Hampshire Country Gardener September 2019

Carnivorous plants

Late season gardens to visit

Organic control for your lawn

September days out and events throughout Hampshire

Hampshire ISSUE NO 117 SEPTEMBER 2019 FREE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

The all

rounders

HOW CHRYSANTHEMUMS BECAME AVAILABLE all year

WHO GIVES a fig!

Recipe and growing ideas

Two great competitions: WIN A GLAMOROUS GARDENING TRIP TO THE ISLES OF SCILLY WE’VE 50 PAIRS OF TICKETS FOR YOU TO VISIT KNOLL GARDENS GA R DE N

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Country Gardener

Up Front!

“In the garden September is indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil” - Rose Kingsley “September – spring flowers are long since gone, summer’s bloom hangs limp on every terrace and the gardeners feet drag a bit on the dusty path and the hinge in his back is full of creaks” OUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GARDENING CALENDAR OVER THE COMING WEEKS IN HAMPSHIRE

Take tea with the Rare Tea Lady

STYLISH ARLESFORD AGRICULTURAL SHOW RETURNS

Henrietta Lovell is known around the world as the Rare Tea Lady.

She left a successful career in corporate finance to found the Rare Tea Company in 2004. She buys rare and special harvests from tea growers around the world and had had many adventures along the way. She is visiting the 400-acre Heckfield Place on Saturday, 7th September from 3.30pm to 5.30pm when you can join her for cocktails and the insight on specialist teas. Tickets at £65 include a copy of her new book ‘Infused’. Tickets available from www.heckfieldplace.com Heckfield Place, Heckfield, Hampshire RG27 0LD.

VEGAN STREET SUNDAYS AT HAROLD HILLIER GARDENS The huge growth of interest in vegan food hasn’t been missed by the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens. The popular Hampshire gardens are running a series called Vegan Street Food Sunday. The next event is on Sunday, August 25th starting at 12 noon when vegan food options are hoisted outside in the scenic courtyards. There’s no need to book but the event is popular so get there early.

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Jermyn’s Lane, Ampfield, Romsey SO51

Exbury Gardens hosts nature inspired exhibition The wonders of the New Forest provide some of the inspiration for a unique collection of art called ‘Look Twice’ which will be exhibiting at Exbury Gardens through to Sunday, 15th September. Eleven artists will be showing their work based on well known Hampshire landmarks including local beaches, harbours – and Exbury Gardens. Tickets free with gardens admission to Exbury.

Exbury Gardens, Summer Lane, Exbury, Southampton SO45 1AZ.

- Louis Seymour Jones

If you are looking for a day out in early September then the one day Arlesford Agricultural Show could be an excellent choice. It’s a stylish show in a picturesque Hampshire town near Winchester which promises to inform, entertain and interest visitors. It takes place on Saturday, September 14th and is a traditional show with plenty for gardeners with shopping, plant and crafts stalls and lots of free entertainment. There will be plenty of free parking. Adults £15, children 11 to 16 £5.

Tichborne, Alresford SO24 0NE.

Longstock Water Gardens open until September 15th There’s still time to enjoy the wonderfully colourful and inspirational water gardens on the Leckford Estate in Stockbridge which opens its Water Garden for charity during the year and is open until Sunday, 15th September. The Longstock Park Water Garden open days benefit local charities in and around Hampshire and are open daily from1pm to 4pm.

Longstock Park Water Garden, Leckford Estate, Stockbridge SO20 6EH.

Romsey Show promises to be a record breaker The Romsey Show, one of the largest one-day country shows in the south, is back on Saturday, 14th September and promises again to be a great Hampshire day out. The attraction for gardeners is as strong as ever with a vibrant horticultural tent, specialist nurseries selling plants and shrubs, floral art displays, an arts and crafts tent and the WI tent with a recycling and environmental theme. The Countryside Area features everything from dog agility to butterfly and bat conservation.

Tickets on the gate are £17.50 (£14.50p online at www.romseyshow.co.uk Entry is free for children under 11.

Broadlands Park, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 9ZE.

The October issue of Country Gardener will be available on Friday, 20th September www.countrygardener.co.uk

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A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN HAMPSHIRE

Exbury’s Centenary Garden proves a hit with visitors There’s still a few weeks left for visitors to enjoy the new Centenary Garden at Exbury Gardens which marks 100 years since the banker and plantsman Lionel de Rothschild founded the now world-famous New Forest landmark.

The Prince of Wales has now officially opened the new garden, which was designed by RHS Chelsea Gold medallist and Lionel de Rothschild’s great-grandaughter Marie-Louise Agius. The garden is contemporary with subtle nods to the family history and focuses on late flowering summer perennials and has been planted with a particular focus on mid to late summer. It was planted two years ago in an old tennis court, almost at the centre of Exbury Gardens, and was carefully hidden from public view whilst it grew and matured.

Now open to visitors, its scores of beautiful shrubs, climbers and perennials are in full bloom, providing a peaceful and fragrant spot for the public to explore.

Marie-Louise called it: “A garden within the gardens that was both different from and yet complemented the existing garden.�

Visitors can get the chance to learn about the extraordinary story behind this garden which was originally created over just 20 years before the outbreak of World War Two in a special exhibition next to the main entrance and ticket office. An official history book will also be published later in the year.

During the summer formal opening of the garden, Prince Charles was given a tour of the new garden and unveiled a commemorative plaque. He also met members of the Rothschild family, part of the PC Landscapes team and Exbury gardeners and volunteers.

The garden is open until Sunday 3rd November.

Exbury Gardens, The Exbury Estate, Exbury, Southampton SO45 1AZ.

Exbury’s new Centenary Garden

Last Night of the Proms at Harold Hillier Gardens You can take a picnic along to the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens on Saturday, 7th September when the famous arboretum and gardens hosts Hampshire’s own Last Night of the Proms with the Southampton Concert Orchestra featuring music by Elgar, Parry and more. The concert which starts at 7.30pm costs £20 for adults and £11.50 for two to 16’s. Booking is essential.

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Jermyn’s Lane, Ampfield, Romsey. SO51 0QA.

RHS Rosemoor has treat in store for cyclamen lovers

Lovers of cyclamens from a wide area of the southwest have a treat in store with a new event at RHS Garden Rosemoor on Saturday, 14th and Sunday 15th celebrating the popular perennial flowering plant.

Visitors should find inspiration for their autumn and winter garden.

The weekend includes advice from specialist growers plus demonstrations, talks and specimens to buy, including sought after species.

Visitors can also enjoy an exhibition of watercolours specially commissioned from Pandora Sellars and Christabel King for the society’s book Genus Cyclamen plus displays of photographs from the field studies, antique cyclamen botanical art and cyclamen postage stamps. Normal garden prices apply.

RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH. And for further cyclamen treats Jo Hynes of Higher Cherubeer garden nearby is opening her National Collection of Cyclamen on Sunday,15th September from 11am to 4pm.

Higher Cherubeer, Dolton, Winkleigh EX19 8PP. www.countrygardener.co.uk

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GARDENERS’ CUTTINGS IN HAMP SHIRE

ROADKILL SURVEY TO HELP MAMMAL CONSERVATION Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling on people throughout Hampshire to record sightings of mammals, dead or alive, as part of its annual Mammals on Roads survey.

The Trust believes Hampshire to be particularly important in its survey and is asking families on summer holidays or day trips, to record sightings of mammals and submit the records via the free Mammals on Roads app – available on Apple and Android smartphones via Google Play and the App Store. The data collected helps conservationists to see where conservation action is needed most and for which species.

David Wembridge, mammal surveys coordinator, explained: “Thanks to the volunteers who’ve submitted records we found out that hedgehog numbers are plummeting. Now, we’re doing everything we can to help this species, but we wouldn’t have known they were in trouble without volunteers helping us.”

The wild mammals you’re more likely to spot from your vehicle include hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, foxes and deer, but there are dozens of other mammals in Britain, so keep your eyes peeled for some of lesser seen wild neighbours too, such as stoats and otters.

Pippa Greenwood joins the Plant Fairs Roadshow at Borde Hill Garden Some of the UK’s leading plant nurseries will be returning to Borde Hill Garden in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, for the Plant Fair Roadshow on Sunday, 15th September.

Garden lovers will be able to select plants from a host of the UK’s finest growers including RHS Chelsea Flower Show multi-award winning nurseries - Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, Daisy Roots, Graham Blunt’s Plantbase, Phoenix Plants, Blackstem Plants and Beechbridge Plants.

Visitors to the Borde Hill Garden event can also receive a variety of interesting advice from gardening experts throughout the day.

Those gardeners suffering from pesky pests in their garden are invited to take along their questions along to BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time panellist and plant pathologist, Pippa Greenwood, who will be providing a talk at 3pm on ‘Keeping Pests at Bay the Natural Way’.

Quentin Stark, the head gardener from Hole Park will also be on hand as the resident Plant Doctor, diagnosing plant problems and issuing advice to gardeners.

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Country Gardener

Beatrix Potter theme at Steeple Ashton

Petra Brown and Sue, Lady Geddes, with Peter Rabbit

St Mary’s Church in the village of Steeple Ashton will have Beatrix Potter as one of the themes for its two day Harvest Festival over the weekend of Saturday, 21st and Sunday, 22nd September.

Admission to the festival is free and the weekend will include a Beatrix Potter inspired garden.

There’s also children’s competition, a raffle and an auction after the service at St Mary’s on Sunday.

Proceeds will go to Albare Christian Aid and support and Melksham Food bank.

THE HAMPSHIRE HERB CENTRE Culinary, Aromatic, Medicinal & Herbs Just for Fun AT

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Reach a passionate and affluent audience of gardening enthusiasts

Wolvercroft Garden Centre September 2019 • Fabulous display & variety of Cottage Garden Perennials • Over 100 varieties of Clematis grown locally.

• Large selection of plants grown and cared for on site.

• Children’s Gardening area and Wall Arts.

• Range of indoor plants, including cacti and orchids to keep inside looking great!

• Flo Gas (propane, butane and patio/BBQ gas) ready for outdoor living!

We run our own delivery service for all products, just ask in store or ring for details!

Over 100,000 copies

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Our Tea Rooms now have a covered outside area, an open garden or air conditioned inside, to enjoy a drink, cake or a meal!

distributed every month If you would like to advertise your business or service in our Hampshire magazine, please contact ava@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01278 786139

New themed evening events in the Sticky Bun Tea Rooms. The next event is Friday 13th September, with a sharing dining experience, Chinese/Japanese themed!

Fordingbridge Road, Alderholt, SP6 3BE. 01425 652437 www.wolvercroft.co.uk

www.countrygardener.co.uk

7

Sweet potatoes can soon sprawl everywhere

DOWN South America WAY!

Oca and sweet potatoes are attractive, easy to grow plants that can easily find a place in every garden, whether it is in among the ornamentals or tucked away among the veggies

by Elizabeth McCorquodale

Sweet potatoes were introduced into Britain about 100 years before the ‘Irish’ potato reached our shores, although oca is a relative newcomer, making its first European appearance as recently as the 1830s. While both oca and sweet potatoes have enjoyed a continuing and enthusiastic popularity in their native South America, all across Polynesia and down to New Zealand, they have taken a little longer to find a foothold in our kitchens and gardens.

Nowadays we are all familiar with sweet potatoes in the supermarket but even so it is a rare sight in British gardens. This tender, tropical, twinning vine is a perennial in its native Central and South America although it is grown as an annual in colder climates such as ours.

The relationship of sweet potatoes to the beautiful and familiar morning glory is immediately evident when you see the flowers.

If left to themselves with no support sweet potatoes will scramble madly across the soil creating a dense green ground cover studded with the occasional flower but if trained up a decorative support they will provide valuable height in the ornamental vegetable garden.

Flowers aren’t an essential part of the sweet potato growth cycle as Ipomoea batavas, unlike other Ipomoeas, are usually grown from slips 8

Country Gardener

rather than seed. These slips are un-rooted shoots harvested from tubers in autumn or early spring.

The tubers can be sourced from specialist suppliers or bought straight from supermarket shelves.

To encourage the formation of slips wash the sweet potatoes gently but thoroughly to remove any sprout retardant. Lay the tubers on their sides in vermiculite or damp sand in a heated propagator and half cover with more sand or vermiculite, or cut the sweet potatoes in half and suspend them on toothpicks in a jar of water.

Change the water regularly to keep it fresh and ensure it is kept topped up so that the tubers are always in contact with the water. When the slips sprout and have grown to five or six inches long, slice them cleanly off the tuber and plant each slip in good quality compost in a one litre pot and then grow them on until a good root system is established.

It is not a great deal different to growing ordinary potatoes from chits.

Alternatively you can buy slips directly from mail order seed merchants. Upon delivery in mid spring revive the slips with a long drink for 24 hours and then plant them up to their leaf axils in a good compost. After about three weeks they will have grown a good root system and they can then be planted into their permanent home. They like a sunny spot in a sheltered position – a greenhouse bed, a cloche or a moveable coldframe is ideal.

They aren’t fussy about soil as long as it is well drained and warm right from the start. Water

the plants in dry weather and feed them with a high potassium fertiliser fortnightly through the summer and in three to four months you can begin to harvest your first tubers.

In the last few years the popularity of sweet potatoes has vastly increased in this country and for good reason. Sweet potatoes lend themselves to both sweet and savoury dishes and they partner very well with all sorts of other flavours.

Roasted cubes of sweet potatoes with cubes of feta make a delicious quick and easy salad, while the simplest and most delicious of soups can be made by boiling up chopped, scrubbed sweet potatoes in a good vegetable stock with a late addition of a generous spoonful of smoked paprika. Sweet potatoes can be used in any recipe that calls for squash or pumpkin.

Oca, (Oxalis tuberose) a native of the warm slopes of the Andes, is a pretty plant with leaves that are reminiscent of clover and flowers that are reminiscent of celandines. It is hardier than the sweet potato and it can be grown as a perennial in the UK with just a little shelter to coax it through the worst of our winters.

As oca is only harvested at the end of the growing season it is a great plant to include in a potager or in an edible flower garden, and growing only 30cm tall, it makes a fine edging to beds and borders. The edible tubers are formed close to the top of the soil, making harvesting easy.

The tubers resemble ‘Anya’ potatoes in shape, but they come in a pale rainbow of colours ranging from cream through yellow and orange to pinkish red and purple. They are rich in carotene and high in carbohydrates.

Oca is easygoing and trouble free provided it is given a nice warm bed with friable soil. I grow mine in a raised bed in my small potager and overwinter them in situ under a moveable coldframe.

This serves both to protect the overwintering tubers and provides a nice warm start to get them going early in the spring. If you don’t have a coldframe you can start the tubers off in pots in a greenhouse or windowsill and then transfer

them into warm soil when all risk of frost has passed.

As a permanent member of the veg or flower patch oca will grow happily and productively for years, only requiring the patch to be dug up in late autumn to harvest the tubers, with the largest, healthiest ones immediately replanted to grow onto next year’s crops.

In this way I treat them much as I do Jerusalem artichokes. Replace the coldframe or cloche after harvesting and when the weather warms properly in spring remove the frame to use elsewhere in the garden.

No chitting or growing of slips is required for this plant. Simply plant the walnut-sized tubers about 8cm deep in warm soil and away they will go. Oca tubers are usually bought online from seed merchants and specialist suppliers, though they can increasingly be found alongside spring planted bulbs in garden centres and nurseries.

Like the potato Oca can be baked, boiled, mashed and fried, but unlike the potato it can also be eaten raw.

In its raw state Oca has a lovely Top: Sweet potato plants can be lemony flavour and a satisfying trained up stick or cane supports crunch and it makes an excellent Above: Oca is a pretty plant with addition to salads. leaves that look like clover Both sweet potatoes and oca can Below left: Sweet potatoes make be stored for many months in a delicious soups cool, dry, dark spot.

Below right: Roasted and cubed, sweet potatoes are good in salads Prepare them for storage by paired with feta cheese cleaning them and then leave them in a warm, breezy place for a few days to harden the skins. Store them as you would potatoes, inspecting them occasionally to check for rot, and don’t forget to save a few for replanting in the spring.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

9

September gardening

ADVICE

ADV ICE

We delve into the always-plentiful mailbag of queries and questions from Country Gardener readers to help solve gardening and gardening related problems.

I am quite famous in my family for my runner beans but this year has been a disaster. From very early on the season they were slow growing and then the leaves were infected and the crop almost nonexistent. What’s gone wrong this summer?

James Wildman, Salisbury

Here’s how to deal with the problem. Runner beans are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. However, they can get a number of problems and it seems from what you write your crop has been affected by bean rust, which is a fungal disease of the foliage, spread by airborne spores. Infection is sometime worse in wet weather and yours may have been affected by the poor wet weather in May. As summer progresses, tiny brown and then black pustules form on the lower leaf surface, often in great numbers. The black pustules also form on the upper surface. Pods may also be affected.

Heavily infected leaves turn brown and die, and severely affected plants may be stunted. It can also lead to shrivelling and shedding of leaves.

High levels of bean rust tend to develop quite late in the

season (after mid-summer), and often have little effect on yield. However, prolonged spells of wet or humid, Bean rust appears after wet or humid weather warm weather throughout the summer will increase the risk of infection.

• Thin out dense growth on bean crops to help reduce humidity and thus the risk of infection.

• Picking off affected leaves as soon as symptoms are seen should check the development of the disease. Symptoms tend to develop on older leaves first.

• Dispose of (bin or burn) any severely affected plants, as these will produce huge numbers of spores.

• Clear up and dispose of all debris (including fallen leaves) at the end of cropping.

• Do not save seed from rust-affected crops.

I am keen to try and use green manures in my vegetable beds this winter but I’m aware not everyone thinks they are a good idea. What has caused this change of heart from some gardeners and does this now mean they are out of favour?

In principle the large number of green manure options sounds pretty straight forward– just sprinkle some seed on the ground after the main crop has been harvested and then dig the plants in after a few weeks. But in practice there’s a lot more to it and you are right some gardeners have been expressing their concerns.

Green manures work by drawing goodness out of the soil and storing it in the plant’s cells and root nodules. When the plants are then dug back into the soil they rot down and gradually release these nutrients to the next crop in a more readily available form.

Regular use of green manures improves the soil structure, breaking down hard soils and adding organic matter to light soils. Green manures can have other benefits as well. Many of them provide Green manure - good in principle but can be hard work good soil cover, suppressing weed growth and preventing erosion.

Others attract beneficial insects to the garden such as bees and hoverflies which prey on pests like aphids.

Whilst this looks like a wide variety of options, there are some important factors to consider. Firstly, many green manures are great for farmers with machinery to dig in the plants but are not half as easy for gardeners who have to do it by hand.

Well-known organic gardener Bob Flowerdew recommends that you avoid ryes, tares and vetches, fodder radish, and many clovers for exactly this reason. Secondly, not all green manures grow well on all soils. Tares don’t do well on dry or acid soils, clovers prefer light soils and beans prefer heavier ground.

So in summary they are worth a try but it may be down to the choice you make and a recent survey amongst allotment holders suggested the best three green manures as phacelia, poached-egg plant and winter field beans.

Steve Thornton, Collompton

10

Country Gardener

I am a fan of ornamental berries but I recently read a warning that some may be poisonous and while we don’t have any children or little hands around my wife has suggested they might be a problem for birds and other animals.

While many ornamental berry plants are attractive and safe in the garden and valuable food sources you are right to say that some contain toxins that can be hazardous to humans and other animals.

It is worth being aware of the berries which should never be consumed and if you are concerned about them, avoid them.

Actaea (baneberry). Species that have red, black and white berries are toxic to humans and some animals. All parts of the plant are poisonous but it’s the berries which are the real problem. Reactions vary but can be severe and some species cause skin irritation.

Hedera (ivy). All part of ivy contain toxins. Ingestion of large quantities can cause serious poising. The sap may cause skin irritation. Birds won’t normal be attracted to them as the taste is very bitter.

Ligustrum (privet). Most parts of privet are toxic specially the berries. You can prune the hedge to prevent the fruit from setting. The symptoms may be mild but there have been fatalities amongst livestock.

Phytolacca (pokeweed). Again all parts of the plant are toxic but especially unripe fruit and roots. Reactions are normally mild but these berries have been known to cause severs skin irritation.

Bill Archer, Porlock

Last year was the first summer in our new garden and our lawn had at least three fairy rings. More seem to be on the way. Are they dangerous and how do I get rid of them?

Getting rid of them won’t be easy but first things first.

The name fairy ring comes from an old folk-tale. People once believed that mushrooms growing in a circle followed the path made by fairies dancing in a ring. Fairy rings are found now quite regularly seen in open grassy places and on lawns.

In grass, the best-known fairy ring fungus has the scientific name marasmius oreades. The body of this fungus, its Digging them out is probably the only mycelium, is real solution to get rid of fairy ring underground. It grows outward in a circle.

As it grows, the mycelium uses up all of the nutrients in the soil, starving the grass. This is the reason a fairy ring has dead grass over the growing edge of the mycelium.

In the case of a ring, the mycelium starts as a single point and grows in a circular shape. It continues to push outwards in an attempt to consume more nutrients.

As it exhausts the nutrients on the inside of the circle, it will widen further and further as it looks for a new food source. Your ring is likely to be a ‘free ring’ because they aren’t connected with any other organisms.

The mushrooms that pop up in these rings will be saprotrophs, meaning they feed on dead or dying organic material.

The mycelium is underground, and must be eradicated completely to stop it from growing and producing more mushrooms. Many of the fairy ring mushrooms will be safe but others could be poisonous. It depends on the variety so precaution is probably the best bet.

Lia Barnes, Bath

I never seem to get the timing right when it comes to overwintering my dahlias. What’s the ideal timing?

Actually timing is probably less important than how you store your dahlias. The crucial part of the process is cleaning and drying.

Wait until the foliage has turned yellow before digging up the tubers. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the Cleansing and drying are the key tasks with dahlias tuber which will fuel initial sprouting in summer.

Cut off the foliage and carefully dig out the tubers. Brush off excess dirt and let the tubers dry for a few days. If possible, hang them upside down when drying them so that moisture can leach out of them. Drying is important to saving dahlias over winter and preventing them from rotting.

However, they do need to keep slightly moist on the interior to keep the embryo alive. Once the skin is wrinkled, the tubers should be dry enough. Once they are dry, they are packed away.

Jon Butler, Exeter

www.countrygardener.co.uk

11

Go organic on

your lawn

Organic lawn care is more environmentally friendly however it is a more expensive option compared to traditional law care so it worth it?

If you improve the chemistry of your soil, the lawn will develop a better root system and thicker turf which is able to choke out weeds and eventually eliminate the need for weed control products.

Organic lawn-care practices nurture the soil and control diseases and pests in ways that are natural, allowing you to avoid the use of synthetic chemicals and unnatural manipulation.

It is, in other words, worth the effort.

But organic weed control is much more than just killing weeds safely.

It is first about growing a healthy lawn to minimise weed pressure.

The basic principle behind organic weed control is that healthy soil and grass promote vigorous plant growth that out-competes the weeds. Therefore, the first step of organic weed control is to test the soil to learn about any deficiencies, then naturally amend and fertilise the soil according to the soil test results.

Organic lawn care is more environmentally friendly but it is a more expensive option compared to traditional law care. One way to think about organic lawn care is to work with nature, rather than against nature.

But you will need to be patient –it could take three full years to really noticeable rewards from your organic approach.

A true organic programme will not use synthetic fertilisers or herbicides, therefore the colour may not be as green as quickly as with a chemical fertiliser. Organic herbicides work well to control weeds, but may not be as quick or as long term as the synthetic herbicides.

But a lot of lawn care is about good gardening practices to keep the lawn as healthy and robust as possible.

Cut or mow the grass at the highest possible level to encourage a dense lush, lawn capable crowding out of weeds.

Reduce compaction by aerating. Most lawn experts recommend aerating once each year, in the autumn.

Improve water and nutrient uptake by de-thatching, but only when it is necessary. De-thatching is an aggressive action that can damage grass.

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Top dress the lawn with compost. This is a simple matter of spreading a light layer of organic and well-decomposed compost onto the lawn and raking it in.

Avoid scalping the lawn (cutting it too short) when mowing.

Damaged grass crowns recover very slowly and give weeds an opportunity to establish.

You don’t normally in this country need to water your lawn.

Many weeds have superficial roots and are aided by frequent watering.

There are several options for eliminating weeds organically: Vinegar contains acetic acid, which has plant-killing properties and can be used as a non-selective weed killer.

Because household vinegar contains no more than five percent acetic acid, it must be applied repeatedly to kill weeds.

Alternatively, there are organic commercial weed killers that contain stronger concentrations of acetic acid and require fewer applications. Keep in mind vinegar and vinegar-based weed killers are non-selective, meaning they kill all plants, not just weeds, and organic commercial products can be harmful to animals, human skin and eyes.

‘Organic weed control is much more than just killing weeds safely. It is first about growing a healthy lawn to minimise weed pressure’.

Herbicidal soaps are natural products for controlling mosses and algae. There are numerous weed-killing formulations using natural oils, concentrates, and other organic substances. These are all non-selective herbicides; in fact, there are no organic herbicides yet available that are selective and kill only broadleaf weeds without affecting turf grasses and garden plants, as many chemical weed killers do.

In a garden, systematic weed pulling will gradually result in a garden that is easy to care for, since weeds are no longer present to go to seed.

Even that is part of the organic approach.

Country Gardener

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13

As tomatoes ripen they become sweeter due to hormonal changes within the fruit

Fruits of

OUR NATURE’S LABOUR Gill Heavens completes her popular series about the various stages of plant life which started with the sowing of seeds in early spring and now ends with a fruitful harvest We have reached the final stage of, to paraphrase Mr Shakespeare, the Five Ages of Plants. Some might say it is the most important phase of a plant’s life. The fruiting, the passing on of DNA to the next generation. It is when the pollinated ovules mature into seeds.

Around them the ovary swells to become the seed-bearing organ whose function is to protect and nurture whilst they ripen.

Not all genera produce fruit. In simple terms, most of the plants we grow as gardeners are divided into two botanical groups. Please bear with me, we will get to the delicious part soon. The largest group are the Angiosperms, from the Greek meaning “seed in a vessel” these are the fruit bearers. A much smaller group are the ancient Gymnosperms, meaning “naked seed”, the seed in these are unconfined, for example in conifer cones.

The Angiosperm’s fruit can come in a variety of forms. The structure of the flower gives rise to what the fruit will be like. A flower with a single ovary will produce a single fruit such as a grape, a flower with many ovaries produces an aggregate fruit such as a blackberry or raspberry.

The pineapple has lots of separate fruit that, when ripe, fuse together into one whole, juicy, loveliness. The ovary becomes the wall of the fruit. This is known as the pericarp which can 14

Country Gardener

be soft and pulpy or hard and protective, or even both! The delicate flesh of a peach is part of the pericarp, as is the hard stone within that contains the seed.

It is not all “Carmen Miranda” in the world of fruit. Sometimes they can be dry and rigid.

Grasses produce one-seeded fruits called caryopsis. The grains or kernels of wheat and other cereals are what give us our daily bread, pasta and beer. Surely we can forgive them a little dullness for that!

An evolutionary problem that every plant has had to solve is how to get the mature seed to where it can safely germinate. You do not want your offspring growing up too close by, where they will be in competition for light, water and sustenance.

You want the kids to leave home. There are various ways that this is managed.

Dry fruit may slowly open to release their contents, known as indehiscent, or much more dramatically, called explosive dehiscence. The impatiens family use this method to catapult their seed meters away. Poppies’ pepper pots scatter their thousands of tiny seed with each gust of the breeze of knock or the gardener’s arm.

Other plants use the wind for transportation, with wings such as the maple or ash, or parachutes as in dandelion clocks. River and lakeside plants use water, like the buoyant seed of the yellow flag iris.

Some hook onto passers-by for a free trip, such as the irritatingly sticky goosegrass and barbed seeds of the sedges.

Fleshy fruit use the irresistible attraction of

taste to distribute their progeny. They entice birds and animals to eat and process them. They are subsequently delivered to new a growing ground with a free supply of manure! In some cases, passing through the digestive tract of an animal aids breakdown of the seed coat and therefore instigates germination. Other animal distributed fruit include acorns, most notably by squirrels and jays.

Some plants are monocarpic, which means “one seed” in Latin. These reach maturity, flower, fruit, disperse their seed and then die.

An example is the wonderful Nepal Poppy, Meconopsis napaulensis. Some species take many years to reach this point, such as the Century Plant, Agave americana, although a century is a little exaggeration, flowering perhaps after ten to thirty years.

When fleshy fruit, such as tomatoes, ripen they become sweeter due to hormonal changes within. As they mature ethylene is released which will cause it to decay, which is called senesce or die off, thereby releasing the seed.

This is the reason that ripe fruit stored near immature ones will accelerate their ripening. As humans we have engineered edible fruit for our purposes, breeding seedless oranges and grapes, rendering them infertile but more acceptable to our needs. It is such a chore picking out seeds!

Myth and legend are strewn with stories of fruit. The most well-known must be the story of Adam and Eve. It is thought the apple was more likely to be a grape, or perhaps a fig, as it is the leaves of this plant that the Eden pair clothed themselves with after the fateful bite.

The scholars are of course of differing opinions.

Pomegranates represented ambition to the Ancient Egyptians, the Greeks called it the “fruit of the dead” and it is centre stage in the legend

of Persephone in the Underworld, in Armenia it is associated with marriage and fertility.

Mistletoe berries, although for us associated with a quick kiss at Christmas, were a symbol of male fertility to the Celts.

Chinese New Year is a time that fruit is given as offerings in Buddhist temples and as gifts to friends and relatives. Grapes, plums and kumquats are all symbols of good luck and prosperity, mandarin oranges are left on the pillows of children and are considered bringers of happiness and good luck, tangerines wish wealth to the recipient.

Many fruits are not only delicious but extremely good for us. They provide valuable nutrients, proteins and carbohydrates. Sailors on long journeys suffered from scurvy, the symptoms of which included anaemia and muscle pain. In the mid-18th century a Scottish Naval surgeon called John Lind discovered that if he fed the sailors lemons and oranges, the condition was alleviated.

This was due to the large amounts of vitamin C found in these fruits. The American term “Limey” for the British came about due to the Royal Navy’s habit of feeding their crew citrus fruit.

Perhaps not quite so good for the body, but wonderful for the soul, fruit can of course be used to make alcoholic beverages. Wine from grapes, gin flavoured with juniper berries, cider made from apples and perry from pears.

Classification of fruit has often been a little vague, with fruit considered to be sweet and vegetables to be savoury, but it is not quite as simple as that. There have been many pub debates arguing whether a cucumber or butternut squash are vegetables or a fruit.

You should now know the answer!

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Clockwise from top left: Limes - the best example of fruit which has traditionally provided health and well being; Rows of pomegranates which the Greeks called ‘the fruit of the dead’; Kumquats a fruit which is now a symbol of good luck; The pineapple has lots of separate fruit that fuses together into one.

15

GARDENING JOBS

JOBS IN THE GARDEN

F OR SEP TEMBER

September is the beginning of one of the favourite times of year for lots of gardeners, not least for the fact that the garden is more relaxed than it has been for some time. The fight to keep your plants watered or producing or deadheaded has eased and a new wave of tasks is awaiting - even thoughts of next spring!

AUTUMN FEED BOOST FOR PARCHED LAWNS After a long, dry summer, lawns will appreciate an organic, slow-release autumn feed but wait until the ground is moist and growth has started again. With the cooler evenings and autumn rain, mould and fungus are more likely. Keep picking the dahlias to avoid damping off and cut the majority of foliage out of tomato vines. This will allow air and light to the fruit, prevent them from rotting and promote ripening.

If you grow grapes, pick the fruit before botrytis gets to it.

Hunt out those yellow leaves on your roses!

Even the healthiest roses will have some old, tired leaves now. Get rid of yellow and diseased leaves and your plants will look better instantly. They are very easy to remove, just pull down on the leaf stem and it will easily break away from the main stem of the plant.

Pull off yellowing and diseased leaves and snip off any that are surrounded by healthy leaves.

Put them in the bin, then stand back and admire a healthy lush green plant that can still have more flowers to come.

16

Time to lift and divide Summer-flowering herbaceous perennials can be lifted and divided in September when they’ve finished flowering, but the soil is still warm enough to aid new root development.

In fact, most perennials need to be divided every two to three years, otherwise they get too big for the space they’re in and become congested. Dividing your perennials will, of course, also increase your plant stock for free!

To do it, gently dig out the plant you wish to divide. This is often best done with a fork rather than a spade, as the latter is more likely to sever plant roots. Once the plant is out, divide it in a way suitable to its type. Small fibrous-rooted plants like hostas, heuchera and epimediums can be gently teased into two with your fingers, while larger fibrous-rooted varieties, such as hardy pelargoniums and hemerocallis are best levered apart using two garden forks thrust back to back into the plant’s centre. This will separate the plant into two with minimal root damage. If the plant you’re dividing is especially big, you will need a good strong fork.

Plants that have woody crowns or fleshy roots, such as astrantia delphinium or helleborus usually need chopping in two with a spade or saw. So there’s no need to be shy with these varieties.

Once the plant has been divided, replant the newly divided specimens in your chosen spots and remember to water them frequently as they get established. They should have enough time to set root before dying back for winter, ready to burst into life again next spring.

Country Gardener

Propagate tender perennials by taking cuttings Tender perennials like fuchsia, petunia, salvia (sage), verbena (vervain), penstemon and chrysanthemum can all be propagated with cuttings. This is a brilliant way to grow more plants for nothing, and there’s something satisfying about nursing plants through from tender young shoots to fully-fledged plants for use in your own containers.

You’ll need to find strong, young growth that hasn’t flowered this year and snip it off at an angle just beneath a leaf joint, leaving a stem of about six centimetres in length. Next, strip off the leaves from the lower stem, leaving just one or two pairs towards the top.

This will help to prevent the plant from losing too much water via its leaves while it has no roots to take moisture up from the soil.

Dip the end of the cutting in hormone rooting powder and plant in compost mixed with a little horticultural grit for drainage. This will help to prevent the end from rotting and promote good root growth.

This month is perfect for planting spring bulbs September is the perfect time to be planting hardy springflowering bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses.

These bulbs will do best in a warm, sunny spot and they all love good drainage.

It’s harvest time

When the leaves of your onions begin to flop over, they’re ready to harvest. Check them and use any with signs of damage first. Then the rest of the crop can be stored in old net bags, plant trays or even plaited into strings. Pumpkins and squash should be raised off the ground to ripen in the sun before harvesting. If the weather is wet, cut them early and bring them in to ripen in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill. To cure the fruits for storage, keep them in a warm room for a fortnight, then put them somewhere dry and cool but frost-free. Early varieties of apples, such as ‘Discovery’, are best picked and eaten as soon as they’re ripe.

You can tell when an apple is ready by gently cupping the fruit in your hand and twisting. If it comes away, it’s ready.

Bulbs are also excellent grown in pots, which can then be brought indoors for a marvellous spring flower display.

Since they love good drainage and could rot if kept too wet over winter, plant them three bulbs deep in a good quality compost mixed with horticultural grit from the garden centre at a ratio of three to one.

Especially good at this time of year is to plant bulbs for forcing. Not as nasty as it sounds, forcing is the process by which bulbs are fooled into flowering earlier by controlling environmental temperature. You can buy bulbs that have already been prepared for forcing by keeping them artificially cool for a couple of months before sale. If you haven’t ordered your bulbs yet, make it snappy before stocks sell out.

Top tip If you’re planting them in a bed or border, dig a hole about four times the depth of the bulb and put a layer of sand and grit in the bottom of the hole to aid drainage. Cover this with a little compost, and then plant the bulbs under about two bulbs worth of depth of soil.

Try bunching six to ten bulbs together in one spot, placed one bulb’s width apart, or line a path with them for an impressive display.

You can force Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) bulbs yourself at this time of year and get flowers in time for Christmas! For a gorgeous festive red flower, try the ‘Belinda‘ variety.

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17

SEPTEMBER DAYS OUT September is the favourite month of the year for many gardeners. The hard work of spring and summer eases off a little and things quieten down after the school holidays, the crowds and the bustle of August.

So September is a month where many gardens open to the public have worked hard to attract visitors with a lot more to see. Plantings are made especially to bring autumn colour in and extend the season as long as possible.

Here are a few ideas to tempt you during the month.

Bishop’s Palace set to celebrate autumn with new harvest festival The wonderful gardens at Bishop’s Palace in Wells be holding a new festival in September, designed to celebrate the harvest season.

Following the popularity of the annual June garden festival, a new flagship event on Saturday, 28th and Sunday, 29th September has been launched for locals and visitors to enjoy the ‘fruits of the season’.

The event will encompass a range of activities and entertainment, including stalls, selling everything from cheese to cider and chutney, talks and Q&A sessions.

The event opens from 10am to 5pm and is in aid of the Palace Trust. Entry is £9 for adults and £4 for ages five to 18. Under 5’s and Palace members are free.

Tickets from www.bishopspalace.org.uk or by phone 01749 988 111 and the Palace Shop

Gardens appeal at Watermoor House Watermoor House, the Cirencester Residential and Respite Care Home has completed a wonderful transformation to its gardens this year. Home manager, Georgina Heley, completed a project to make a sensory garden in the courtyard. The patio garden, next to the dining room, has bloomed and the back garden is a pretty, calm and colourful space.

Residents often comment on how lovely the gardens are and some have had their beds turned around for a better view in the morning. If you would like to visit Watermoor House and check out the progress made on the gardens call 01285 654864.

Watermoor House, Watermoor Road, Cirencester GL7 1JR. 18

September trio of Rare P lant Fairs

The 25th anniversary season of Rare Plant Fairs draws to a close in September with three events during the month, with each event set in an unique garden, with garden entry included in the admission price.

The first fair is on Sunday, 1st September, in the grounds and gardens of Adwell House, near Thame in Oxfordshire, on the edge of the Chiltern Hills.

A week later the historic gardens of The Bishop’s Palace at Wells hosts an autumn fair on Sunday, September 8th. The Bishop’s Palace lies at the heart of the historic City of Wells.

The final fair is at Llanover House, a 15-acre listed garden and arboretum near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, on Sunday, 22nd September.

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

September wonderland at the Picton Garden September is the time when The Picton Garden emerges from its summer green phase and the glorious autumn colours start to take over. Being home to the National Plant Collection of Michaelmas daisies helps to create a wonderland of blues, purples, pinks and white. The 430 plus varieties happily associating with an excellent collection of Japanese Maples, autumn colouring shrubs and many other perennials which give the rich yellows, oranges and reds to help complete the picture. Once you’ve explored the one and a half acre garden the plants you will have spotted are available for sale in the adjoining Old Court Nurseries.

Old Court Nurseries & Picton Garden, Walwyn Road, Malvern WR13 6QE.

The Eastbury Hotel an oasis in market town of Sherborne Just a few short steps from the lively, historic Abbey town of Sherborne, The Eastbury Hotel is a charming boutique Georgian period listed townhouse hotel dating back to 1740 set within a spectacular walled garden. Recently purchased by the de Savary family, this is a warm, happy and welcoming hotel infused with a homely, personal touch and exceptional service.

As the name suggests, menus reflect the changing seasons and executive chef Matthew Street and his team gather together the freshest and finest ingredients to create a tantalising variety of traditional dishes each with their own innovative twist.

The Eastbury Hotel, Long Street, Sherborne, DT9 3BY. Tel: 01935 813 131 Email: relax@theeastburyhotel.co.uk www.theeastburyhotel.co.uk

September colour at Hartland Abbey September is such a wonderful, relaxing time in the Hartland Abbey gardens. The walled gardens are exploding with glorious autumn colours in the borders; ripe crab apples, huge pumpkins and squashes, old apple varieties and Michaelmas daisies take over the kitchen garden. On a warm day there is nowhere more peaceful to sit and enjoy the pleasures of autumn. Elsewhere huge hydrangeas of the deepest blues, purples and whites illuminate the woodland gardens and a stroll to the beach before a delicious lunch or cream tea is a lovely way to see this stunning Hartland peninsula coastline.

Hartland Abbey, Hartland, Bideford EX39 6DT. 01237441496/234 www.hartlandabbey.com Country Gardener

a Stunning autumn colour and glorious grasses alongside unusual trees and shrubs a Award-winning on-site nursery selling many of the grasses and perennials found in the garden

Overbeck's in Salcombe Take in the view when you visit our sub-tropical paradise. Garden, House, Shop and Tea-room Open daily until 3 November from 11am to 5pm

When you visit, donate, volunteer or join the National Trust, your support helps us to look after special places for ever, for everyone.

© National Trust 2017. The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846. Photography © National Trust Images\National Trust/Eric McDonald.

ES

Enjoy our first Festival of Grasses this autumn

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

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GRASS

25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Visit this fascinating, historic house, in the same family for generations, with its stunning architecture, collections and exhibitions. Beautiful walled and woodland gardens leading to the beach. * Dogs welcome * Holiday Cottages * * Light lunches & cream teas * * Hartland Quay 1 mile * House, Gardens and Café: open until 29th September, Sunday to Thursday 11am - 5pm (House 2pm - last adm. 4pm)

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Knoll Gardens

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Enjoy stunning deep blue hydrangeas, fat pumpkins and glorious autumn colours in the gardens

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FULL EVENT PROGRAMME ONLINE Knoll Gardens & Nursery Nr. Wimborne BH21 7ND 01202 873931 • knollgardens.co.uk Open Tues - Sat, 10 - 5pm & Bank Hol Mons (10 - 4 Nov - March)

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Escape to the country

THE EASTBURY HOTEL Long Street, Sherborne, Dorset DT9 3BY Tel: 01935 813131 Email: relax@theeastburyhotel.co.uk www.theeastburyhotel.co.uk

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19

GREAT P LACES T O V IST: SEPTEMBER

Hill Close Gardens step back to Victorian times

Gorgeous late summer colour at Cotswold Garden Flowers

As the nights begin to draw in and the temperature gets cooler, there is still plenty to see in the garden at the popular Cotswolds Flowers Nursery at Badsey, a few miles east of Evesham. There’s the opportunity to see the late summer flowers of dahlia, phlox, rudbeckia and heleniums and look out for the new autumn plants. As the days shorten chrysanthemums and asters start to flower and enhance the display. Michaelmas Daisies come in many shades.

Also look out for the changing colour of leaves especially shrubs. Now is the time to make a note of your favourites so you can plant them at home. There are also autumn flowering bulbs, including autumn crocus and cyclamen.

Cotswold Garden Flowers, Sands Lane, Badsey, Evesham WR11 7EZ. Tel:01386 833849 info@cgf.net www.cgf.net

Hill Close Gardens are a unique set of Victorian detached gardens set in the heart of Warwick.

They are the only remaining set of Victorian detached gardens open to the public in England. Detached gardens were once plentiful around the towns, villages and cities in England.

A visit will their unique history and allow you to step back in time to 1896. Detached gardens have existed in Warwick since the 1830s. There are 16 plots of the original 32 overlooking Warwick racecourse and some have brick built summerhouses where you can shelter and find out about the plots previous owners.

Hill Close Gardens offer guided tours throughout the year, the sale of both plants from the nursery and produce from the gardens.

See the website for more information or call 01926 493339 www.hillclosegardens.com

HOT COLOURS AND BOLD FOLIAGE AT OVERBECK’S The Statue Garden has long been a focal point of Overbeck’s garden just outside of Salcombe. The first owners, the Hopkins family, initially used this area as a tennis court, but soon realised the gardens extraordinary position not only provided breath-taking views, but allowed tender plants to flourish. So the tennis court was ripped up to make space to grow an increasingly diverse collection of exotic plants. Throughout the summer, hot colours and bold foliage build, reaching their zenith in September, but the mild South Devon climate of Salcombe allows this show to continue into the autumn. Standing as the centrepiece is the statue, ‘First Flight’, a life size figure of a young girl holding a nest of baby larks in her left hand whilst with her right, raised above her head, she offers liberty to the adult bird which was once poised on her finger, a pose re-enacted for photographs by many visitors.

Overbeck’s, Sharpitor, Salcombe TQ8 8LW.

GREAT DORSET PLANT FAIRS

Sunday 1st Sept 2019 Athelhampton House DT2 7LG

Autuum colour IN ABUNDANCE For the latest garden news, events & advice - don't miss COUNTRY GARDENER

Autumn Plant & Craft Fair Open 10am – 3pm (Gardens open until 5pm) Free parking, craft stalls, Italian coffee, excellent food, Wide range of late season plants direct from growers. £7 Admission Includes Gardens & Grounds

HILL CLOSE VICTORIAN GARDENS WARWICK Come and explore 16 unique restored Victorian gardens Open weekdays Nov-March: 11-4pm Open every day April-Oct: 11am-5pm with tearoom Sat, Sun and Bank Hol Mon Apple Day & Country Fair – Sunday 6th October 11am – 4:30pm Harvest displays, stalls, arts & crafts. An event for all the family. Normal entrance

Garden entry £4.50 Child £1.00 HCGT & RHS Free Tel. 01926 493339 www.hillclosegardens.com Access by racecourse to Bread & Meat Close, Warwick CV34 6HF. 2 hrs free parking.

20

Country Gardener

September Fairs

1st September Adwell House, Nr. Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 7DQ 8th September The Bishop’s Palace, Wells, Somerset BA5 2PD 22nd September Llanover House, Nr. Abergavenny NP7 9EF

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

Cotswold Garden Flowers Easy and unusual perennials for the flower garden Delightful gardens to inspire you Plant and garden advice

Old Court Nurseries

Mail order and online ordering available, or pop along and visit us at the nurser y

& The Picton Garden

The Michaelmas Daisy Specialists since 1906 SPECIALIST NURSERY AND BEAUTIFUL 1.5 ACRE GARDEN JUST WAITING TO BE EXPLORED

Find us at the RHS Flower Show at Malvern Autumn Show

Open 11am - 5pm, every day September until 20th October.

Garden admission £3.50.

Groups welcome by appointment

Open 7 days a week March – end of September 9am -5.30pm. Weekends and bank holidays 10am-5.30

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

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21

GREAT GARDENS TO VISIT – TENUTA PORTA DI FERRO Visits to the great gardens of Italy are a big temptation for garden lovers.

Expression Holidays are experts in running tailor made holidays focusing on some of Europe’s most loved gardens. One such garden is the Tenuta Porta di Ferro, a private garden near Salerno in Campania. The gardens of this estate date from the 1920s when planes, palms and cycads were introduced. Later magnolia grandiflora, pinus pinea, pomegranates, hydrangea and bougainvillaea were added. These form part of the Giardino Novecento, one of four distinct gardens: the others are the Garden of Silos, the Garden of the Garden and the Garden of Experiments.

Departures for 2020 are: 7th May, 28th May, 18th June and 10th September. Prices from £2,690 per person.

Special offer for Country Gardener readers Expressions Holidays offers Country Gardener readers a reduction of £75 per person booking before Thursday, 31st October.

Contact Expressions Holidays on 01392 441275. www.expressionsholidays.co.uk Fully protected by ATOL 3076.

Dorset’s first ‘Festival of Grasses’

There’s never been a better time to visit Knoll Gardens in Wimborne. Its glorious grasses look stunning for most of the year but in autumn they are at their peak, providing magnificent colour and movement from the slightest of breezes. With the grasses at their best, and owner Neil Lucas celebrating his 25th year in his east Dorset garden, Knoll Gardens is holding its first ‘Festival of Grasses’, and running a new event programme to celebrate the season.

For event information and photographs of the garden’s grasses, together with some of Knoll’s rare and unusual trees and shrubs in their autumn colours, go to www.knollgardens.co.uk The garden and award-winning nursery opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm and a plant catalogue is also available online.

Knoll Gardens, Stapehill Road, Wimborne BH21 7ND. Telephone 01202 873931

DORSET PLANT HERITAGE TO STAGE BUMPER LAST PLANT FAIR OF THE SEASON The third and last of this season’s plant fairs organised by Plant Heritage Dorset Group takes place at Athelhampton House, near Dorchester on Sunday, 1st September. This year has been a successful one with fairs well attended, raising funds for plant conservation, lectures and educational visits. The signs look good for the final event as a large number of stalls have booked. The emphasis is on late season plants direct from the growers and interesting and quirky craft stalls.

Athelhampton House is on the A35 Puddletown by-pass. The fair opens from 10am to 3pm with the gardens staying open until 5pm. Admission is £7 which includes access to the grounds and gardens.

Athelhampton House, Athelhampton Road, Puddletown, Dorchester DT2 7LG.

Autumn Days Out at The Bishop's Palace • • • • • • • •

14 acres of diverse RHS partner gardens See the Wells that give the City its name Stunning Autumn colour throughout the gardens Rare Plant Fair 8th September New Harvest Festival 28 & 29 September Daily Guided Tours & Horticultural Tours Cafe & Shop Adjacent to Wells Cathedral and City Centre

T 01749 988111 ext.200 www.bishopspalace.org.uk 22

Country Gardener

Wood Farm, Honiton, Devon

GARDEN Visits THE BEST GARDENS TO VISIT compiled by Heather Rose

Mellow early autumn days are perfect for garden visiting, so here’s a selection of splendid gardens to visit in the areas Country Gardener covers, all raising much needed funds for charity. We advise checking where possible before starting out on a journey as circumstances can force cancellations in private gardens. www.ngs.org.uk

We’re introducing a key to facilities on offer at the gardens: Refreshments available Plants usually for sale Wheelchair access to much of garden Partial wheelchair access

Unsuitable for wheelchairs Dogs on short leads Visitors welcome by arrangement Coaches welcome consult owners

WOOD FARM

HOLE FARM

Honiton, Devon, EX14 9HU

Bideford, Devon, EX39 5RF Three acres of exciting gardens with waterfall, ponds, vegetable and bog garden; terraces and the round house of natural stone from the original farm quarry. Peaceful walks through Culm grassland and water meadows that border the River Torridge with a range of wildlife, home to a herd of pedigree native Devon cattle. Open for the National Gardens Scheme on Sunday 8th September, 2pm-6pm. Admission £4, children free. For more details call 01409 241547 or email heather.alford1979@gmail.com

Designed by Arne Maynard around a 17th century thatched farmhouse, this country garden in the Blackdown Hills shows how contemporary design can be integrated into a traditional setting, with herbaceous borders, roses, yew topiary, knot garden, wildflower meadows, orchards, lean-to greenhouses and kitchen garden. Open for the NGS on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd September, 2pm-5pm. Admission £5, children free. For more details email williamjamessmithson@gmail.com

BRAMDEAN HOUSE Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 0JU Beautiful five-acre garden known for its mirror image herbaceous borders, a plantsman’s garden with an unusual collection of plants and shrubs, small arboretum and stunning one-acre walled garden featuring prize-winning vegetables, fruit and flowers. Open for the NGS on Sunday 8th September, 2pm-4pm. Admission £5, children free.

For more details email office@bramdeanhouse.com

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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THE BEST GARDENS T O V ISI T IN SEPTEMBER

MIDNEY GARDENS Somerton, Somerset, TA11 7HR A plantsman’s garden of over an acre combines unusual planting combinations, interesting use of colour, subtle themes and a natural flowing style with wildlife friendly planting. Seaside garden, white garden, kitchen garden, woodland walk, wildlife pond and undercover world gardens. Open for the NGS on Friday 20th September, 11am-5pm. Admission £6 adult, £1.50 children. For more details call 01458 274250; www.midneygardens.co.uk

BERRY COTTAGE Alton, Hampshire, GU34 3EG Two openings of gardens around 16th century cottages (not open): Berry Cottage, a small organic cottage garden with colour-themed herbaceous borders, pond, bog garden and shrubbery; The Thatched Cottage, a one and half acre garden with colourful borders, pond, fruit trees, raised vegetable beds and a fruit cage. Chickens and ducks wander under a walnut tree. Open for the NGS on Sunday 1st September, 2pm-5pm. Combined admission £8, children free. For more details call 01420 588318.

BROOK VIEW CARE HOME Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 0LQ A colourful and vibrant garden spread over two main areas, one warm and sunny, the other cooler and shadier. A fountain area leads to the fruit and vegetable gardens. Open for the NGS on Sunday 1st September and Wednesday 4th September, 11am5pm. Admission £3.50 adult, children free. For more details call 01202 891333 or email charleshubberstey@coltencare.co.uk; www.brookviewcare.co.uk.

JOHN’S CORNER Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 5DD A new opening for the NGS on Sunday 1st September, 1pm-5pm, this unusual and interesting city garden in Bedminster has a mixture of exciting plants and features, including ponds, ferns, and an Eden Project style greenhouse with a cacti collection.

Admission £3.50, children free. For more details call 0117 9720558.

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Country Gardener

THE MANOR Moreton-In-Marsh, Warwickshire, GL56 0RZ Stunning formal gardens with further meadow and arboreta; enjoy the many garden rooms including the flower garden, deer walk, a Japanese garden, croquet lawn, and tennis court. Open for the NGS on Sunday 1st September, 2pm-5pm. Admission £5.50, children free.

TREGONHAYNE Truro, Cornwall, TR2 5SE A new opening for the NGS on Sunday 8th September, 2pm-5pm. Extending over an acre, the garden is divided into three zones: the courtyard near the house, a shade garden featuring a sculpture of a horse’s head as the focal point and a natural garden. Look out for the collection of New Zealand plants.

Admission £3.50, children free.

PYTHOUSE KITCHEN GARDEN Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6PA

THE FOLLY Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 4PB A steeply sloping garden on the Malvern Hills with views over the Severn Vale, on three levels accessed by steps, paved/gravel paths and ramps; there’s a potager and greenhouse, courtyard, formal terrace and lawn, pergola, mature cedars, ornaments and sculpture in landscaped beds and borders. Seating on each level. Open for the NGS on Sunday 8th September 1.30pm-5.30pm.

Admission: £4. Contact David & Lesley Robbins on 01684 567253 or email lesleycmedley@btinternet.com

A new opening for the National Gardens Scheme on Thursday 5th September 10am - 5pm, three acres of working kitchen garden, in largely continuous use since the 18th century, with fruit-lined walls and gnarled apple trees leading to an orchard, rosa rugosa-edged beds of flowers, soft fruit, vegetables and beehives – and a restaurant in the old potting shed and conservatory.

Admission £4.50. Contact Mr Piers Milburn on 01747 870444 or email info@pythousekitchengarden.co.uk

www.countrygardener.co.uk

25

The garden designer

with a poet’s heart

by Matt Rees-Warren

The life and influence of Edwardian architect and garden designer Harold Peto has recently been re-evalued as his romantic approach to his gardens appeals to a new generation Harold Peto is easily among the greatest of all our garden designers of the recent past, yet he still remains an enigma and a mysterious unknown to many in the horticultural world. His gardens are few and far between to see but the ones that survive are breathtaking examples of his skill and craft and reverberate in contemporary thoughts and ideas still today.

Peto was a man of his time and fortunately for him this was a time of great creativity and thought. The Edwardian era, the Belle Epoque and the Arts and Crafts movement all combined to sweep away the Victorian values and morals that had prevailed. Peto, although not the most famous figures of these styles, was the embodiment of the new ideals of romanticism, beauty, culture and philosophy - the ‘Golden Age’.

Although born into the British upper classes, Peto was his own man and left school early to pursue an apprenticeship and eventually form his own architectural practice. It would, of course, be of great value later on in his garden design career to have this background in the draughtsmanship and detail that architecture can bring.

However, it wasn’t the making of his style or his passion as that would become evident as he began to travel.

As Peto, like many of his contemporaries of the time, began to travel into the unknown corners of the globe he began to acquire tastes and style that would influence all his later works. He was a neo-classicist and so Italy and the Renaissance were his guiding lights.

At the Villa d’Este and Villa Medici he 26

revelled in the Roman seats, loggias, pavilions, statues and colonnades. It’s here that he first understood the power of garden architecture that would later define his concepts and designs.

But it wasn’t just the structures that moved Peto, he seems to have a poets heart and an unknown romantic side that imbued the spirit of the age. His lyrical diaries show a consummate plantsman in thrall to the wonder of plants: “I am never without flowers in my hand..from morning to night...I love to have these charmers with me”. Or from his journey into northern Africa: “..great stone pines, palms with their dates on, oleanders, pomegranates with their scarlet flowers” He clearly loved the botanical as much as the material and supplemented each with a great depth of knowledge.

Once Peto had absorbed all he could from his travels he began the next chapter in his life and career and also the culmination of all his desires and wishes: “ Shall I never be able to compass a small spot in the country where I can grow my flowers”. He set out, rather simply, to just find a home and garden and once he found that home at Iford manor in Wiltshire his new path was laid. It was from his work at Iford that saw commissions began to flood in for him to design others gardens and many of which we can still admire and see today.

If Iford showcases the unadorned, experimental ideas Peto had, its the commissions that show the craftsman at work. At West Dean in Sussex, we can see one of the finest surviving examples of Peto’s approach to garden Country Gardener

design, and especially his use of garden architecture. The 100m stone and wood pergola leading to a domed roofed garden house is a testament to Peto’s grand vision and mastery of occupying space. In the middle of the pergola sits a lily-pond as an ‘interlude’ with segmented arches above to emphasise its place, and all along the length of the pergola, the classical columns are adorned with roses, clematis and wisteria.

Another fabulous surviving example of Peto’s work is at Buscot Park in Oxfordshire. His water garden marks the distinction, but also the influence, between the 18th century landscaped ‘pleasure grounds’ – Stourhead as one example – and the new smaller scale classicism Peto was trying to produce.

He takes a long narrow axis that leads to a lake and creates a watercourse.

Firstly, there’s a quatrefoil pool, ringed by semi-circular Roman-style stone seats and holding a bronze winged amorino in its centre. This then runs into a rill that opens to a large tank with a stone balustraded bridge across, and this in turn leads out through another rill to a larger canal that flows out to the lake. On the opposite side of the lake is a stone temple on the same axis as the whole watercourse.

Buscot Park near Farringdon in Oxfordshire: Italianate formality with an English parkland landscape

Iford Manor near Bath became one of the great Italian gardens in England

Peto’s home garden at Iford Manor

“I am never without f lowers in my hand.. from morning to night.. I love to have these charmers with me” - Harold Peto

However, one Peto commission that stands head and shoulders above the rest in its majestic beauty is Iinacullin or Garinish Island. A garden island of singular beauty it is Peto’s work through and through and, with Iford, is an example of his total vision of garden layout and design. When he began work on the island it was a barren, rocky outcrop with only low-growing gorse and a population of goats. The centrepiece is a marvellous Italianate sunken garden with a rectangular pool, surrounded by stone paving and steps that lead to a columned pavilion – all hallmarks of the Peto style. Opposite the pavilion is a garden house or castia that leads to a large walled kitchen garden and this then out to glades and ‘wilder’ areas across the island.

It’s hard to know Peto’s thoughts and visions for the plantings in his gardens as he didn’t keep records and without this plantings invariably dies away after 100 years. However, on Iinacullin he worked in conjunction with the owner

– Annan Bryce - to create a sub-tropical scheme that survives, in the main, to this day. There’s leptospermums, myrtles and abutilons around the sunken garden; embothryiums, agapanthus and lagarostrobos by a rotunda temple; and melianthus, dahlias and beschorneria among the walled garden and open lawns.

As Peto’s work was gaining more and more recognition he began to design gardens in his spiritual home along the Mediterranean coast – especially the French Riviera. However, his heart was at home at Iford Manor. Here he housed his vast collections and developed and matured his gardening style turning a completely unremarkable space into the greatest Italian gardens in England.

He first set about adding detail to the terracing in this steeply sloping garden and then completely redesigning what’s called the great terrace - a remarkable walkway flanked by articulated colonnades with a Roman seat at one www.countrygardener.co.uk

end and castia, or garden house, at the other. This was further added to with a loggia, lily-pool and magnificent miniature clositure. But it’s also the pots and sculptures that Peto placed throughout the garden that points to his mastery of space and style, they all thought out in advance and designs made to accompany them from the very beginning.

The planting still holds many of his great loves: from the roses, clematis and wisteria that climbed all over the columns to the Ilex and Yew and bays that were shaped in pots and around pools. Photographs of the garden from the 1920’s show a man at ease with a rambling style as plants colonise the cracks in the pavement and climbers and ramblers run loose and free. He must’ve wanted to recreate that found antiquity feel that he so loved from the Mediterranean and his healthy regard for the power of plant and material is summed up in his own words: “ Fragments of masonry carry one’s mind back to the past in a way that a garden of flowers only cannot do.

Gardens that are too stony are equally unsatisfactory; it is the combination of the two in just proportion which is the most satisfactory” 27

IT IS TIME

to plant

Gardeners now agree that September onwards is the best time for planting trees and shrubs while the soil is still warm -so its time for action It is all too easy to look upon autumn as the end of things in the garden, but in a strange sort of way it can just as easily be regarded as the beginning.

It won’t be too long before the leaves turn to gold or scarlet and fall from the trees, but although it may be the end of one growing season, it is also the start of another.

So as September progresses it’s a first chance to start planning for another spring.

The soil is like the sea – it takes all year to warm up and then the whole winter to cool down. Hence, planting in early autumn means planting in fairly warm soil conditions regardless of the colder temperatures above ground.

It is no coincidence that early autumn is the season when most professional landscapers and gardeners will plant.

With trees, we now know not to go heavy on the manure at planting time but to put them into ordinary earth in a square hole. With hedges, try the same soil preparation but don’t let any of the plants go short of water in their first few weeks.

Early autumn is the ideal time to plant as the key is encouraging good root growth. Planting now means trees and shrubs make new roots without having to feed the leaves.

It is the time when conditions provide the greatest chance for the new plant to thrive.

Smaller plants will be established before the colder winter days set in and get a head start over shrubs in the spring. Larger shrubs and trees will also get a head start, as a general rule of thumb is one year per one inch of trunk diameter. September has become such an important planting time as it should be at least six weeks before any sign of frosts and the roots are given the best chance to start working before the drop in temperature applies a brake on most things in the garden. The cooler, wetter weather often linked with early autumn means less watering is needed. As tree shoot growth slows down the trees and shrubs require less water because the days are shorter and cooler and the rate of photosynthesis decreases.

There are a number of benefits to autumn planting –one of them being you can select trees and shrubs by the autumn colour they produce.

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And then of course there are bulbs which benefit enormously from an early planting and it has become expected now that spring bulbs need to be in the ground by the end of September ready for as early an appearance as possible.

Daffodils, narcissi, crocuses, dwarf irises and the like are all readily available in nurseries and garden centres now, and since the soil is warm and perhaps a little damp, it is in a perfect state to plant.

The most common mistake people make when planting bulbs is not putting them deep enough.

The general rule for planting spring bulbs is to plant two to three times as deep as the bulbs is tall. This means most large bulbs like tulips or daffodils will be planted about six inches deep while smaller bulbs will be planted three to four inches deep.

Discount for Country Gardener readers at Perrie Hale Nursery Autumn and winter is prime planting time for trees and hedging as the dormant plants can be moved to their new home with minimal disturbance to their growth. Perrie Hale Nursery offer bare-rooted stock for woodland and hedgerow planting. They have recently taken on many of the plants that were part of the previous Thornhayes Nursery range and now offer a large selection of ornamental trees and top fruit. They are a long standing family business known for its quality UK grown stocks of hedging plants, shrubs, broadleaf and conifer trees, top fruit and soft fruit. They are offering readers of the Country Gardener Magazine a five per cent discount when ordering online or over the phone quoting the code ‘CG5’ by the end of November.

Contact them by telephone 01404 43344 or email: faye@perriehale.co.uk or their online shop www.perriehale.co.uk.

Northcote Hill, Honiton, Devon, EX14 9TH Tel: 01404 43344 'Growing in Devon since 1957' Growers & suppliers of native & ornamental trees, shrubs & hedging for: • Native, Formal & Evergreen Hedges • Screening • Woodland • Amenity • Wood Fuel • Gardens Now stocking a large range of ornamental trees & top fruit Call us for friendly and expert advice for species selection, planting & tree protection. We can also provide a planting & maintenance service.

5% READER DISCOUNT online or call quoting CG5 by 30/11/2019 Call us for friendly and expert advice • Delivery available

Email: faye@perriehale.co.uk www.perriehale.co.uk

Country Gardener

Constant

S M U M E H T N A S Y R CH

Once known as just autumn flowering, the introduction of new hardier varieties and improved growing conditions have finally established the chrysanthemum as an all year round delight You are never very far from a chrysanthemum.

From garage forecourts to supermarkets, church displays, traditional florists and yes in our gardens centres -they are everywhere and they are around increasingly all year.

New varieties and techniques mean we can buy now cut chrysanthemums every day of the year.

In fact the iniquitousness was once seen as their weakness but thanks to changes in the types of chrysanthemums and how we grow them that is no longer the case.

An increasing number of varieties, initially the dwarf cultivars but now many more can be grown outside in cooler areas and they are no longer just seen as autumn flowering.

Growing methods have changed, varieties have been developed to allow shorter flowering periods and more are now better resistant to lower temperatures. Chrysanthemum was once known in the horticulture trade as a short day commercial flower. It developed flower buds when days were less than 12 hours long and the blooming period was short under traditional cultural methods. This has now gradually been changing –most of it driven by the popularity of the flowers and the consumer demand to have them available for longer periods of the year.

Nearly 150 types of chrysanthemum have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Over the years the RHS has conducted numerous chrysanthemum trials, and the reports of these are available free on-line; an invaluable resource for chrysanthemum growers.

What the research and trials have shown is that it is possible to produce flowers all year round.

Chrysanthemum flowers come in various forms, from simple daisy shapes to complex pompons and buttons. Many hybrids and thousands of cultivars have been developed for gardens and cut flower production. Perhaps the most important hybrid is Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum, derived originally from the species Chrysanthemum indicum, but also historically involving a number of other species, some of the earliest of which were probably never properly recorded.

Chrysanthemums seem to be the most misunderstood and often badly labelled plant at some garden centres. Millions are sold as annuals every year, the pots set on patios, the brilliant colours enjoyed until just after frost and then the plant is thrown away. Pity, because chrysanthemums offer so much more and can be encouraged to bloom year after year.

Chrysanthemum flowering time is officially defined as early (September), mid (October) or late (November).

The category of flower type depends on the arrangement of petals on the flower and the shape of the bloom, such as whether the petals are reflexed or incurved, and whether the blooms are single or pompon shaped.

There are six principal chrysanthemum colour groups, bronze, pink, purple, red, yellow and salmon. Each of these can be further classified as standard, ‘light’ or ‘deep’. There are also other groups called ‘white’, ‘cream’ and ‘other colours’, meaning there are 21 possible colour descriptions overall.

With such a wide variety of flower form and colour available, the National Chrysanthemum Society produced a classification system, and each registered cultivar has been allocated a classification number, which is often given after the name on specialist nursery lists. For example, Chrysanthemum ‘Joyce Frieda’ has the code number 13bY. The number 13 refers to the flowering time and classification group, 1 meaning it is midseason flowering and 3 categorising it as an incurved bloom.

The letter b defines the size of bloom, which is medium for ‘Joyce Freda’, and the second letter (Y) describes the colour, in this case yellow.

As well as taller ones (often grown for cut flowers) that will need staking, many dwarf cultivars are available for use in containers and borders. These can be grown outside all year round in mild areas.

There are also many different ways of growing them. Some methods of cultivation are easy, others more complicated.

For example, late chrysanthemums need to be grown under glass to bring them into flower later in the season. Likewise cut-flower production under glass uses curtains and lights to mimic the correct season to produce flowers all year round – a whole world of technical complexity in itself.

The efforts made to give them an all year round appeal has succeeded in increasing the popularity of the flower even further.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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Knoll Gardens celebrates an autumn Festival of Grasses Autumn has always been a time to celebrate at Wimborne’s famous Knoll Gardens. As so many gardens begin to lose their summer sparkle the Dorset garden comes into its own, reaching a crescendo of colour as its glorious grasses create eye-catching displays amongst the changing leaves of the garden’s rare and unusual trees and shrubs.

This autumn there is an additional reason to celebrate Knoll’s acclaimed naturalistic style.

It is 25 years since garden owner Neil Lucas arrived at Knoll and began making his mark on the east-Dorset garden that began life as a private botanic. In those 25 years Neil has become the acknowledged UK authority on ornamental grasses, and his continually developing planting style has led to Knoll Gardens becoming both visually stunning and internationally acknowledged. His 25th anniversary will be marked by Knoll Gardens’ first Festival of Grasses celebrating this important milestone and the pure joy that grasses can bring to the garden in autumn.

The new Festival of Grasses features an expanded event programme which runs throughout the autumn and provides the opportunity to find out more about the planting at Knoll as well as offering practical advice to help you achieve similar effects in your own garden. Ranging from walks and workshops to masterclasses, it’s the perfect time to join Neil in the garden at Knoll, find out about his design ethos and benefit from his enormous enthusiasm.

Join Neil Lucas in the garden From changing seasons walks to grass masterclasses, autumn colour and naturalistic design, this is your opportunity to join Neil, the UK’s leading authority on ornamental grasses, in the garden at Knoll as he celebrates his 25th year at Knoll. Book online at www.knollgardens.co.uk ORNAMENTAL GRASS MASTERCLASS Thursday, 12th September or Thursday, 3rd October 2pm - 4.30pm £35 per class Neil Lucas shares his wealth of knowledge and draws from personal experience and Knoll’s stunning autumn displays to provide practical advice. From maintenance to design, you’ll discover all you need to know about grasses and how to use them in a garden setting.

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AUTUMN GLORY - CELEBRATION WALK WITH NEIL LUCAS: PLANTING FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT Saturday, 12th October 2pm - 4.30pm £35 Join Neil Lucas for this celebratory 25th anniversary walk amongst Knoll’s spectacular autumn trees and shrubs, as he explains how he has planted thousands of glorious grasses and perennials to create maximum effect in the autumn stretching way into the winter months. You’ll come away inspired and with plenty of practical advice to use in your own garden.

DESIGNING IN THE NATURALISTIC STYLE Thursday, 17th October, 2pm - 4.30pm £35 Enjoy an afternoon with Neil as he explains the concepts and techniques behind his naturalistic, wildlife-friendly style and take home practical advice to help you bring Knoll’s stunning year-round effect to your own garden.

CHANGING SEASONS WALK Thursday, 24th October 2pm - 3pm £10 From spectacular rare and unusual trees and shrubs, to mass plantings of Knoll’s acclaimed grasses, join Neil as he reveals the garden’s stunning autumn colour.

Other special events this autumn DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST MEMBERS DAY Friday, 13th September 10am - 5pm Free admission for DWT members BETTER PLANT AND GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP Saturday, 14th September 6.30am - 12.30pm £70 Professional photographer Philip Smith, founder of International Garden Photographer of the Year, leads this exclusive practical course exploring the special opportunities for creativity in the early morning garden.

ART GROUPS OPEN DAY Friday, 20th September, 10am - 4pm Free admission for invited art groups NGS OPEN DAY Friday, 27th September 10am - 5pm normal admission charge which will be donated to the NGS

Country Gardener

TEACHERS’ OPEN DAY Saturday, 19th October 10am - 4pm Free admission for teachers The garden’s charity, the Knoll Gardens Foundation, offers free admission to teachers in recognition of the valuable work they do with young people. The charity is dedicated to the research and promotion of wildlife-friendly gardening and hopes to inspire teachers to get involved and find out how they can use gardens as a learning resource across the generations.

More information at www.knollgardensfoundation.org

C

Knoll Gardens and its award-winning nursery open Tuesday - Saturday 10am – 5pm (4pm November March). For more information and details of the full event programme go to www.knollgardens.co.uk or call 01202 873931.

Did you know?

If you sign up to receive Knoll Gardens online newsletter you can benefit from a 10% discount on plants both online and in the nursery. Go to www.knollgardens.co.uk

n o i t i t ompe

BE WE’VE 50 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO

WON

N M TU U A IS TH S N E D R A G LL O N K TO VISIT

Planted with thousands of grasses and flowering perennials, alongside an impressive collection of rare and unusual trees and shrubs, Knoll Gardens offers a working example of a beautiful year-round garden; provides a flourishing environment for plants, and a welcoming habitat for wildlife.

Country Gardener is offering readers the opportunity to win one of 50 pairs of tickets to see the garden at its very best this autumn.

To enter simply answer the question below and send it on a postcard marked Knoll Gardens Competition, to Country Gardener Magazine, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD. The closing date for your entry in the competition is Friday, 13th September.

Q. How many years has Neil Lucas been at Knoll Gardens?

Terms and Conditions: One pair of tickets per winning entry. Tickets are for general garden admission and not valid for special events, or other purchases at the nursery or online. www.countrygardener.co.uk

31

Discover

Mark Hinsley

Marwood

MSc.Res.Man.(Arb), OND (Arb), F.Arbor.A

Arboricultural Consultants Ltd.

Hill Gardens

TREE ADVICE & REPORTING

Discover the stunning views at Marwood Hill Gardens, 20 acres of private gardens with lakes in North Devon.

Established 1994

The gardens are a wonderful haven in which to relax and enjoy the impressive collections of plants, shrubs and trees and experience the views and peaceful atmosphere.

We are a Dorset based company offering a friendly, professional tree consultancy service for all areas of the South.

Specialist Plant Sales At Marwood, we aim to provide something a little bit different, something which you can take home.

We specialise in:

■ Tree Condition Advice and Surveys

Tel: 01271 342528 | www.marwoodhillgarden.co.uk Marwood Hill Gardens, North Devon EX31 4EA

■ Tree Liability Assessments and Management Plans ■ Tree Preservation Order Advice ■ Planning Applications - Advice and Reports (to BS5837 standards)

ALL ENQUIRIES WELCOME

Autuum colour IN ABUNDANCE

01202 876177 www.treeadvice.info enquiries@treeadvice.info

For the latest garden news, events & advice - don't miss

COUNTRY GARDENER www.countrygardener.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.

Send SAE for descriptive catalogue.

Visitors welcome Mon-Sat 9am-1pm & 2pm-4.30pm Barthelemy & Co (DCG), 262 Wimborne Rd West, Stapehill, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 2DZ

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

www.devonlogstores.co.uk Made from sustainably harvested locally grown timber, these log stores are sturdily and attractively designed, yet light enough to be easily moved. Also wheelie bin/recycling storage and cycle stores.

Available in a range of sizes suited for the courtyard/patio or larger garden.

For further details call Nick on 01392 681690 32

Country Gardener

READER’S STORY

WEEDING gardening books DOWN TO THE BARE ESSENTIALS When Country Gardener reader James Lockett sorted through his considerable library of gardening books, he decided to choose five to save from an imagined burning library I’ve been weeding.

You know the sort of thing- tidying up, taking out things that you don’t want to see around.

Only I’ve been doing it with the vast collection of gardening books, which we have accumulated in over 30 years of Christmas and birthday presents, visits to second hand book shops, village fairs and the like. It happens to us all I guess – one minute you have a few books - the next you have a library.

I’ve never bothered to count them but there’s everything from incredibly expensive (and heavy) reference books to what seems like hundreds of ‘how to grow’ vegetable books which I am sure all say basically the same thing, to lovely picture based coffee table books (only we don’t have a coffee table), to anthologies, and of course the ubiquitous titles by D.G. Hessayon and his ‘Expert Guides.’ We seem to have them all.

I realised then I hardly ever look at 90 per cent of them.

So time to weed and hopefully give pleasure to those who might buy them at the village fete where I have donated five carrier bags full of the unread.

But then I realised there are a few which I couldn’t do without. Books which amongst the library stand out for me and I’d like to share my selections – perhaps five books I’d take to a desert island or five books I’d take quickly from a burning library. You get the idea.

These are all well thumbed, well used and much appreciated.

SMALL GARDEN by John Brookes I’ve been gardening for more years than I can remember and I’ve always liked the idea of a garden being lots of small rooms each with its own identity. I came across John Brookes as a designer some time ago and asked for his book as a birthday present. My daughter came up trumps as usual. He shows wonderfully clearly how to design in small chunks and I go back to it all the time for practical ideas.

PLANTING: A NEW PERSPECTIVE by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury There’s no doubt about it - Piet Oudolf is a radical, a romantic and a wonderful garden designer who excited

me about the way our gardens could and should look like. But unlike some designer’s portfolio pieces, this book shows us amateurs how we can replicate similar effects in our own back garden and it’s a book I keep going back to.

HILLIER MANUAL OF TREES AND SHRUBS by John G Hillier and Roy Lancaster I’m a huge fan of Roy Lancaster. I met him at a garden club talk a few years ago and he is a lovely warm and friendly man who incidentally spoke for an hour and a half on plants and their origins without a single note. So this book is a proper manual. It isn’t a picture book but, stuffed full of horticultural details on thousands of plants, and my one concession to having a reference book.

NEW WILD GARDEN: NATURAL-STYLE PLANTING AND PRACTICALITIES by Ian Hodgson My wife and I love wild gardens and have had three attempts to grow a wild flower area - two successful and one a disaster, which is not too bad a ratio. This book contributed to the successes and we are determined to keep reading it and to get better at our enjoyment of wild flowers.

THE WELL-TEMPERED GARDEN by Christopher Lloyd You have to have in your mini collection library something from a great master. This is mine.

The gardener and writer Christopher Lloyd, ran his garden at Great Dixter like a ongoing house party. We’ve been there a few times and it’s an inspiration. It’s also quite depressing in a way when you see what proper gardeners can achieve.

Anyway Lloyd writes with a passion for his subject, presenting his take on gardening challenges, triumphs and despairs with forthright opinions and a liberal dose of wit. A winter’s armchair of a book.

Do you have a gardening view, story or something you want to get off your chest and write about or share with our passionate gardening readers? We’d love to hear from you in 600 or so words. Send to alan@countrygardener.co.uk

www.countrygardener.co.uk

33

figs

IN LOVE WITH

by Kate Lewis

A great source of fibre and full of vitamins and minerals, fresh figs have a long and illustrious history and make a great easy to grow addition to any garden While even the best British summer will not guarantee figs to be as perfect as those found in their natural Mediterranean climate, they are still worth growing.

A native to sun-kissed shores, it is hard to find a fig that has either been grown in the UK or transported that can match the syrupy flavour of its Mediterranean counterparts. However, a good UK summer combined with the right

34

choice of tree will produce a fruit that is very versatile in the kitchen and an attractive addition to the garden.

Figs were brought to us by the Romans and for thousands of years have been held in very high esteem – the fig represented the tree of life to the Ancient Egyptians, a symbol of fertility to the Greeks and is the national tree of India.

When choosing a tree it is worth speaking to

Roasted figs with honey and Greek yoghurt

Filo-baked fresh figs with goats cheese

Serves 6 INGREDIENTS: 6 figs 6 tbsp honey 50g thick Greek yoghurt 2 tbsp icing sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract (or the seeds scraped from half a vanilla pod) METHOD: 1. Heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6.

2. Cut an X into the top of each fig and squeeze gently to open it up.

Trickle a little honey into each fig – reserve about half of it for serving – place in a tin and roast for 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbling.

3. Beat the yoghurt, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spoon some of the mixture into the top of each fig and trickle on some more honey just before serving.

INGREDIENTS: 6 large figs 125g soft goats cheese 2 tsp ground black peppercorns

59g melted butter 6 sheets filo pastry Handful chives, snipped

METHOD: 1. Heat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Slice the stems off the figs and score a deep cross shape into each, cutting two-thirds of the way through. Squeeze each fig a little at the base to open them out a bit.

2. In a small bowl mix together the goat’s cheese and black pepper, and divide equally into the middle of each fig.

3. Cut the sheets of filo into quarters, brush each piece with melted butter and stack. Put the stuffed fig in the middle of the filo squares and draw up the sides around it – the fig should be surrounded not covered.

4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and bake for 12-15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

5. Allow to cool a little before eating. Sprinkle with the snipped chives just before serving.

Country Gardener

an expert who can advise on the best variety for individual gardens. Figs are best planted outdoors in the autumn when the soil is warm.

In order to grow the best possible figs – and these may well still be better than those transported and manhandled from overseas – there are a few important guidelines to follow.

To best re-create their preferred Mediterranean growing conditions they need a really good position with plenty of sun, preferably a sheltered, south-facing wall. The soil should be rich and well-drained.

Fig trees benefit from having their roots restricted – this allows the tree to concentrate on growing fruit instead of leaves. Either plant the tree in a pot or create a planting pit with rubble at the bottom for drainage. Figs happily grow in a pot in a greenhouse or warm porch, and will still produce a lot of fruit if they are pruned and watered often.

Figs grown in an unheated greenhouse usually produce two crops a year, although the second crop is often dependent upon a hot summer. The first ripe figs usually appear in early summer and will ripen a few at a time so it is important to check them every day, and also to make sure the birds aren’t beating you to them. Figs grown outdoors usually only crop once at the end of the summer.

At the end of the season remove larger fruits that are not mature enough to ripen, this leaves the tiny fruits at the shoot tops to ripen the next spring. Ideally fig trees should be moved to a greenhouse or indoors. If this is not possible protect the tree with fleece or straw during the coldest spells.

Figs are ready for harvesting when the skin is soft and delicate, with a sugary tear in the eye of the fruit.

Mediterranean fig & mozzarella salad Serves 4 INGREDIENTS: 200g fine green beans, trimmed 6 small figs, quartered 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 x 125g ball mozzarella, drained & ripped into chunks 50g hazelnuts, toasted & chopped

Small handful basil leaves, torn 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp fig jam or relish 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper METHOD: 1. Blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes in a large saucepan of salted water. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain.

2. Arrange on a platter.

Top with the figs, shallots, mozzarella, hazelnuts and basil.

3. In a small bowl or jam jar with fitted lid, add vinegar, fig jam, olive oil and season.

Whisk or shake well and pour over salad just before serving.

(Recipe: Good Food)

In the kitchen

Although probably best eaten straight from the tree, figs can be used in the kitchen for numerous sweet and savoury dishes. The skin is eaten and they must be eaten ripe. If they are too firm they can be ripened in a warm spot set apart as they will mould when touching.

In savoury dishes they are a perfect match for cheese, especially blue varieties, goat’s and any type of soft cheese. Other good savoury partners are air-dried, salty or smoked ham, and nuts. Make a simple salad with leaves, quartered figs, slices of prosciutto, crumbled blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts.

The leaves are very useful for wrapping fish and cheese to go on the barbecue, and also make a decorative base on which to serve cheese. They can also be used to make fig leaf syrup, or macerated in alcohol to make fig leaf gin or vodka, for ice cream or panna cotta.

The fig’s innate sweetness means they are more often used in the sweet dishes, although they do not suit pies or crumbles.

They do, however, work beautifully in an open tart such as a tarte tartine.

Figs love some extra heat. A compote is a quick dessert or breakfast - simmer roughly chopped figs with honey, lemon juice, fresh thyme and a splash of water. Alternatively poach the whole fruit in red wine flavoured with lemon zest, honey, vanilla, cloves and star anise. Pierce the fruit a few times with a cocktail stick and cook for around 20 minutes until the skins are tender. Remove the figs and reduce the liquid by boiling for ten to fifteen minutes until syrupy. Serve poured over the figs with yoghurt.

Figs on toast – two ways Figs and almond butter

INGREDIENTS: 2 slices sourdough bread 2 figs, sliced Almond butter

Cinnamon Honey

METHOD: Toast the bread. Spread with almond butter. Top with sliced figs and finish with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Figs and whipped ricotta INGREDIENTS:

2 slices sourdough bread 2 figs, sliced 4 tbsp ricotta

1 tbsp honey thyme leaves

METHOD: Toast the bread. While it is toasting mix together the ricotta, honey and thyme.

Spread the ricotta on the toast, top with sliced figs and finish with thyme.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

35

n o i t i t e C omp

WIN A TRIP TO THE

CORNISH CARIBBEAN!

A gardening themed holiday for two in the luxurious Karma St. Martin’s Hotel on the Isles of Scilly awaits two lucky readers Outstandingly beautiful, uncrowded and unspoilt.

The Isles of Scilly lie just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall but are a world apart in every way.

Country Gardener and the award winning luxury Karma St. Martin’s Hotel are combining to give readers the chance to enjoy a sensational holiday on the Isles of Scilly - with travel and a gardening treat included.

Situated on St.Martin’s, one of five inhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly, Karma, perched metres from the white sands, offers an enviable base to explore the archipelago of more than 140 islands - most of which are deserted other than wildlife and seabirds.

Our prize for two people includes travel from Penzance to the Scillies with Isles of Scilly Travel, a three-night bed and breakfast prize including a spa treatment and a day pass to Tresco Abbey Gardens, the world famous subtropical

gardens home to thousands of unique exotic plants from around the world.

Located on a subtropical island of white sand beaches and crystal-clear seas, Karma St. Martin’s Hotel redefines the luxury European escape. This exclusive island is easier to reach than ever before. The trip includes traveling on the Scillonian, where you’ll arrive into St. Mary's which is the largest island on the Isles of Scilly. From here, the Cornish Caribbean awaits!

You will be able to relax in a Michelin-listed Ocean View room.

You can enjoy dining al fresco in the resort’s sub-tropical gardens or have a two AA Rosette dining experience in the restaurant. With either option, you’ll be surrounded by sea views, and the perfect location to capture the stunning Isles of Scilly sunset.

Karma St. Martin’s Hotel www.karmastmartins.com Isles of Scilly Travel www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk Tresco Gardens www.tresco.co.uk

Entry Form All you have to do is answer this question and send your entry form off to: Isles of Scilly Competition, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD.

Please tick if you would like to receive updates and information from; Karma St. Martin’s Hotel ❑ Isles of Scilly Travel ❑ Tresco Gardens ❑

How far are the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast?

Competition closes on Friday, 13th September.

..............................................................................................................................................

Terms and conditions: The prize includes three nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation based on two people sharing a room at Karma St. Martin’s Hotel plus one spa treatment. Prize to be booked for holiday dates in 2019 or 2020 only, excluding Bank Holiday weekends, peak school-holiday periods or during July and August. Accommodation are subject to availability on requested dates. The winner will be selected at random and no cash alternative is available. This prize is not transferable.

Name: ................................................................................................................

Address: ............................................................................................................ ...............................................................................................................................

Postcode: ..........................................................................................................

36

Country Gardener

SPECIALIST TREES

OPERATING ON

your tree

Mark Hinsley is often called on to explain the various operations which may be carried out on a tree so here he gives an insight into the terms you will need to understand In the turbulent times we now live in I thought I would share this with you:

Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a f lower, or plants a tree, is more than all.

- John Greenleaf Whittier When dealing with Tree Preservation Orders or Conservation Areas tree owners will need various terms which describe operations that may be undertaken on their tree, but who knows what these terms mean? Without being exhaustive, which would take up the whole issue of this magazine, here are a few that may help: COPPICING – This is the process of cutting a tree or bush down to ground level and allowing it to grow up again.

This is a woodland management technique that has been in existence for thousands of years. It is a means of producing large amounts of small wood, such as withies for thatching and hurdle making, posts for fencing or logs for firewood. It is used to increase the ornamental impact of woody plants with coloured stems such as some of the Dogwoods. Conifers will not coppice.

POLLARDING – The origins of pollarding are the same as coppicing and it was done for the same reasons. The difference was that pollarding was done at a height above ground where the new shoots could not be reached by browsing livestock such as deer or cattle. True pollarding is initiated when the tree is still young and then continued throughout the life of the tree. Conifers will not pollard.

TOPPING – This is the act of cutting the top off a tree. It is a very damaging thing to do if the tree is mature. It will create pollard type regrowth in broadleaf trees, but not in conifers. It allows the ingress of decay from the exposed top that will run all the way down the trunk.

LOPPING – This is the act of cutting off side branches. It can be damaging to mature trees if the branches are large as it can allow decay into the main trunk.

Any activity that removes a large amount of the leaf area of a tree can be harmful because the tree’s ability to photosynthesise will have been reduced. Consequently, the defence mechanisms in the tree will use whatever resources the tree has stored to try and put the leaves back on as quickly as possible. This can leave the tree very stressed, weak and vulnerable to disease.

CROWN LIFTING – This is the act of removing some of the lower branches. It is most frequently done to prevent low branches causing an obstruction to vehicles, people, horses, lawn mowers, etc. or coming in contact with structures. It can also be done to allow light to filter under the canopy of a tree. Done carefully it does little harm, although it can cause long-term structural problems in trees that will spread by self-layering such as Western Red Cedar.

CROWN CLEANING – This is the removal of dead wood and damaged branches. It does no harm to the tree but does rather sterilise it for wildlife conservation – so don’t do it if you don’t have to.

CROWN THINNING – This involves reducing the number of branches throughout the canopy. It can have its uses to manage the regrowth from past problems or to tidy up some ornamentals that simply grow too dense. However, most of the time it benefits nobody for more than 12 months and is then worse than it was when you started.

Trees are self-optimising organisms – most of the time they are best left to look after themselves.

Mark Hinsley is from Arboricultural Consultants Ltd. www.treeadvice.info

www.countrygardener.co.uk

37

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38

Country Gardener

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39

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Stables

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Garden Offices

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Growers of many plants suitable for coastal areas including hedging plants All propagated and grown in Devon Established suppliers to landscape designers

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NEWS

The latest from businesses across the counties

Say it with Wood find permanent home to tackle climate change Well known rustic fencing company Say it with Wood is responding to its customers needs for more sustainable choices for the garden. The Ledbury based business has completed the conversion of an old grain store into a timber yard, bringing more woodland into management in order to mitigate against climate change.

The unit unit means they can invest in staff and technologies, and do more of what they do best- making products from timber they harvest as part of sustainable woodland management.

Aly May, partner, said ”We have always been a green facing business, however, climate change is now a serious concern.

Trees and woodlands need to be part of a carbon neutral future as they store carbon and filter the air.

“Well managed woodland provides a home for wildlife and helps against extremes of weather by providing shade and slowing the passage of water. Our customers tell us how important the link between the products we make and the woods we work in are, so we thought it was time to step up and embrace the challenge.

“The new site enables the business to help customers get more wood in their lives.”

Laura Russel, horticulturalist and project manager continues: ”Generally our customers care deeply about making sustainable choices for the garden. By utilising our by-products we can now offer visitors a selection of wonderful plants to compliment the rustic items we make.” www.sayitwithwood.co.uk Say it with Wood, The Grainstore, Canon Frome, Ledbury, HR82UN.

Stewarts – the south’s best destination garden centre Stewarts Garden Centre in Christchurch is back in the business of winning awards.

The family owned business has won the Garden Centre Association’s award for the best Destination Garden Centre, competing with 50 garden centres.

The centre also gained the top award for its environment and community contributions and is a national finalist in the Ruxley Rose Competition for Best Plant Area Terry Head, retail and marketing director at Stewarts said that the award recognises the professionalism and hard work maintained by the 80 full and part time staff employed at the centre.

Stewarts can claim to have opened the first dedicated garden shop in 1955 at their Ferndown Nursery and can trace over three centuries in horticulture back to 1742. www.stewarts.co.uk

Groves Nurseries go into the gin business with violets Dorset nursery and garden centre, Groves Nurseries, has moved into the gin business with the launch of their own brand of violet gin aptly named ‘Mr Clive Groves and Groves’ Violet Gin’. Groves Nurseries is home to one his new violet gin of the largest and most comprehensive collection of violets in the world.

Flavoured with Clive Groves’ Bridport-grown violets the gin was distilled at the garden centre by Devon Distillery’s “Still on the Move”, a converted 1960s VW van and is available by the bottle or by enjoying by the glass as a gin and tonic at Ivy House Kitchen, Groves Nurseries on site restaurant in Bridport.

The Groves violet collection is registered with Plant Heritage and is the only National Collection of Viola odorata and parma violets in the UK. The collection was started by Clive Groves’ father Charles William Groves in the 1970’s. He noticed that many of the older growers mainly in the Dawlish area of Devon, were either retiring from growing or passing away in the late 1960s early 1970s. Violets were losing their popularity as a cut flower so Clive and his father started collecting varieties from around the world to retain their diversity. They have also added many new award-winning varieties of their own that have been bred on their nursery to ensure these fantastic flowers can be enjoyed for future generations to come.

Groves Nurseries and Garden Centre, 74 West Bay Rd, Bridport DT6 4BA www.countrygardener.co.uk

41

TIME Off

COMPILED BY KATE LEW IS DIARY EVENTS FROM CLUBS AND ORGANISATIONS AROUND HAMPSHIRE

Our hugely popular Time Off section is a regular free opportunity for gardening clubs, associations, societies and organisations to publicise their events to Country Gardener readers.

Here’s a selection of gardening events to look out for during the next few weeks throughout Hampshire.

If you are a garden club or association looking to promote an event then please send us details at least eight weeks before publication and we will publicise it free of charge. Make sure you let us know where the event is being held, the date and include a contact telephone number.

We are always keen to support events and we will be glad to publicise talks, meetings and shows held during the year where clubs want to attract a wider audience, but we do not have space for club outings or parties. It is much easier for us if garden clubs could send us their diary for the year for events to be included in the relevant issue of the magazine. Please send to Country Gardener Magazines, Mount House, Halse, Taunton TA4 3AD or by email to timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk We take great care to ensure that details are correct at the time of going to press but we advise readers to check wherever possible before starting out on a journey as circumstances can force last minute changes. All NGS open gardens can be found on www.ngs.org.uk or in the local NGS booklet available at many outlets.

AUGUST 17

th

ALLOTMENTS & GARDENS ASSOCIATION SALISBURY 13TH SUMMER HORTICULTURE SHOW 1.30pm – 4pm WHITEPARISH GARDEN CLUB WHITEPARISH GARDEN & HOBBIES SHOW Details on 01794 885738 18th KINGSCLERE GARDENING ASSOCIATION, FIELDGATE CENTRE ANNUAL SHOW Details on 01256 781892 PURBROOK HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ANNUAL SUMMER SHOW AT CROOKHORN COLLEGE www.purbrookhorticulturalsociety.org.uk WINCHESTER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY LATE SUMMER SHOW AT BADGER FARM COMMUNITY CENTRE Details on 01962 866818

22nd

3rd

SPRINGHEAD TRUST, FONTMELL MAGNA ‘A PERFECT WORLD’ – MIRACLE THEATRE Details on 01747 811853

ANDOVER FLOWER CLUB ‘HARVEST TIME’ WORKSHOP Details on 01264 355335

24th WEST MOORS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY SUMMER SHOW Details on 01202 871536 28th WARSASH HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘WINNING WAYS WITH YOUR GARDEN’ – HILARY GILSON

MEDSTEAD GARDENERS’ CLUB ‘COMPOSTING & RECYCLING’- KELVIN MASON www.medsteadgardenersclub.xyz SOLENT FUCHSIA & FLOWER CLUB ‘BRITISH ALSTROEMERIAS & THE UK CUT FLOWER INDUSTRY’ – BEN CROSS Details on 01329 310124 5th

29th IBSLEY & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘UNUSUAL PERENNIALS’ – BRYAN MADDERS

SEP TEMBER 2nd OAKLEY GARDENING CLUB ‘PUTTING YOUR GARDEN TO BED FOR WINTER’ – RAY BROUGHTON

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BURSLEDON & DISTRICT GARDENING CLUB ‘UNUSUAL PERENNIALS’ – BRIAN MADDEN Details on 02380 402986

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BRANSGORE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘WHAT’S IN A NAME? – JANETTE MERILION DIBDEN PURLIEU GARDENING ASSOCIATION ‘PESTS AND DISEASES AND UNUSUAL BULBS’ – TIM WOODLAND 6th SOUTHAMPTON GARDENING CLUB ‘WILDLIFE IN COMMON’ – PETER DURNELL Details on 01489 784823

7th LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY AUTUMN SHOW Details on 02392 551133 SOUTHAMPTON BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION, MAYFIELD NURSERIES ANNUAL HONEY SHOW www.southamptonbeekeepers.co.uk 9th MICHELMERSH & TIMSBURY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘AUTUMN PERENNIALS’ – ROSIE HARDY WEST MOORS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘THE GARDENS OF SINGAPORE’ – CHRISTINE BENNETT Details on 01202 871536 10

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HALE & WOODGREEN HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION ‘THE HILLIER GARDENS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR’ – DAVID JEWELL 11th GRAYSHOTT GARDENERS ‘KEW GARDENS’ – HARRY BALDWIN Details on 01794 175542 TOTTON & DISTRICT GARDENERS’ SOCIETY ‘IN AT THE DEEP END’ – STEVE OAKS Details on 023 80668177

WINCHESTER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘GROWING IN RAISED BEDS’ - BARRY NEWMAN Details on 01962 868818

25th BISHOPS WALTHAM GARDENING CLUB ‘PLANTS WHICH CHANGED THE WORLD AND THE WAY WE LIVE’ – ROSINA BRANDHAM

12th THE GARDENING CLUB OF SANDHURST AND DISTRICT ‘LONDON WALK’ – VAL PRETLOVE Details on 01420 768965

26th IBSLEY & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘WEIRD & WONDERFUL PLANTS’ – ALAN MARTIN Email: terryings@btinternet.com

14th TOTTON & DISTRICT GARDENERS’ SOCIETY OPEN AUTUMN SHOW Details on 023 80668177

SOUTH WONSTON GARDENING CLUB ‘21ST CENTURY GARDENING’ TIMOTHY WALKER Details on 01962 882031 WHITEPARISH GARDEN CLUB ‘NEW & EXCITING PLANTS’ – MARCUS DANCER

17th HOLFORD GARDENERS GROUP ‘FROM SEED TO FORK’ – GREG MORTER Details on 01278 741130

28th WARSASH HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY WHS CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

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MILFORD GARDENERS’ CLUB ‘CONTAINER BULB FOR A YEAR OF FLOWERS’ – TIM WOODLAND Details on 01425 612287

29th COPTHORNE NURSERY, FAWLEY VILLAGE OPEN DAY Details on 023 80894998

19th ALTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘WILDLIFE RESCUE – MAKING A DIFFERENCE’ – KEITH OUTTERSIDE www.altonhorticulturalsociety.org.uk

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BARTLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘AUTUMN FLOWERING PERENNIALS’ – ROSY HARDY Details on 023 80812217

FORDINGBRIDGE & DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY ‘A VICTORIAN HEAD GARDENER’ – DR FRANCIS BURROUGHES www.fanddhs.org.uk

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A true

HAMPSHIRE DELIGHT Houghton Lodge has arguably one of the beautiful privately owned gardens in the country and remains open to visitors until the end of September Houghton Lodge is a stunning Hampshire garden, known and loved by locals and those visitors who have been fortunate enough to discover it.

The house and gardens are in the heart of the Test valley and only five minutes from the local market town of Stockbridge. It was built in 1790 and probably just intended as a fishing lodge.

Houghton Lodge is a Grade II listed ‘Cottage Orné’, surrounded by mature trees and lawns sweeping down to the river and is arguably one of the most beautiful privately owned gardens, which span over 14 acres, to visit in the county.

The walled garden boasts vast espalier fruit trees enclosed by a historical chalk cob wall. It provides protection to 32 different varieties of apple tree, many of which cannot be bought today. There is a wonderful herb garden with pharmaceutical, medicinal, natural dye, pot pourri and tea beds. The fruit cage is home to both golden and red raspberries. Vegetables grow in raised beds, and you will see wild flowers, sweet peas and dahlias providing a kaleidoscope of summer and autumn colour. Not to be missed is the magnificent and famous espaliered pear tree growing on the eastern wall- which is now over 52 feet long!

On leaving this part of the garden the scents and colours of the magnificent 300-foot herbaceous border is an impressive 44

sight. Ambling down to the Test, visitors can engage with ever-friendly alpacas, Tom, Dick and Harry.

Nearby, the woodland walk offers an enchanting mix of the quiet and scents of ancient times. On approaching the house again, the statue of Mercury announces the abundance of Delphiniums in all their spiked glory. Before returning to the walled garden, see the splendour of the semi formal box hedging that makes up the stunning peacock topiary garden.

The gardens will be hosting another celebration of their heritage apples on Sunday, 29th September, with lots of activities.

‘Heritage apples’ are varieties not available across today’s supermarkets and shops. They were in abundance around 80 years ago when apple orchards were on every corner and in most gardens, but sadly with the lack of manpower after both world wars, new farming techniques and more profitable uses of the land, the orchards were lost.

There will be plenty of opportunity to ‘ask the experts’ on fruit tree growing, cultivating and pruning along with the chance to view and taste the many varieties.

Houghton Lodge Gardens Apple Day, Sunday 29th September, 11am to 4pm.

Visitor information • Houghton Lodge is open until Monday 30th September from 11am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays. 10am to 5pm weekends and Bank Holidays. Tea rooms are open every day.

• The topography of the site means that it is generally accessible for disabled visitors however several areas are not suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. There are gravel paths particularly in the walled garden and some hills.

• Free parking. Dogs welcome on short leads • Adults: £7.50 children three plus £3.50

How to find it Houghton Lodge is in the heart of the Test Valley, five minutes from the local town of Stockbridge. Follow the signs to Houghton Lodge Gardens.

Houghton Lodge Gardens, Houghton, North Houghton, Stockbridge SO20 6LQ

Country Gardener

Happy eaters!

Bizarre and beautiful. Exotic and extreme. Carnivorous plants tend to appeal to the more colourful aspects of horticultural language.

It goes with the territory as they are bewitching plants.

They are different and with so many hybrids give a wonderful number of options of size, shape and colour.

They are found all over the world in many different climates, and some will grow outside in the UK. But for most they ‘perform’ as an indoor attraction – a plant certain to cause interest and hugely popular with children.

Carnivorous plants come from a range of climates including tropical Asia, Australia, and temperate Europe and from areas as diverse as Mexico up to Alaska. Their requirements are very variable.

Their remarkable skill as a plant is to trap and extract food from other living organisms to supplement the lack of nutrients in their habitats. They have food collection mechanisms that include traps, pitchers, sticky pads or suction techniques.

It is important to select the correct compost formula for each genus. All of them dislike nutrients in the compost but some prefer free drainage while others need boggy conditions.

Ready-made potting composts are not suitable, but the ingredients to make up suitable composts should be easily obtainable from garden centres or mail order suppliers.

Rainwater is the key for carnivorous plants. Tap water contains chlorides and fluorides and many hard tap waters contain high levels of calcium making it too alkaline for carnivorous plants. Domestic water softeners simply exchange calcium for sodium, and the sodium can build up to toxic levels over a period of time.

Most carnivorous plants will thrive in a bright position inside, but not in direct sun as leaves can scorch through glass.

Nepenthes (monkey cups) These are plants from the tropics. In the wild they grow as

Bewitching and colourful carnivorous plants can certainly lend an element of curiosity to windowsills and greenhouses

vines up to 15 metres. Their insect traps are pitchers formed at the ends of leaves mainly in summer and high humidity is essential for pitcher formation. Two types of pitcher are produced, one at ground level, the other further up the vine.

Cephalotus follicularis (Australian pitcher plant) Cephalotus is the only member of the genus. It produces squat pitchers which are pale green in normal light conditions and purple in bright sunshine. The traps appear in summer and plain, fleshy leaves form in spring.

Dionaea muscipula (Venus’ fly trap) Venus’ fly trap is a greenhouse or indoor plant, native to eastern North America, with green leaves that bear traps at the ends at all times of the year except winter. The inner surface of the trap may be flushed pink or red if healthy. Each trap can be used two or three times for catching insects, before it dies naturally and is replaced. White, insignificant flowers are produced in spring.

Drosera (sundew) Sundews are a good choice to grow with other houseplants to protect them from small flies, making a very effective fly paper. They come from a number of areas of the world and each group has its range of species with specific requirements.

All sundews can be grown in a cold frost-free greenhouse but pygmies such as D. occidentalis prefer a winter minimum night temperature of not below 10°C (50°F).

Sarracenia (American or trumpet pitcher) Indoors, grow in bright light, but not in direct sun. Stand the containers of equal parts by volume of moss peat and washed sand in a tray of rain or distilled water. Maintain a high level of humidity in summer.

In winter, sarracenias need to have a period of dormancy, so several weeks spent in temperatures of between 0°C (32°F) and 15°C (60°F) will help encourage strong growth the following year.

Which carnivorous plants are best for beginners?

Drosera capensis, the Cape sundew: one of the prettiest and most entertaining sundews, a great fly catcher and a perfect plant for new growers.

Dionaea muscipula, the Venus flytrap, awe-inspiring and rewarding to grow.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Sarracenia purpurea, the Purple pitcher plant: This species - and hybrids involving it - is the most tolerant of all North American pitcher plants.

45

GROW UP! Even a small garden arch can add height and drama but it’s the choice of plants or even vegetables which is key It is easy to concentrate on beds and borders when you’re planting your garden, but making use of vertical space is a great way to add drama.

Adding an arch is one of the quickest ways to give height as well. It also provides a place to grow and enjoy climbing plants such as roses, clematis, honeysuckle and many others.

The key is to avoid plants that become too vigorous and to choose those that grow well together as partners.

Some deciduous honeysuckles or clematis (evergreen kinds are generally too vigorous) but grow well with roses as do herbaceous climbers such as perennial pea (Lathyrus latifolius).

Garden arches have been important landscape elements for centuries.

Over time they have been fashioned from materials including wood, stone, metal, plastic - or even trees or shrubs trained, tied and clipped into arching configurations.

Arches can fulfil several important landscape functions: supporting plants, serving as garden focal points, and framing desirable views.

A sequence of arches can be used to delineate a garden walkway.

The choice of style and material depends on the purpose of the arch as well as the overall style of the garden or landscape.

But it is the choice of plants that really makes the difference. Not all arches support plants, but when they do, plant choice should be governed by the situation (sun or shade), the style of the garden and the size of the arch.

Large vines like wisteria need extremely solid, heavy arches to support their significant weight. Smaller arches can support climbing roses, clematis and other climbing shrubs, perennials and annuals.

Wisteria is a cottage garden favourite and its lavender, violet, pink or white flowers bring an elegant beauty to the spring garden. Both wisteria floribunda ‘Royal Purple’ and ‘Alba’ are vigorous climbers and need to be planted against a large, sturdy structure in a sunny position. Always buy a 46

named variety grown from a cutting or grafted as these are much more likely to flower within three or four years.

Perennial climbers like clematis and honeysuckle (Lonicera) come into their own in the long summer months. Clematis flowers range from the dainty white bells of Clematis ‘Albiflora’ to the extravagant late summer blooms of clematis ‘Jackmanii’, while delicate tubular lonicera japonica flowers fill the air with fragrance. Clematis ‘Andromeda’ has dramatic semi-double flowers and prefers a shady spot, whereas clematis ‘Rebecca’ produces its most vibrant flowers in full sun and is equally happy planted in the ground or in a container.

Summer annuals are perfect to add splashes of colour to trellis panels, posts and arches. Try growing Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata) and Morning Glory (Ipomoea) from seed for flowers with big impact on a small budget.

Vertical growing isn’t restricted to ornamental plants – many edible crops can be grown against a fence or up an arch. Courgettes and squash can be grown this way. One favourite squash to grow over a sunny arch is the long, sweet and extremely prolific tromboncino.

Nasturtiums also thrive when trailing up supports, providing edible leaves, seeds and flowers throughout the summer.

For a more permanent display, train a fruit tree against a vertical support into a cordon, espalier or fan to provide architectural interest in winter, blossom in spring and fruits in autumn.

Two of the best climbers for dramatic autumn foliage are the ornamental Vitis vinifera ‘Purpurea’ with its deep burgundy-purple leaves and Parthenocissus henryana – a less vigorous relative of virginia creeper but with similar fiery crimson foliage in autumn.

Cotoneaster horizontalis provides autumn and winter interest with sprays of vivid berries that attract birds like fieldfare and waxwing into the garden.

Pyracantha also has attractive berries and its branches provide nesting sites for birds during the breeding season.

Country Gardener

Hinton Ampner

Autuum colour IN ABUNDANCE

Visit our gardens this September, ablaze with colour from our dahlia collection.

When you visit, donate, volunteer or join the National Trust, your support helps us to look after special places for ever, for everyone.

nationaltrust.org.uk/hintonampner

For the latest garden news, events & advice - don't miss

COUNTRY GARDENER www.countrygardener.co.uk

Š National Trust 2019. The National Trust is an independent registered charity, number 205846.

Photography Š National Trust Images\Andreas von Einsiedel.

#nationaltrust

Explore the glorious historic West Dean Gardens One of the greatest restored gardens in the UK. Relax and unwind with beautiful Lavant Valley views. West Dean is a garden for all seasons.

West Dean Gardens, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0RX | Tel: 01243 818210

www.westdeangardens.org.uk www.countrygardener.co.uk

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