward. Water lightly to settle the soil but avoid soaking it.

Place the pot in a warm, bright location with indirect sunlight. Ginger thrives in temperatures between 60°F and 85°F (15°C to 29°C).

Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Fertilise every few weeks during the growing season with a balanced fertiliser to support growth.

After eight months, when the leaves begin to yellow, you can harvest your ginger. For young ginger, you can start to harvest after about four months.

Tickets from www.tauntonfs.co.uk or Taunton Visitors Centre

Autumn fair returns to Staunton Country Park As a follow up to the main Plant Fair at Longstock, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Plant Heritage group are making a return late summer visit to Staunton Country Park, Petersfield Road, Havant, PO9 5HD with their autumn plant sale which takes place of Sunday, August 31st between 1pm and 5pm.

Set in a historic estate with a listed Regency landscape that contains parkland and formal gardens, this is an exciting place to visit. National Collection of Lardizabalaceae plants to view. Specialist nurseries and plant heritage plants will be for sale. Refreshments on site. There are no entry charges. Free parking for plant heritage members.

IS IT WORTH GROWING YOUR OWN GINGER? Yes, growing your own ginger is rewarding and is often worth the effort.

• Freshness and flavour: Homegrown ginger tends to be fresher and full of flavour.

• Convenience: Growing ginger at home means you can harvest ginger whenever you need it.

• Cost-Effective: While there might be initial costs for planting and care, growing your own ginger can save you money in the long run, especially if you use it frequently.

• Satisfaction: Cultivating ginger is certainly a fulfilling gardening experience.

• Health benefits: Ginger is known for its medicinal properties, and having fresh ginger on hand can encourage you to incorporate it into your diet more often.

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THE QUEEN OF THE ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN

by Vivienne Lewis

Rosemary Verey arrived to gardening later in life- she became one of our top garden writers and designers in the 1980s, advising the then Prince of Wales on his garden at Highgrove, and creating a garden for Elton John A country woman usually seen dressed in tweeds, classic dresses and pearls - that was the photographic image of Rosemary Verey, and as she graciously welcomed visitors to her Cotswolds home, Barnsley Manor in Gloucestershire.

But that is not even half of the story - Rosemary Verey was a lively character who had water skied down the Thames in the 1930s, was a debutante who loved fox hunting, parties and tennis, and brainy too, reading economics and social history at University College, London, at a time when it was unusual for women to go to university.

It was only after a serious riding accident in her 30s that she turned to gardening, urged by her husband. A self-taught amateur, by the age of 60 she had produced her first book and tapped into an era of increased home ownership and interest in garden design.

She went on to advise King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales on his garden at Highgrove, and created a garden for Elton John among many highRosemary Verey- débutante turned profile clients. top garden writer and designer Her writing featured in magazines and newspaper supplements, followed by several best selling books, then travelling to USA to lecture on garden design. She became one of the most influential garden writers and designers of the 1980s and 90s.

Born in 1918 in Chatham, Kent to a naval family who settled in Northamptonshire on her father’s retirement, Rosemary had a comfortable country life. While a deb she met her husband, David Verey, marrying in October 1939 before Rosemary she took her degree.

While David Verey was serving in the Special Operations Executive Rosemary was at home in Fairford in Gloucestershire with their two young sons - and began learning how to garden. After the war two daughters were born, David Verey retired and became a distinguished architectural historian and in 1951 the Vereys took over Barnsley House near Cirencester from David’s father, who with his wife moved into an adjacent converted stable block. Barnsley House was to be Rosemary’s home until 1988 when in turn she moved to the same property, giving Barnsley House to her eldest son, Charles.

Like so many other top English gardeners, particularly women including Vita Sackville20

West, Norah Lindsay and Margery Fish, and later, Beth Chatto, Rosemary Verey’s horticultural fame started with her own garden. Once her daughters set off for boarding school, with time on her hands she set about redesigning the garden at Barnsley House.

The encouragement of her husband has to be acknowledged: as Harold Nicolson had done at Sissinghurst, designing the framework for Vita Sackville-West to establish her romantic planting schemes, so David Verey provided the framework for Rosemary’s planting.

Percy Crane’s very temporary involvement with the garden at Barnsley House - and the start of a new career David Verey called in the Arts and Crafts designer Percy Crane to advise on the redesign of their garden. But Rosemary Verey soon dispensed with his services, determined to put her own stamp on the garden, which she was to do for the next 50 years, even after she had moved out of Barnsley House. She worked on the history of the William and Mary house, built in 1697, taking note of Crane’s love of long vistas in the development of the four-acre grounds, adding a Tuscan temple from Fairford Park, transported brick by brick, which was rebuilt at the end of a straight vista, across an ornamental pool through a pair of wrought iron gates to a statue of a hunting lady across the lawn.

An avenue of limes was followed by the much photographed laburnum walk, supported by a metal frame and underplanted with alliums, the vista ending with a frog fountain.

Verey, having studied maths, was adept at drawing up precise plans. She designed four parterre beds framing the lawn, off the terrace which was widened. A herb garden was part of the parterre, a practical move as it was near the kitchen.

The knot garden was made to match the historical house. The ornamental potager, based on her historical research, proved to be one of Rosemary Verey’s most influential designs with its box-edged plots of ornamental lettuces, coloured cabbages, and ruby chard, making vegetable growing areas suddenly chic and fashionable. Informality within a formal framework describes her work.

Her garden writing began with articles for gardening magazines including Country Life, followed by her first book, in 1980, The Englishwoman’s Garden, a collection of essays by top contemporary female gardeners about their gardens. It has become a classic, followed by The Englishman’s Garden, and it introduced her to an American audience, even more so with The American Woman’s Garden. Rosemary Verey was well connected in society and very much a self-publicist.

Opening Barnsley House for the National Garden Scheme led to being a garden designer She opened her garden for the National Garden Scheme for the first time in 1970, and regularly after that until it was eventually opening six days a week for thousands of visitors a year. But in the early days it helped her to become well known as a plantswoman/ designer and people began to seek her out to help them design their garden. She developed an increasingly long and distinguished client list, no doubt helped by her connections. She liked to take photos and show clients the project’s ‘before and after’ - as the late 18th/early 19th century landscape gardener Humphry Repton had done in his famous ‘Red Books’.

A hands on gardener, she was an advocate of propagating plants from cuttings and wondered why more people didn’t take cuttings to expand their plants in their gardens.

An exacting employer, Rosemary liked things to be ‘just so’ even to tools being hung back on their hooks in a particular way by the gardening staff.

Country Gardener

The garden at Barnsley House in Gloucestershire

The vegetable garden at Barnsley House

Hanging HERBS Highgrove, where Rosemary Verey advised the then Prince of Wales on design

Clients didn’t always take her designs as a permanent part of their garden. She designed a White Garden and a rainbow border for Sir Elton John in his garden near Windsor, but he had the White Garden completely changed without warning. She attended his 50th birthday party dressed as a flower border, in a dramatic response.

She was more successful at Highgrove with the then Prince of Wales, where she advised him on the garden’s style, designed cottage garden spring borders and laid out a thyme walk.

Rosemary Verey was awarded the OBE in 1995, and the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour in 1999. She died at the end of May in 2001 and was buried with her husband in the churchyard at Barnsley. She was highly influential in the garden fashions of the time, with the ornamental potager, the ideas of historical references in garden design, and through her social connections together with her forceful personality, her design work, writing, and lectures, especially in America, she became more acclaimed than other horticultural figures of her time.

For this feature I am indebted to Vanessa Berridge, former editor of The English Garden magazine, now Gloucestershire NGS county organiser, and author of Great British Gardeners (2018, Amberley). Barnsley House is now a hotel.

Rosemary Verey’s The English Country Garden was published in 1996 by BBC Books to accompany a major TV series, and explored 12 outstanding gardens at different times of the year. The cover shows author Rosemary Verey among the alliums beneath the famous laburnum walk, and the book features, not surprisingly, Barnsley House, and a wide range of well established gardens, from Holker Hall in Cumbria, Helmingham Hall in Suffolk, Chilcombe House in Dorset, Folly Farm in Berkshire (a Gertrude Jekyll survival) and Kiftsgate Court in Gloucestershire. Elton John’s garden at Woodside near Windsor is included, as is the residence of the American Ambassador, Winfield House, Regent’s Park in the centre of London.

There are fine photos as in her other books, and planting plans of ten of the gardens, together with helpful information on the (then) openings. One of the loveliest colour plates is of the knot garden at Barnsley House, the interlacing patterns of the box hedges delineated by frost on a crisp winter morning, which she describes as a true lover’s knot coming from a book of 1664. It is a lasting image of Rosemary Verey’s sense of garden history.

Dorset gardener Amy Bolton has been drying herbs from her small garden for over 20 years and in recent years has managed to get a wonderful harvest I wish everyone knew just how easy it is to gather herbs from your garden, dry them, and save them for use all year. It’s simple good fun and has lots and lots of benefits in the kitchen and in the home.

Let’s look first at some of my favourite herbs to dry.

This is really drying herbs just like my grandma taught me, the old-school way.

I love to follow tradition and make most things at home.

I don’t ever want to lose touch of my home and upbringing, no matter how many fancy tools and equipment are available. You can do this with every single herb imaginable. Basil, thyme, oregano, mint, you name it!

By using this simple method you can enjoy aromatic dry herbs for months.

There is nothing that tastes better than homemade, no store-bought herb will ever be this aromatic. Keep in mind that dried herbs are four times stronger than fresh, so less is more in your recipes.

The best herbs to dry I dry bundles of these herbs to use their fragrant flowers and/or leaves in the kitchen or in dried floral arrangements around the house: • anise hyssop • calendula • chamomile • lavender • lemon balm

• mint • oregano • rosemary • sage • thyme

Sage is a standout for its ability to hold its fragrance when dried.

Here’s how to dry herbs by hanging them: • Harvest herbs from the garden.

• Wash them to remove any dirt and debris.

• Give them a spin in a salad spinner or pat them gently with a towel to dry.

• Remove lower leaves from the stems so that you have about an inch and a half of bare stems at the bottom of each sprig.

• Gather these bare stems and tie them in bundles with twine.

• Hang these bundles to dry on a clothing line or place on an herb drying rack.

• The key is to dry your herbs somewhere cool, dry, and dark. Light can strip your herbs of that great flavour you’re trying to preserve.

• Herbs with more tender leaves like mint are prone to growing mould if exposed to too much moisture.

How to tell when herbs are dried Most herbs will be dried out after just one week, but I recommend giving them another two to three weeks to be sure all moisture is gone from the leaves.

You’ll know your herbs are fully dried and ready to be stored when they have that nice, crunchy texture. The stems should feel brittle and easily crack if you bend them; if they’re flexible to your push at all, that’s a sign there’s still moisture left in the herb.

How to store dried herbs When properly dried, leaves will often crumble when rubbed. For roots and barks, if they are brown, shrivelled, and feel dry, cut several pieces to make sure they are dry all the way through. If so, they are ready for storage.

When your herbs are thoroughly dry, they are ready to be prepared for storage. Plan to store your dried herbs in well-sealed glass jars in a dark cool area. A cupboard or even boxes under your bed are all viable options.

I keep the bulk of my herbs in a cupboard and bring out small quantities for daily use in cooking.

Also, remember to label your jars with the name of the herb and the date it went into the jar.

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ACCESSORIES

MOVE INTO THE SUPPORT BUSINESS FOR YOUR FLOWERS If you’ve been spending much time in the garden recently you will be aware of what hard work it has been. Really hot weather in early summer has been making things even more difficult and demanding.

One key area to get the right accessories has been in borders where more than ever plants need to be supported to show themselves off. Climber support systems are essential and very underrated for encouraging plant growth and creating beautiful borders displays. Options include trellis, wires, and other structures that provide a framework for the plant to climb and spread. These supports not only guide the plant’s growth but also help to create a structured and visually appealing garden element.

Too many gardeners invest hours in getting plants to perform in their borders only to see them crash to the ground without support. All climbers, whether twining or attached by aerial roots or pads, benefit from initial training and pruning. Typical examples include clematis, ivy, honeysuckle, akebia and Russian vine.

If you are trying to train against a wall, make sure you have put up support wires first.

Plant about a foot from the base of the wall, so that it has room for root development and will catch the rain. Then untwine the climber from any canes sufficiently to allow you to spread out the stems, but leave them still attached to their cane supports. Select three bamboo canes to train the climber at an angle up to the wire supports on the wall.

After you have trained the main stems into a basic fan shape, you can use secateurs to prune off any weak or twiggy growth that doesn’t contribute to the main framework.

The end result is a well-planted climber.

Generally. There are so many products lined up now to take off the hard physical work in the garden that most of us would be crazy not to seek help. And then there’s the opportunity of when shopping around to treat ourselves to a little luxury so when it comes to gardening it is not all hard work and no pleasure.

At Country Gardener we are always on the loot out for great products and fresh ideas so here’s a few to help take the strain.

High quality garden products from Somerlap Somerlap offers a wide range of natural high-quality garden products that are both competitively priced and built to last. Their timber is sourced sustainably with many of the products proudly made in Somerset.

Since 1991 they’ve been crafting their own quality garden products at a five-acre site in Mark. Alongside own creations,they carefully select and stock complementary garden products from trusted manufacturers.

As a fully employee-owned business, they are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service and aftercare. A knowledgeable team is also on hand to offer advice and help design bespoke outdoor living solutions tailored to your needs.

Wells Road, Blackford Rd, Mark, Highbridge TA9 4NR Tel: 01278 641671 www.somerlap.co.uk

The art of controlling shrubs and climber this summer You must control your shrubs and climbers over the next few months if you want the best displays in borders. Not doing so will ruin the look of many wonderful plants left to collapse and never be able to show off their best looks. The most efficient and professional way is using Rivelin Glen Products which have been uniquely designed through Wire Anchors. They are quick and easy to attach to concrete posts without drilling) to act as an ‘eye’ by threading wire through them to create a trellis system.

The Gripping Trellis System is ideal to use with the anchors as the wire does not stretch, takes up to 100kg load with one length of wire and two tensioners. So, this means an end to sore hands and sagging wires. Rivelin Glen Products are the main stockists of he Gripple Trellising system. Price: Wire Anchors from £10.50 for a pack of three. Starter Kit £20.25.

Details available at: www.rivelinglenproducts.com Email: info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk Tel: 01246 462666

QUALITY GARDEN PRODUCTS

01278 641671 www.somerlap.co.uk Wells Road, Mark, Somerset TA9 4NR

We deliver to BA, BS and TA postcodes

At Somerlap our range of quality garden products is both competitively priced and built to last. Our timber comes from sustainable sources with many of our products made in Somerset.

Concrete Post Fixings (Wire Anchors) & Easy Trellising System Quick & Easy Solution to fix wires to concrete posts NO DRILLING - simply clamp the two halves together Three sizes to fit most concrete posts

FREE UK DELIVERY

Wire Anchor

Main Stockists of Gripple Trellising

Wire Anchor with Gripple Trellising System

Speak to us about our installation service

Visit our website to view our other gardening accessories and gift ideas www.rivelinglenproducts.co.uk info@rivelinglenproducts.co.uk 01246 462666 22

Fencing Garden Furniture Country Gardener

Gates

Sheds

Decking

Firewood

PUZZLE TIME

Crossword

Unscramble

WIN £100 IN RHS GIFT TOKENS Our popular gardening themed crossword is compiled by Saranda which over the past year has become enormously popular with readers. The winning entry to be drawn by us will receive £100 of RHS gift tokens. Completed entries should be sent to Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD. Closing date Friday 25th July. The May issue winner was Pauline McFadden, Bridgwater.

Fill in the missing letter to identify six well known apple varieties.

1. _O_ _ / _E_B_

2. C_ _’S / _O_A_A

1

3. _G_E_O_T / _U_S_ _

2

3

4

5. _ _L_E_ / _E_I_ _O_S

6. _ R A _ _ _ / S _ I _ _

Quizzing Dozen

Twelve questions to test your knowledge

2.

7

Which best-selling author was appointed president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England?

The Rosebay Wiilowherb has another name which relates to how it was found on bomb sites. What is it?

3.

Wittern, whiggen and quickbeam are west country dialects for which tree?

4.

In English folklore a tod is a traditional name for which animal?

5.

Which aromatic herb gives the distinctive flavour to Earl Grey tea?

6.

Which flower is known as Poor Man’s Weather and Scarlet Pimpernel because its scarlet flowers usually open at 8am and close about 3pm?

12

8

9

10

15

18

One popular plant is claimed to prevent a drunkard from drinking. What is it?

8.

According to folklore which nut placed in your pocket prevents rheumatism?

9.

How does this quotation continue; ‘ The best place to seek God is in a garden.’

10.

There are many varieties of poppy grown in our gardens but which one is notorious for its narcotic properties?

11.

12.

Word Search This month's Word Search features British birds BLACKBIRD BLACKCAP BULLFINCH CANADA GOOSE COAL TIT COOT CORMORANT DUNNOCK FIELDFARE GREENFINCH HERON HOUSE MARTIN JACKDAW JAY KESTREL KINGFISHER LINNET LITTLE GREBE MAGPIE MALLARD NIGHTINGALE RED START ROBIN STARLING SWIFT TERN WAXWING WOODPECKER WREN

Answers

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22

20

23

24

25 27

28

29

30

31 32 33

34 35

36

37

40

Roses are soon damaged by greenfly but there is one herb which can help as a companion plant. Which is it?

Which well known herb when found flourishing in a garden is said to indicate that the lady of the house is in charge?

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26

7.

13

14

17

1.

6

4. _I_C_V_ _Y 11

The Country Gardener

5

41

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ACROSS 1. A prominent Canadian symbol representing their national tree (5, 4) 6. Having a frame or structure of latticework (9) 11. The female organs of a flower comprising the stigma, style and ovary (6) 12. A young branch or sucker in botany (5) 13. More than one fried egg flower? (8) 14. An air letter (10) 15. Prunus dulcis, known for its blossom and nuts (6, 4) 17. Amazon tree that yields a milky juice (10) 20. "The _______ and crooked cedar knees" Longfellow's "The Building of the Ship" (7) 22. A clarified butter used in Indian cooking (4) 23. Popular fruit that won first prize in a competition in 1885 (10, 5) 26. An agave plant used for intoxicating drinks (6) 28. Canvas sheets used to keep the sun or rain off a shop window (7) 29. Genus of plants to which the stinging nettle belongs (6) 30. Gave the game away by upsetting the vegetables! (7, 3, 5) 31. A tropical African tree which bears oily nuts (4) 33. Sour or bitter (7) 34. A device used in heraldry meaning flower of the lily in French (5-2-3) 36. To censure or reprimand (10) 37. Taberaemontana crassa (5, 5) 40. A tree endemic to Easter Island within the Sophora genus (8) 42. A small New Zealand tree, Melicytus ramiflorus (5) 43. To preserve a corpse from decay using chemicals (6) 44. The state of having cracks or chinks (9) 45. The false rhubarb (9) DOWN 1. A cereal plant that yields sweetcorn (5) 2. The stalk of a leaflet of a compound leaf (9) 3. A grasslike flowering plant of the pondweed family (8) 4. Where Rose of England won the Oaks? (5) 5. One of the three main herbs used in making absinthe (8, 6)

UNSCRAMBLE: 1. LORD DERBY, 2. COX’S POMANA, 3. EGREMONT RUSSET, 4. DISCOVERY, 5. GOLDEN DELICIOUS, 6. GRANNY SMITH QUIZZING DOZEN: 1. Bill Bryson, 2. Fireweed, 3. Rowan or Mountain Ash, 4. A fox as in Beatrice Potter’s Tale of Mr Tod, 5. Bergamot, 6. Anagallis arvensis, 7. White Heather, 8. Nutmeg, 9. ‘You can dig for him there’ -G.B. Shaw, 10. Papaver somniferum, 11. Chives 12. Rosemary

www.countrygardener.co.uk

38

45

6.

Common name of Hypericum androsaemum (6) 7. The seed-bearing head of a cereal plant (3) 8. Having the characteristics of a specific type of legume fruit (12) 9. A line of trees or shrubs planted to protect an area of crops (11) 10. The culmination of a road with no exit (4, 3) 16. To be incoherent or impossible to understand (4, 2, 5) 18. A pile or mound of burnt waste (3, 4) 19. A list of proper names of people and places often with etymologies (11) 21. Common name of Amaranthus hypochondriacus (7, 7) 24. A garden featuring large stones with plants growing among them (7) 25. The fruits of the genus Sambucus (12) 27. A tall North American herb, Veronicastrum virginicum (7, 4) 31. Jasione montana or blue bonnets (6-3) 32. A genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae (8) 33. Common name of creeper Glechoma hederacea (7) 35. Himalayan balsam or policeman's ______! (6) 38. Genus to which oats belong (5) 39. Syringa is the genus to which this popular plant belongs (5) 41. John Keats wrote one to a nightingale (3) Answers from previous issue, June 2025: C A T S T A

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A H R N S P R A U N C Y

H O T T E N T O T F

I G

C A O S C A R E R

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Y R

A I M L G A O W G B U F F A L O G R A S S H A Y R I

N O C K S

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H E M E A R A R

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N V S C R E E A M A R C L A M P S L

A I N O P E N N N L Y S A N D E

Y A S E S A P S R A

A R O A S L E U R I A C L I S T O G A M Y T R U C E O F G O D I P E G I G B E E O I A L O E L E T T U C E S A B E L E S S H O H I R P U D H J A M E S M A S O N R O S A C E E L U E E I O K B T M A I L C A R T P A R E I R A B R A V A B L H A R F S A E N N L O I R E T O E T O E F L O R I G E N I E R E A W E R U I C U S T A R D A P P L E

E N D Y M I O N

23

WATER FEATURE

A water haven for wildlife THE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN EARLY SUMMER HAVE CAST MORE EYES ON WATER FEATURES BUT IT’S REALLY THE WILDLIFE WHICH WILL BENEFIT All ponds will attract wildlife, but there are several easy ways to make a new or existing pond even more wildlife friendly. And that is the aim with most gardeners.

The larger the pond, the more wildlife it will attract. But size isn’t everything – even a mini pond in a pot will provide a habitat and water source for plenty of small creatures. Ideally, aim for a depth of eight inches to two feet which varies across the pond, as this will suit the majority of pond flora and fauna.

A pond doesn’t just work in isolation, it’s part of a network of habitats around your garden. Help wildlife move between these areas by letting grass grow along one edge of the pond (tall grass gives perfect cover for young toads and frogs leaving the pond), growing some denser shrubs nearby (so birds can approach the pond safely, with cover from predators such as sparrowhawks) and keeping at least one section of the pond edge open and sunny to allow for basking reptiles such as grass snakes.

If your pond contains fish, chances are it will also have a pump and filter system, to help keep the water clear. A wildlife pond doesn’t need a filter, but you may wish to keep the pump, to run a cascade or fountain, for instance. Just make sure the pump has a ‘wildlife protection system’ to prevent tadpoles and other small pondlife being sucked into it.

Water features enhance any garden, providing ornamental interest, soothing sound and a habitat for wildlife.

And don’t forget, a pond is not your only option – wildlife will make use of all kinds of water features in a garden, from a simple bird bath to a rain garden.

Adding a garden water feature needn’t cost a fortune. Something as simple as an attractive garden water bowl can make a real impact, reflecting light and neighbouring plants. Calming trickling sounds can be generated by a rill or fountain, while a pond will allow you to grow aquatic plants and provide a home for newts, frogs and dragonflies.

Water rills are shallow channels that provide a flow of water from one area to another. Their flow provides a constant tranquil noise, and they can suit any garden.

Pouring jug water features such as a terracotta olive jar have a romantic, classical feel to them. Purpose-made jugs with a hole for the pump to discreetly slot into are easy to find and they can be either be free-standing features that pour into a bowl, or used as a starting point for rills, pouring into a pond or even a swimming pool.

Your garden, in every season.

A POND BRINGS BEAUTY, CALM AND CONNECTION – THROUGH SPRING, SUMMER AND BEYOND. A pond adds real value – not just in how your garden looks, but in how it feels. From peaceful moments in spring to quiet reflection in winter, water creates a space you’ll enjoy all year round.

With OASE, building your own pond is simple. Our high-quality products and expert guidance help you create something built to last – and made to enjoy.

Build once. Enjoy forever.

Scan and learn more today.

01256 896 886 enquiries@oase.com www.oase.com/gb-en/lifestyle/diy.html

24

Country Gardener

OASE EXPERTS IN CREATING A POND OF QUALITY In every season, a pond adds something special to your garden — not just in appearance, but in how it makes you feel. Water brings stillness in summer, reflection in winter, and moments of calm all year round.

It’s a simple addition that opens the door to nature. Whether you’re drawn to a peaceful wildlife haven or a striking water feature, a pond can transform your garden into a place of beauty and connection.

And with OASE, creating your own pond is easier than you might think. From pre-formed ponds to filters, pumps and expert advice, we have everything you need to get started.

If you’ve been dreaming of adding a pond, now’s the time to explore what’s possible.

Build once. Enjoy forever.

BE INSPIRED: oase.com/gb-en/lifestyle/small-water-worlds.html’

Will your indoor garden survive while you’re off

soaking up the sun?

Most houseplants will tolerate a few days’ absence without suffering, but absences of more than a week call for some creative measures to provide moisture in the right quantity The good news: you don’t have to choose between your love of travel and your love of greenery. Whether you’re heading to the beach for a week or exploring further afield, there are plenty of resilient houseplants that thrive with minimal attention.

Keeping your plants alive for up to three weeks without watering also should be no problem - reduce the light, and give them a source of water. The first part, reducing the light, is easy - just move them away from the windows - the less light falling on the leaves, the less water the plant will use.

There are lots of ways to provide more water. You can try either of the ‘self-watering’ system they will work for the short term that you’ll be gone. The reason you won’t want to use them all the time is that they keep the soil wet all the time, which can lead to problems with root rot and plants do better when the soil is allowed to dry somewhat between waterings.

If your plants are in pots with drainage holes all you need to do is set the pots into some kind of water catching liner (you can get plastic ones in most gardening stores,) then water enough that there is a runoff in the liners of two or three inches. This, coupled with moving the plants away from the windows, should be enough to keep them just fine for three weeks. Some people just set their plants in the bathtub with a couple of inches of water.

Indeed, you’ll probably have to let the soil dry out before you water again when you come home.

Mulch the soil

6. Succulents & Cacti - Succulents and cacti are nature’s desert dwellers. They store water in their leaves or stems and can go weeks without a drink. Just be sure they’re in well-draining soil and placed near a bright window.

7. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) - While it

Covering plants with a clear plastic bag Use this method for short-term absences only. Place a clear plastic bag over your plant and seal it closed. This allows water vapour to be collected and recycled by the plant. Keep the sides of the bag out of contact with the plant by supporting the bag with canes.

Here’s the real survivors when it comes to being left;

1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) - Also known as ‘Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,’ this architectural plant is practically indestructible. Snake plants store water in their thick, upright leaves, making them drought-resistant. They can go two to three weeks without water and tolerate low light, ideal for flats or offices.

2. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) - The ZZ Plant is a favourite among frequent travellers. Its waxy, oval-shaped leaves store moisture, and it thrives in lowlight environments. Even if forgotten for a month, the ZZ will still look healthy and full.

Capillary matting Use this method for collections of smaller pot plants. It may not work with pots that have broken crocks in the bottom.

Place a sheet of capillary matting on the kitchen sink draining board or a suitable surface next to the bath. Drape one end of the matting into the sink or bath, which is filled with water. Plants should be grouped on the wet matting, ensuring they make good contact with it by pressing them down slightly. Clay pots need a thorough watering first for them to start drawing up water from the mat.

3. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) - With cascading vines and heart-shaped leaves, Pothos is both beautiful and forgiving. It’s extremely adaptable and can survive inconsistent watering and various lighting conditions. If you’re going away, just give it a good soak before you leave.

4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) -

This resilient plant is known for its long, arching leaves and baby “spiderettes.” It can handle short periods of drought and bounces back quickly from neglect.

5. Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) - True to its name, this plant is nearly unkillable. Native to the forest floors of Japan and Taiwan, it thrives in low light and poor soil, and it’s not fussy about watering. www.countrygardener.co.uk

appreciates regular watering, the Peace Lily is forgiving if you forget now and then. It droops dramatically when thirsty, making it easy to read, and perks back up after a drink.

Must do action before you go 1. Hydrate before you go off.

The last thing to do before you put the luggage in the car and lock the front door is to give all the plants a good watering. On this occasion there won’t be any concerns about over watering

2. Use whatever self-watering systems you have available Options range from DIY bottle spikes to stylish ceramic globes. Try any of your own inventions which will drip fed water over a longer period.

3. Group for humidity Cluster plants together to create a micro-humidity zone. This will help them work together certainly helping the plants which need water the most.

4. Mulch the soil You are trying here to give the plant as much a chance as possible of surviving your absence. A layer of pebbles or moss helps retain moisture but the best thing will be a deep layer of fresh mulch.

5. Move all the plants out of direct sunlight.

This has a number of advantages. It will prevent any scorching and reduces the water evaporation rate. You want to make sure the water you’ve given them lasts as long as possible.

25

GARDEN VISITS

SHANKS HOUSE

GARDENS TO VISIT

Long Lane, Cucklington, Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9QL A new opening for the National Garden Scheme on Saturday 19th July, from 10am until 4pm, is a beautiful five-acre formal garden set in 100 acres of parkland and wildflower meadows, originally designed

by Tom Stuart-Smith, a collection of rooms with a walled garden, cut flowers, vegetable garden, bulb meadows, large pot displays and a glasshouse. A long lime avenue and apple orchards surround the elegant house.

Admission £8, children free.

in July

compiled by Vivienne Lewis It’s high summer - and high time to get out to enjoy other people’s gardens while helping to raise much needed funds for nursing and caring charities, so here’s a varied selection from the areas covered by Country Gardener.

We advise checking wherever possible before starting out on a journey as circumstances can force cancellations of openings in private gardens. www.ngs.org.uk

11 SCHOOL LANE Studland, Swanage, Dorset BH19 3AJ A new opening for the NGS on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July from 11am until 4pm each day, is a coastal cottage garden, close to Old Harry Rocks, located in a quiet leafy lane in the beautiful village of Studland, lovingly restored and developed over the last ten years, including a kitchen garden, areas of lawn surrounded by herbaceous borders, roses and flowering shrubs, old stone pathways, an old bothy, fernery, shrubbery, orchard and small pond. Admission £5, children £2.50.

DEDLEY FARM Ryall, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6EN Is another new opening for the NGS on Sunday 13th July from 12pm until 5pm, a naturalistic garden of about an acre surrounding the house, stunning views of Marshwood Vale and beyond, with a gravel garden, wildflower meadow and borders filled with irises, geraniums, herbs, grasses and roses. A tributary of the River Char winds under the bridge to the orchard; 11 acres including woodland path, orchards with fruit and nut trees and larger wildflower meadow. Admission £5, children free.

BABBS FARM Westhill Lane, Bason Bridge, Highbridge, Somerset TA9 4RF Opening for the NGS on Saturday 12th July, also the weekend of 26th and 27th July, from 2pm until 5pm each day, is a 1½ acre plantsman’s garden on the Somerset Levels, gradually created out of fields surrounding an old farmhouse over last 30 years and still being developed, with several interconnected areas. Trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials planted for form, foliage and shape in big flowing borders.

Admission £8, children free.

HILLTOP Woodville, Stour Provost, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 5LY Opening for two weekends in July for the NGS (19th/20th and 26th/27th, also Sundays 10th and 17th August), a gorgeous riot of colour and scent, the old thatched cottage barely visible amongst the unusual annuals and perennials alongside traditional and familiar flowers, making a fine display attracting an abundance of wildlife. Always something new, now a unique, gothic garden loo. Open 2pm-6pm each open day. Admission £4, children free.

OUR KEY TO FACILITIES:

26

WILLOW GLADE FARM Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5DL Another new opening for the NGS on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July, 11am-4pm both days, the garden has been in development since 2020, divided into two main areas: a vegetable plot with traditional gardening methods plus elements of permaculture and no dig, and a more naturalised garden with a small woodland walk, pond area, apple orchard and wildflower meadow. Admission £5, children free.

Refreshments available

Plants usually for sale

Wheelchair access to much of garden

Partial wheelchair access

Unsuitable for wheelchairs

Dogs on short leads

No dogs allowed

Visitors welcome by arrangement

Coaches welcome consult owners

Accommodation at this venue

Picnics welcome

Country Gardener

1 SANDY LANE Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL53 9BS A new opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th July, from 1.30pm until 5.30pm, is a 1/3 acre shady garden on dry sandy soil with flowering trees and borders planted within the last three years; a variety of foliage plants, raised stone beds round the patio with alpines and smaller bulbs; wisterias and climbers clothe two pergolas with seating areas. Admission £4, children free.

LITTLE ORCHARD Kempley Dymock, Kempley, Dymock, Gloucestershire GL18 2BU Opens for the NGS on Sunday 20th July from 1pm until 5pm, a four-acre wildlife friendly garden with views borrowed from open countryside.

Mature native and specimen trees together with ornamental borders, rose garden and cottage gardens can be explored from the large connecting lawns; ponds, productive apple orchard, woodland, wildflower meadows, ancient horse chestnut.

Seasonal floral interest from annual and perennial planting. Admission £5, children free.

MUSSELBROOK COTTAGE GARDEN Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5PE Opens for the NGS on Friday 18th, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July from 11am until 4.30pm each day, an acre of naturalistic/ wildlife/ plantsman’s sensory garden on a sloping site which is autism friendly, with rare and unusual plants,13 ponds with koi and lilies, stream, a Japanese garden, a Mediterranean garden, wildflower meadow, rhododendrons, acers, hydrangeas, grasses and bamboo. There’s even clock golf! Admission £5, children free.

BISHOP’S WALTHAM GARDENS Free Street, Bishops Waltham, Southampton, Hampshire SO32 1EE Two gardens opening for the NGS on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July, 1pm-5pm each day, in the medieval market town. Albion Cottage is wildlife friendly with a courtyard full of planted ceramic pots, a patio and cottage style side garden with a deep fish pond, paths made from reclaimed paving. Bishop’s Waltham in Bloom, 1st prize for ‘Best Display in a Private Residence’. 9 Colville Drive has an illusion of space by a zig-zagging path that reveals shaded spots hidden from the house’s view; a stream tumbles from rocks between two ponds attracting a variety of wildlife; vivid colours from climbing plants, shrubs, dahlias, and begonias.

Admission £5, children free.

TERSTAN Longstock, Stockbridge, Hampshire SO20 6DW Opening for the NGS on Sunday 20th July, also Sunday 7th September, 2pm-5pm each open day, a garden for all seasons, developed over 55 years into a profusely planted, contemporary cottage garden in peaceful surroundings with a constantly changing display in pots, and many unusual plants.

Admission £5, children free.

CORSLEY HOUSE Corsley, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 7QH Opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th July, from 11am until 5pm, a garden full of surprises to reflect the eclectic nature of a Georgian home with a secret Jacobean facade. A unique sculpted wave lawn and an exceptional walled garden, many well preserved ancient outbuildings including a potting and apple storage shed and a granary built on staddle stones. All gloriously overlooking the National Trust’s Cley Hill. Admission £10, children free.

PRESHUTE LANE GARDENS Preshute Lane, Manton, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4HQ Opening for the NGS on Sunday 27th July, 2p-5pm, three contrasting gardens in a picturesque village.

Peacock Cottage has sweeping lawns with large colourful herbaceous beds, rose bed, mature trees, parterre, wildflower area and an exotic bed making a lush, tropical oasis. Greentrees has an eclectic mix of herbaceous and shrub borders, trees, raised flower bed and secret seating areas. The Old Post Office is a thatched house with a contemporary and pretty small courtyard, a raised flower bed and private seating area. Combined admission £10, children free.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

27

GARDEN VISITS

TIME OFF

HIGHER LOCRENTON St Keyne, Liskeard, Cornwall PL14 4RN Opening for the NGS on Sunday 13th July, 2pm-5pm, set in two acres on a hillside, the rump of a former dairy farm developed over the past 30 years, part parkland, part ‘plantsman’ in style, featuring a wide variety of trees, shrubs and perennials, informally divided into a number of themed beds. Admission £5, children free.

Diary events from clubs and organisations in

THE COTSWOLDS Welcome to our July Time off and details of gardening club and association events and meetings over the next few weeks throughout the Cotswolds. This is a free service in Country Gardener and if you would like to take advantage of it and give events some publicity then email details to us at editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

July 1ST Snitterfield Garden Club MONTHLY MEETING Details on 07831 178864

BRIDGE NURSERY Tomlow Road, Napton, Southam, Warwickshire CV47 8HX

10TH

Opens for the NGS every weekend in July, August and September, 10am-4pm each day.

Clay soil can be challenging but here’s an acre of garden with an exciting range of plants thriving in hostile conditions. Grass paths round borders filled with many unusual plants, a pond and bamboo grove complete with panda! A peaceful haven for wildlife and visitors. Admission £3.50, children free.

Cheltenham Horticultural Society ‘THE FRAGRANT GARDENER’ - PIP SMITH Details on 01242 691135 16TH Winchcombe Gardening Club

‘INNOVATION AND AUTOMATION IN PRODUCING PLANTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY’ - IAN SADLER Details on 07836 297168 17TH Newent Gardening Club

MEMBERS BBQ AT LOWLANDS, STARDENS Details on 01531 820761 26TH

CRUGSILLICK MANOR Ruan High Lanes, Truro, Cornwall TR2 5LJ Opening for the NGS on Sunday 13th July from 11am until 5pm, a two-acre garden, substantially relandscaped and planted; a wooded bank drops down to a walled kitchen garden and hot garden. In front, sweeping yew hedges and paths define oval lawns and broad mixed borders. On a lower terrace, a large pond with exotic flowering trees and shrubs. Admission £5, children free.

Wickhamford Gardening Club

MONTHLY MEETING Details on 07729 813 062

DO YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU’D LIKE TO PUBLICISE?

It’s free!

Cotswolds

IVY CROFT Ivington Green, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0JN Opening for the NGS on Wednesdays throughout July (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th) also in August, September and October, see NGS website above. A wide range of plants, blending with the countryside and providing wildlife habitat, the cottage surrounded by borders, raised beds, trained pear trees and containers; paths lead to the wider garden with mixed borders, vegetables framed with espalier apples. Admission £5, children free.

Issue No 177

JULY 2021

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HIGHLIGHTS

Flower Crown the Queen’s Inspired by on official birthday of the day the second 12 festival, Saturday, a Giant June, we have on display, the Floral Crown talented folk from the with created by of Floral Art, globally British Academy sourced from Whetmans British blooms you Devon nursery, renowned Farm. Plus from the and Flowers a floral workshop voucher for skills of can win a flower-arranging to learn nifty CASTLE COURTYARD your own.

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watch Watch out, out - the topiary’s about!

Castle, Kenton,

Nr Exeter

hire owerHsamps cfroumtyofl ur garden Sustainable

in the Garden

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WIN

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Powderham

Higher Beings Hurray! The high both as 10ft are back and also in stilt-walkers as life-size disguise dressed bushes. green topiary

CHANCE TO

garden gear

Friday 11 & FESTIVAL

Up! & Sunnyside Musicians Mama Pik’s

worth £210 South DCW, the waste to welcome We are proud independent commercial as a 2021 Head to the West’s leadingand recycling company, management Artisan Barn the first waste to Landfill management DCW was a Zero for tasters festival sponsor.South West to offer waste to in the processing and tipples company are. At the the only company be recycled, from our solution and materials that can furniture all of outdoor fabulous ensure that is launching a range win a piece and you can the festival festival, DCW from waste plastic enter stand and sponsor, made entirely Visit DCW’s Sharpham from the collection.

VILLAGE GARDEN Cheese. competition.

NEW Here you some artisan chops round Zone can get your enjoy the coffee corner Wood Crafts brush Heritage Devon cheese, Goose who make ecobasket and 2021, our Blue along with NEW FOR skills, including handmade from hosted by traditional coffee capsules, as well skeps, all celebrates at work, compostable and ground coffee, supports and craftspeople soft making, plant delicious roast and sieves, Meet talented award-winning making riddles Sharpham natural materials. as buy Sharpham’s Overthrow and Robbie of The cheeses and on what Vix including Steve and semi-ripe advice and Jane Welsh, home, all handmade bee keeping basket maker Wine to take Estate, at Ashprington, and John Williamson art Kitchen, sharing more about Foraging the ancient the Sharpham from the hedgerow Want to know all here, you can gather Woodcraft demonstrating It’s near Totnes.

STREET/LAKESIDE wine pairings? how about from Dartmoor BEYOND FEAST cheese and charcoal. foodie-curious, Don’t miss! of making and, for the coffee pairings? cheese and THE BARN

Sharpham

Saturday 12

June 10am-5pm

HIGHLIGHTS

from Exhibitors West all over the Country offering fantastic for products the garden and home

the growers Learn from Gardener - the Country Tent will Speakers from leading host talks and nurserymen the women over two days

range a wonderful as food – enjoy and drink Food gloriousWest Country food the festival of tempting you enjoy

back the We are welcoming band, Sunny brilliant ukulele set to return for also playing Side Up (are of the festival If you both days old favourites.there will a range of on a ukulele, fancy a go to get hands-on also be a chance noise yourself. some and make CASTLE COURTYARD/VARIOUS

Plant bargains the as some of top country’s nurseries specialist high parade their quality plants Plus music demonstrations and displays

a has been Festival it! The year’s Garden finally made well, this only too delighted glad we’ve and I are we’re so As you know coming, and family of exhibitors long time lovely at Powderham. festival team, our drink, festival for our 7th food and your garden! you back plants for West Country to invite gorgeous setting, wonderful with lots of zone lakeside go away Woodcrafts Enjoy the sure you and make a new Heritage Tag us in your including live music, birthday. craft too, for HM’s inspiring loads of flower crown We have commissioned in the and a specially garden day to be a great Courtenay. selfies @tobygardenfest!

AJ GUIDE-MAP what’s sure FESTIVAL bump on Charlie and YOUR FULL for an elbow our generous hosts, See you of WHO’S EXHIBITING back yard AND PROFILES brilliant

to Toby’s INSIDE: Guide 11th , INSIDE & 12th Garden Festival ham Castle June at Powder

DIRECTIONS

YOU SAFE

line with secure in they are COVID-19 and guidance. of walkways Government the width stands to CAN HELP? We have increased from HOW YOU between exhibition the event social distancing around the distance to navigate and staff wherever Practise appropriate make it easier distancing. exhibitors social other visitors, and keep space, with hands possible. a larger theatre maintain and/or wash We have createdto ensure everyone can Use the hand-sanitiser limited numbersdistance from each other. regularly. an appropriate exit points. you are displaying entry and not visit if be separate Please do There will cleaning of of which include: thorough symptoms around be frequent, touch points There will toilets and • A high temperature. public areas, cough. of smell the venue.

• A new, continuous remind visitors to, your sense entrance to where or change There is signage • A loss of, rules including of the Government’s should be worn. or taste. to wait a may have facemasks the to time you for your and when be all over From time be we ask stations will own to be served bit longer Hand sanitiser have their understanding. traders will patience and venue and

signs. If you brown tourist it may direct CASTLE, have a SATNAV back of 8JQ POWDERHAM the you you around EXETER EX6 Make sure KENTON, leave Powderham. the South A379.

BY CAR From ‘Wobbly Wheel stay on the the is a direct the the A38 at merge onto

BY RAIL There David’s Exeter St Junction’ and Dawlish). service from Powderham A379 (signposted miles to Starcross.

Barton than two exit At the Marsh Castle is less You have the take the 3rd Roundabout then at the from Starcross bus catching the onto the A379 take the option of and Matford Roundabout from here. the A379 the No 2 Castle 2nd exit onto Powderham

BY BUS Take Exeter/ follow the bus from is signs.

Stagecoach The bus stop brown tourist Newton Abbot. entrance at the North Leave From the and right outside drive. For latest junction 30 the the M5 at the top of Exeter please visit proceed towards At the timetables A379. joining the take www.stagecoachbus.com Matford Roundabout onto the A379 the 1st exit then to Dawlish Castle signposted Powderham follow the

or by post to: Mount House, Halse, Taunton, TA4 3AD

; g great peonies k Toby x rdenfest.co.u visits; Growin garden; www.tobyga to NGS garden water in your welcome back Peat free; Managing way; Plus: A warm 2021 FREE the low carbon out in Devon No 126 March Gardening Issue garden days Glass Rooms At last - great ce Carports & an dispensers. have undertaken to ensure All our exhibitors risk assessment enhanced

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TREE SPECIALIST

FUNGI WHICH ARE

NOT ‘FUN GUYS’ Mark Hinsley takes a look at the changing views on how fungi, once believed to be a total problem for tree health can now play a role in the life of the tree, but there are a couple of problem fungi that must be dealt with

In the 1970s it was standard practice that if a fungal bracket appeared on a tree trunk the tree was immediately condemned as dangerous and felled.

In recent years our understanding of fungi and the key roles they play in the life of a tree has increased and evolved. We now recognise the importance of mycorrhizal fungi as an integral part of the function of a tree’s root system, the importance of some parasitic fungi in assisting the tree with canopy management and the removal of failing branches, and the need for butt decay fungi to allow the tree to recycle trunk wood which no longer has a vital role in the structural integrity of the tree.

We deal with tree risk management and the sight of a ganoderma bracket or fistulina on an oak, meripulus on beech, or laetiporus on yew does not have us calling up the operative with the big chainsaw. We have trees which have lived with these fungi to our knowledge for more than 20 years and are still going strong.

However, one size does not fit all, and there are a couple of guys on the block with whom one does not take liberties.

Inonotus hispidus (Shaggy Polypore). This fungus appears on broadleaf species including London plane, apple, walnut and elm, but it is on ash where you really have to sit up and take notice. It is not always an easy fungus to spot because the bracket usually appears high in the canopy of the tree; this is what is known as a ‘top rot’ fungus. Textbooks will give you nice close-up photos of the bracket; brown and white when young, almost black when old, but the reality is you are usually looking at a dark silhouette 20 ft above your head.

Inonotus weakens the wood of ash at an early stage of decay. Its presence on this species often indicates that breakage of the affected branch of trunk could be imminent (Lonsdale).

If you have Inonotus hispidus in your ash tree, get on to your tree surgeon. If you have a Tree Preservation Order

or are in a conservation area, inform your local council, but don’t hang about in doing so. Also – don’t try to use the timber – if infected timber is used for traditional ash products such as axe or hammer handles, it is inclined to shatter on impact.

Kretzschmaria deusta, formerly known as Ustulina deusta (Brittle Cinder Fungus). This one is sneaky. It is not a basidiomycete, which are the ones that produce nice big brackets for all to see It is an ascomycete, which are not that obvious at all. The fruiting bodies start out as flat grey patches with a white edge and then mature to areas of black crust which looks as if it has been scorched. The fruiting bodies are often located between the buttresses of the tree and can be hidden by vegetation around the base.

It attacks several broadleaf species but is most found on lime and beech.

It rapidly makes the trunk wood brittle and liable to shatter and collapse. Because of its brittleness it is often not detected by ultra-sound or resistance drill methods of tree assessment. Of the two species it tends to attack it seems to cause most failures in beech.

If other more obvious fungi are also present, they probably get the blame and the kretzschmaria, the real cause, goes undetected.

However Identification can be tricky – there are some lichens that can look similar, but once you know you have it, the tree must be felled.

Editorial

Magazines

Mark Hinsley, of Mark Hinsley Arboricultural Consultants Ltd, offering tree consultancy services. www.treeadvice.info

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Publisher & Editor: Alan Lewis alan@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01823 431767

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The Country Gardener magazines are distributed FREE at Nurseries, garden centres, National Trust Properties, open gardens, garden machinery specialists, country stores and farm shops in each county. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or made available in any form, without the written permission of the copyright holder and Publisher, application for which should be made to the Publisher. Unsolicited material: do not send or submit your only version of manuscripts and/or photographs/transparencies to us as these cannot be returned to you. While every care is taken to ensure that material submitted is priced accurately and completely, we cannot be responsible or liable for any loss or damage suffered.

Views and/or opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Country Gardener or the Publisher. Printed by Mortons Print Ltd, Morton Way, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, LN9 6JR.

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