Bringing your garden out of the Shadows

The King and Queen

2012-02-12T06:04:00.000-08:00

No:2 in a series of tree blogs
In Celtic mythology Beech is the Queen of the forest and her king is of course the mighty Oak.
Now these are two trees that most people can recognise but they are also two of my favourite.
Beech translates as Book as the wood is smooth and was used as tablets for writing.
Fagus is the Celtic God of beech trees and the latin name for the common Beech tree, found growing in England, is Fagus sylvatica.
Beech forests are characteristically devoid of undergrowth this is because the canopy is particularly thick and beech trees hold onto their dead leaves for longer in winter than other deciduous trees. When they do fall they create a thick carpet of rotting material which inhibits most growth but is rich in insect life.
Beech trees typically live for between 150-200 years. The nuts they produce are mostly eaten by birds and although the are edible can be toxic in large quantitys. They contain Tannins and the oil they produce was used for lamp oil and for cooking with.

The tallest hedge in the world is a beech hedge standing 120 feet tall in Scotland.

The Beech Tree's Petition by Thomas Cambell

O leave this barren spot to me!
Spare, woodman, spare the beechen tree!
Though bush or floweret never grow
My dark unwarming shade below;
Nor summer bud perfume the dew
Of rosy blush, or yellow hue;
Nor fruits of autumn, blossom-born,
My green and glossy leaves adorn;
Nor murmuring tribes from me derive
Th' ambrosial amber of the hive;
Yet leave this barren spot to me:
Spare, woodman, spare the beechen tree!

Thrice twenty summers I have seen
The sky grow bright, the forest green;
And many a wintry wind have stood
In bloomless, fruitless solitude,
Since childhood in my pleasant bower
First spent its sweet and sportive hour;
Since youthful lovers in my shade
Their vows of truth and rapture made,
And on my trunk's surviving frame
Carved many a long-forgotten name.
Oh! by the sighs of gentle sound,
First breathed upon this sacred ground;
By all that Love has whispered here,
Or Beauty heard with ravished ear;
As Love's own altar honor me:
Spare, woodman, spare the beechen tree!

The King of the forest is the mighty Oak currently thought of as one of the most sustainable building materials with the popularity of Oak framed homes skyrocketing in recent years.

A versitile tree its uses have been from building ships to tanning leather using the bark and fattening pigs with accorns its components also have medicial uses.

It is said the Charles the II hid in an Oak tree to escape the Roundheads and oak apple day is a celebration of this event. The word Druid means 'Oak Man' another translation reads 'knower of Oak trees' as well as 'knower of the truth' and Oak wood is burnt as part of the summer celebrations.

The Oak tree is a habitat for more insects and wildlife than any other tree and its roots have a symbiotic relationship with several fungi.

Some varietys of Oak tree can live for as long as 1000 years producing the first good crop of accorns at the ripe old age of between 40-50 years old.

Timeless Yew trees

2012-02-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

I can name most plants and I love woodland walks and can name most of the common trees but I have to admit trees are abit of a mystery to me.
In the next series of blogs I have decided to look closer at trees and what better one to start with than Yew.
I once heard that yew trees could create new trunks from their branches. I cant remember where I heard this but it has stuck with me.

It turns out this is true, Yew trees have the ability to grow roots from their branches once these branches are in contact with the soil. Yews can be propagated by layering. Bend a flexible branch to the ground and secure. Then cover a section with soil. Where the soil is in contact with the branch new roots will appear.

The oldest yew tree in the UK is in Scotland and is said to be the Fortingall yew at over 5000 years old. There are story’s which claim that Pontius Pilot played beneath its branches as a child.

Yews have proved hard to age as reading the rings of a yew can be misleading. Yews have the ability to grow the girth of their trunks rapidly but also to stop the growth completely if conditions aren’t favourable.

There is even a society dedicated to these fantastic trees http://www.ancient-yew.org

You will often find a yew in churchyards and as a tree regarded as a symbol of rebirth, a sacred tree and the conections with death and burial rituals meant that some churchyards were sited because of the presence of a yew tree. They have of course survived here longest because these are protected areas to grow.

Yew is a hardwood and has a beautiful grain, it has been used for making all sorts of items most famous of which is the longbow.

Yews are remarkable and although the berry’s are great bird food please do not attempt to eat any part of the yew as it is toxic. The bright red berry’s can be very attractive so never plant where children are left unattended.

Sylvia Plath
The Moon And The Yew Tree This is the light of the mind, cold and planetary
The trees of the mind are black. The light is blue.
The grasses unload their griefs on my feet as if I were God
Prickling my ankles and murmuring of their humility
Fumy, spiritous mists inhabit this place.
Separated from my house by a row of headstones.
I simply cannot see where there is to get to.

The moon is no door. It is a face in its own right,
White as a knuckle and terribly upset.
It drags the sea after it like a dark crime; it is quiet
With the O-gape of complete despair. I live here.
Twice on Sunday, the bells startle the sky --
Eight great tongues affirming the Resurrection
At the end, they soberly bong out their names.

The yew tree points up, it has a Gothic shape.
The eyes lift after it and find the moon.
The moon is my mother. She is not sweet like Mary.
Her blue garments unloose small bats and owls.
How I would like to believe in tenderness -
The face of the effigy, gentled by candles,
Bending, on me in particular, its mild eyes.

I have fallen a long way. Clouds are flowering
Blue and mystical over the face of the stars
Inside the church, the saints will all be blue,
Floating on their delicate feet over the cold pews,
Their hands and faces stiff with holiness.
The moon sees nothing of this. She is bald and wild.
And the message of the yew tree is blackness - blackness and silence.

William Wordsworth
There is a Yew-tree, pride of Lorton Vale,
Which to this day stands single, in the midst
Of its own darkness, as it stood of yore:
Not loathe to furnish weapons for the Bands
Of Umfraville or Percy ere they marched
To Scotland's heaths; or those that crossed the sea
And drew their sounding bows at Azincour,
Perhaps at earlier Crecy, or Poictiers.
Of vast circumference and gloom profound
This solitary Tree! -a living thing
Produced too slowly ever to decay;
Of form and aspect too magnificent
To be destroyed. But worthier still of note
Are those fraternal Four of Borrowdale,
Joined in one solemn and capacious grove;
Huge trunks! -and each particular trunk a growth
Of intertwisted fibres serpentine
Up-coiling, and inveteratley convolved, -
Nor uninformed with Fantasy, and looks
That threaten the profane; -a pillared shade,
Upon whose grassless floor of red-brown hue,
By sheddings from the pining umbrage tinged
Perennially -beneath whose sable roof
Of boughs, as if for festal purpose decked
With unrejoicing berries -ghostly Shapes
May meet at noontide: Fear and trembling Hope,
Silence and Foresight, Death the Skeleton
And Time the Shadow; there to celebrate,
As in a natural temple scattered o'er
With altars undisturbed of mossy stone,
United worship; or in mute repose
To lie, and listen to the mountain flood
Murmuring from Glaramara's inmost caves.

Roses are Red

2012-01-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

A little blog about the meanings of flowers.
With Valentines day fast approaching all those looking to woo those you have admired from afar will be thinking about how to put those unspoken words into a gift.
Most people associate a single red rose as the ultimate romantic flower but they are not the only choice.

If you look at the meaning of flowers you will find that a yellow Chrysanthemum indicates a secret admirer, a forget me not asks that you remember them forever and Ivy indicates fidelity.
And there are more
Lilac = first love
Pansy = loving thoughts
Passion flower = Passion (of course)
Red rose = Passionate love
Sunflower = adoration
Red Tulip = declaration of love
Yellow Tulip = hopelessly in love
Violet = faithfulness

So why not be a bit more creative with your Valentines bouquet this year and let them work out how you feel. Mix you flowers to describe your intentions and watch them fall into your arms or maybe not I am not promising anything.

Decking, theres more to it

2012-01-26T07:18:00.000-08:00

Decking can be a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it, but as technological advancements are made then the hate it brigade will have less to loath.
When speaking to the public at shows often people say they had thought about a deck but 'isn’t it a bit out of date now'.

The short answer is if you go for a basic tile decking option then yes it can look out of date. Not only that but it often doesn’t last as long as some of its bigger brothers. Steering away from the patio style square outside your back door can also bring it up to date.

Be inventive and take decking into the garden. Use it for paths, under trees as a seating area or feature, as a jetty over your pond or to create planters that blend in.

Decking boards come in
Softwood
English Pine
Larch (does not need treating)
Swedish redwood

Hardwood
English or European Oak
Balua
Ipe
Cumaru
Iroko
Teak
Even Eucalyptus
to name a few

Wood/Plastic composite
Recycled

Plastic
Usually recycled

So how do you decide which to buy. Well a lot is involved in this decision it depends on the colour you want your deck to be, how strong the wood needs to be and of course how much you want to spend.

Softwood boards need treating every year to prevent rotting and fungal problems. Hardwood boards can be left to age naturally and Composite decking never needs treating but can work out more expensive than some hardwood boards.

Most decking boards are reversible with one side planed and the other grooved. The width and style of groove will depend on the company that makes it.

There are also numerous patterns in which the boards can be laid but I think I’ve given you enough to think about for one post.

Yet another Garden trends blog

2012-01-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

Yes I am the first to admit there are plenty of other trends for 2012 blogs out there.
But this is the only one written by me.

The first thing I must say is that it doesn’t really matter how many people tell you that pink is the next black or that a giant plastic flamingo is the must have for this year. If you don’t like it don’t do it. You are the one that has to live with your garden and unless your lucky enough to be able to change it every year to follow the latest trends then you will have to live with it for a long time.

Funnily enough that said the first trend for 2012 is bring you into the garden. Take the style you have used to influence your home outside. So if your influences are retro chic or French reproduction then try to use this in your garden as well.

This also stretches to the re-use and recycle trend which sees containers, planters, furnitures and features made from items that’s would otherwise have been thrown away.
Considering the financial situation we find ourselves in this may be the one for most of us to utilise.

Vegetable gardens will become more sophisticated with veg finding a place amongst the perennial borders and a move away from the allotment plot style of planting. Cutting gardens are also more popular as people are finding the joy of not only growing their own veg but their own centre pieces as well.

Wildlife gardens are one of the best low maintenance options available that suit not only the garden owner but the visitors as well. Bees are still fighting for survival and as this is highly published people are beginning to
realise that we can all help and with companies like http://www.dragonfli.co.uk/bumblebees/beepol-lodge providing bumble be hives for sale then more of us can do our bit. But if you have a larger garden why not try a honey bee hive instead.

Natural pest control is the way forward with the problems highlighted by the bee plight I believe that more of us need to be attempting to use these methods instead of pesticides. I risk being lynched in saying this because most gardeners don’t believe that it is a viable alternative but I do hope that people will try before they decide against them.

A return to native planting and a move towards fruit trees seem to be happening in many gardens. Fruit trees can now be planted in almost any garden with column, espalier, step over and family trees providing fruit for everyone.

Planting colour trend are Black amber and orange. Teamed with grey/green foliage and lots of texture for big and bold planting schemes.

And dont forget water saving techniques and planting. Use water butts and burrieds pipes to feed the water sraight to the roots will do your plants good but also your pocket.

If in doubt about hwo you want to approach your garden this year then gives Shadows a call on 01692 535673 or email shadow@shadowsgardendesigns.co.uk

Plants for Sale

2011-09-03T01:03:00.001-07:00

I am planning on growing plants for sale with the first ones available in 2012.
I want to grow unusual plants that you cannot normally find but would like to buy.

I am looking for inspiration and would like to know what plants you would like to see available.

You can answer as a comment and I will try to put a survey at the side of this page.

Thank you in advance

Pond restoration in pictures.

2011-08-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

Elements

2011-07-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

As usual at this time of year I have been neglecting my blogging duties and so here I am with a new post on 'Shadows Gardens' Silver medal winning 'Elements' garden.

Sandringham flower show 2011 was the busiest show so far attracting over 22000 people.
The show gardens also outdid themselves this year with some stunning designs to fill both courtyard and larger gardens. It always amazes me how many different designs can be imagined to fill the spaces each year.

This year Shadows designed a courtyard garden with a calm relaxing atmosphere complete with a wine bottle and glass's.
The elements theme of Earth, Air, Fire and water were all in the subtle details.

A log wall planted with Ivy's formed the backdrop with a central fireplace drawing the visitor through the garden. The fireplace was constructed using aged oak sleepers and bricked with granite sets giving a tumbledown cabin feel to the main feature.
Shadows used a galvanised planter filled with red margaritas suggesting a fire to complete the picture.

In front of the fire stands a small water fountain feature that gives a relaxing background splashing noise that can be enjoyed from the garden bench.

The paving is a beautiful rusty slate with a subtle blue colouring that has a wiggly path suggesting a stream of water entering the garden.

The two planting beds to the side of the path contain waving grasses and bamboo that move with the breeze. Air is the theme in this planting, the gentle movement of the plants are emphasised by the solidity of the variegated box balls that run along the edge of the paving.
Planting list
Miscantus Zebrinus or 'Zebra grass'
Grows up to 1.40 tall and 90cm wide with burnished leaves in winter.

Nandina Domestica or 'Heavenly Bamboo'
A lovely plant that's leaves turn bright red to match its berries in winter.

Bamboo Fargesia rufa
A small clump forming bamboo with narrow arching canes.

Buxus Sempervirens Elegantissima or variegated Box
A rarly seen box that shines out even on overcast days.

Calamagrostis Overdam
A variegated form of grass that has arching foliage and feathery flowers which turn a wheat colour in winter adding interest.

All available from the Knot Garden nursery in Norfolk.

Earth is represented through the open gate containing garden forks and an edging tool as well as the decorative panel that faces the garden bench.

Shadows Gardens was pleased to receive a silver medal for the 'Elements' garden and we were very pleased with the wonderful feedback from the Judges, Chris Beardshaw and Alan Mason.

Pergolas and Quiet

2011-04-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

After on of the many flower and garden shows I attended in 2010 I was contacted by a customer who needed some help to create a peaceful haven in their urban garden.
The garden was very long but also narrow with a horrible wire mesh fence, the only thing between them and their neighbours.

The brief was to create a space that they could feel comfortable in on the few days off that they have and also Sue said a 'pond to play in' for Colin.

The couple were getting married so the garden would have to wait for a few months and Shadows received a call in March 2011 to give the go ahead for work to begin.

The first and most daunting task was to maneuver all of the equipment and materials through the terraced house and past a large aquarium.
The 6ft fencing had to be brought in as 3ft tall sections instead as the doors and stairs made it impossible to have 6ft panels delivered.

So 47 2.4m long sleepers, 32 3ftx6ft fence panels, 45 decking boards, 6 8ft posts, 15bags of sand, 5 bags cements, 17, fence posts and 1 ton of shingle and all the smaller items went through.

Work began amongst the mountains of materials.

Below are pictures of the before and after along with some of the 3D design work that was done on the raised pond feature.

Raised beds

2011-04-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Shadows most requested item at the moment are raised beds. This way of growing your flowers or veg seems to be increasing in popularity.

Raising the soil level makes gardening easier for both the young and old, a solid boundary to your beds allows you to sit on the side whilst tending your veg or weeding. Gardeners are notoriously prone to back problems and this is a good way for you to avoid those positions which cause back pain.

This style of gardening is also good for children who will often be at eye level with the emerging seedlings allowing them to see the plants at every stage of there growth. Getting in amongst the plants and getting their hands dirty will encourage budding gardeners.

There are many different materials available to create your beds.
You can buy ready made sectional timber or upvc beds which come flat packed.
Dry stone walling is an attractive although slightly more costly way of constructing your beds.
Recycling old materials such as bricks and corrugated metals to construct the walls makes for a cheaper and green alternative.

But the method of construction Shadows has been using recently is the sleeper bed method.
Using sleepers makes for a long lasting strong wall, although I must stress that we only use new pressure treated sleepers. The old reclaimed sleepers have a habit of leaching tar in hot weather which will not only stain your clothes and stick to your skin but can also affect your plants.

The downside to raised beds is that they do dry out quicker in warm weather. It helps to think about them like giant pots anything above soil level needs extra organic mater and watering.

I also recommend you line any timber beds with plastic sheeting to extend the life of the timber by around five years.

And if you decide you would like someone to design and build your beds for you contact Shadows.

New products and finished articles

2011-04-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well what a couple of weeks its been, I have just finished my latest design and build commission and developed a gorgeous new product at the same time.

The client brief was to design a low maintenance garden for their newly acquired holiday home. The converted barn is to be let out part time to paying guests and needed to be given a new lease of life.

It started out as a blank canvas and was open to the elements with a strong wind coming off the fields from behind and the front was overlooked by a road and the neighbours.
The client also wanted some easy to care for planting areas for her to plant up herself, a herb areas was requested as well.

So armed with my design and 47 pressure treated sleepers work began. We were lucky with the weather and although very windy it stayed dry for most of the first week and fairly sunny for the half of the second.

The best way to illustrate the transformation is with pictures so below find before and after photos.

This brings me neatly to the new product featured in the photos, my beautiful decorative panels.
Each custom made panel is unique featuring reclaimed tools and can be used as individual art pieces or to frame an entrance.

I also make gates to order featuring reclaimed and recycled garden tools

Results

2011-03-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Well the organic garden survey proved interesting with participants from across the globe.
The survey was design to find out how the UK and other countries use organic gardening methods and what they think of them.
With the UK, USA, Japan, France and at least one other country contributing we had quite a cross section.

The methods used in all countries were the No dig method and companion planting with most people stating that it worked well while some only thought they worked ok.

All countries said that the internet and books were the sources of information on organic methods with only two people finding their local horticultural group of use for advice.

Only one person had tried planting by the moon finding that this worked ok.

Now to descide what is next for my new survey.

Organic survey

2011-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

I would like to find out a little more about your gardening habits.
I am starting with Organic gardening and have put a couple of surveys to the side, I would appreciate it if you would complete these.
I am hoping to discover if there are any differences in our techniques and whether the country we live in influences those techniques.
Thank you for your help.

I love Topiary

2011-01-15T02:39:00.000-08:00

I love Topiary, part of my business is hiring them and other plants out for events and weddings. They are guaranteed to give that elegant edge to even the humblest village hall.

The word Topiary means - the trimming, clipping or training of trees or shrubs into decorative animal, geometric, or other shapes.

I havent always loved topiary, I used to be of the opinion that it was the preserve of the rich belonging only in very formal gardens and big country houses or posh hotels.
How wrong I was, as I get older I start to see the benefit of the many shapes in amongst softer planting. They give a good foundation for the surrounding sea of colour grounding the scheme.

When you think of Topiary most people will associate them with clipped box hedging or strange animal shapes bursting out of a bowling green lawn.

Most Topiary plants are trained evergreen shrubs, although the art of Topiary can be used on a variety of different plants.
Traditional topiary will be either Buxus (Box), Laurus Nobilis (Bay), Taxus (Yew) or Ligustrum (a small leaved privet).

Try placing a box spiral in amongst your grasses or a standard bay tree in the centre of your veg patch and watch the transformation. You will have added something that will create interest all year, with a sparkling white luminescence on a frosty morning or a snow sculpture in winter as well as a cool pool of green on a summers day.

If you have ever standarised a rose or trained a fruit tree then you have already practised the art of Topiary, so dont be affraid to experiment further. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

I dont do resolutions

2011-01-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

As the title suggests I don't do New years resolutions anymore as more often than not they don't even last the week before I go astray. What I do do is promise myself things I have found that knowing I am only letting myself down, by not keeping these promises, actually makes me stick to them more. Must be something about all that expectation from other people that was just to much to bear.

That being said I have promised myself this year to try a new vegetable or way of cooking a vegetable each month this year.

I start tonight with a celeriac and potato gratan, I have not tried celeriac before so I am looking forward to a new taste.

Its not just the cooking that I will be trying its the growing to, with my veg to grow list becoming ever longer.

My list this year includes:
Celeriac (of course)
Salsify
Pink Brandywine (a heritage beef tomato)
Radicchio (with the aim of cooking them)

Trees

2011-01-07T13:35:00.001-08:00

As a fitting follow on to my Hedges article I have chosen to write a little piece on Trees. This is another planting job for this time of year so make it one of your resolutions to plant a tree for 2011.
There are thousands to choose from so for this article I will concentrate on fruit trees as these will provide something for the wildlife and a tasty treat for you too (if you can get there before the birds).

Trees come as seedlings, Bare root and pot grown each have their own benefits but when planting fruit trees, and because I want fruit sooner rather than later, bare root or pot grown would be best.

You will need to decide on the spot for your tree, there are variety's for orchards to pots so no matter how small your space their will be something for your garden.
You can also train a fruit tree so that it doesn't take up a lot of room in cordon, espalier or fan shaped.

The best soil for fruit trees is not waterlogged and well aerated so add lots of organic matter at the planting stage to get the best start.
Once established the area around the tree for roughly 1mtr must be grass and weed free. For the first year watering must be done every week, in the summer months.

Give all newly planted trees a helping hand with a tree stake, tie and rabbit guard as most young trees suffer from damage caused by wildlife and pets or root rock. Root rock or wind rock is the motion of a tree being blown about by the wind eventually breaking young roots and leaving the tree unstable.

A bare root tree will need a single stake approximately one third the tree height, a pot grown tree will often already have a stake but it is recommended that you use two stakes opposite each other and attache ties to both.

Examples of trees for pots
Family fruit tree - a tree that has two or more variety's of, for example, apples on the same tree.
Apple - Discovery
Pear - Conference
Plum - Victoria
Apricot - Moorpark
Cherries - Stelle

If you are new to training trees either buy one that has been started for you or buy a good book or better still both.

Or call Shadows Gardens to get the perfect tree for the perfect place.
And don't forget if you have a glut of fruit why not share it with the community by putting a box full outside your garden gate.

Going postal

2010-12-11T01:39:00.000-08:00

With Christmas looming every ones focus is on finding the perfect present and as everyone knows a gardener can be incredibly difficult to buy for. Most of the time we already have all the tools we need and most of the books we want and if its a non-gardener doing the buying there good intention gifts may not be what we need or want.
I thought I would do a little blogging about some interesting and unusual gifts I have found online. I havent added any website details as there are several different types available so type into any search engine and the one you choose is up to you.

Firstly a little self promotion here as Shadows gardens do a garden gift voucher and a postal design service. So if you would like a friend, relative or even yourself to benefit from a redesign, styling or other service drop me a line shadow@shadowstopiaryhire.co.uk
A pretty card with voucher will arrive by post to the chosen recipient.

Garden grenades
These are cool little grenade shaped seed bombs simply throw and await an explosion.
I have found two different types
Meadow flower mix
Norway spruce this one is for someone with a large garden
Both could be hung from the Christmas tree before deploying but a fun present all in all.
Around £7.00

Edible mushroom plugs just add log. I bought a pack of these for my husband last Christmas and they were great the only trouble we had was finding a suitable fresh hardwood log. I think there are spore packs that can be sown into straw which could be easier.
Around £8.00

Seed saving kits could come in handy for most gardeners saving them money in the future but also giving them the satisfaction of knowing where the seed came from and all in a neat tin.
Around £30

Willow salad and veg planter not only pretty but practical as even in a small space you can have your veg and eat it.
Around £25

Weather centre for those gadget crazy gardeners. A bit on the pricey side but they will never be caught out again.
Around £100

Topiary frames make good gifts for florists as well as gardeners as they can have ivy grown over, plants grown in them and shaped or stuffed with moss and decorated for the Christmas table centre.
Around £5 small or more for large

Personalised seed/fruit trays wooden crates for storage personalised with your choice of wording for the person that has everything but nowhere to keep it.
Around £40

Paper pot maker not only saving money but recycling all your old newspapers to by making your own seed pots.
Around £25

Recycled glass's for those after gardening G&T's or that relaxing glass of wine with friends these are pretty drinks glass's made from recycled bottles.
Around £12 set of two

And what about Christmas cards that grow I have seen these as birthday cards but you can also make these yourself. Either make the card from scratch with the design you want or buy a nice handmade card. Then just glue you chosen seed to the pictures, you could use one flower variety or have one for each picture. Just write instructions on the inside to tear the front off and throw into the garden and what month to do this. The handmade card will degrade leaving the seed to flourish.

Low interest gardens

2010-12-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

Nothing to do with this blog just hadnt put any of this years show garden pics up.

Is it just me or is low maintenance getting a little bit boring.
OK so this style makes up the majority of my design work at the moment so I am taking a risk in coming out of the complicated and time consuming closet.

I have to admit that artificial lawns although not to my taste have at least given a little bit of a different texture to the low maintenance garden. I am also looking for a garden to use recycled rubber tiles as they are bright and easy to lay so creating interesting patterns would be fun.

Apart from a few items like these though people are increasingly using gravel, which although good as a permeable surface is thoroughly uninteresting in most cases as it is seen as a quick fix.

Sleepers are great but so over used at the moment and why do people insist on using treated sleepers, I know they are recycled but you causing yourself a lot of sticky problems when the sun comes out.

If you are going to go the low maintenance route try to be a little different all to many streets are begining to look like clones with gravel front gardens a tiny single bed in the middle with a sad looking rose and a few flowers.

Any way thats my garden rant for the month I think it must be the winter that makes it stand out all that more.

Hedges

2010-11-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hedges are great they border our gardens beautifully as well being incredibly important for wildlife and bio-diversity. Now is the perfect time to plant them so how, which ones and where. P.S a little bit of trivia just outside of Perth there is a beech hedge that was planted in 1745 it now stands around 120ft tall and is in the guinness book of records.
Species
There are many varieties of hedging and this list is not exhaustive but meant as a guide to the more common species used.
Alder-Good in poor wet soils has catkins in spring and a habitat for caterpillers.
Ash-Good in coastal areas and wet soil good habitat for birds and insects.
Bamboo-ornamental looks wonderful in the wind
BeechGreat autumn colour keeping its leaves until the spring growth good habitat for birds.
Berberis Great deterant for home security any location good for seaside gardens.
BlackthornGood for birds and wildlife and good for making sloe gin.
BoxDense ever green and ideal for formal hedging
CotoneasterBirds love these bright berrys
Crab ApplePretty blossom loved by bees and later tart little apples ideal for jams.
Dogwood Good winter colour and interest
ElderFlowers and berries good for home wine making as long as you get them before the birds and insects.
Field Maple Hedge Fast growing with good autumn colour grows in most locations.
Flowering CurrantPretty bee attracting early flowers.
ForsythiaBright yellow spring flowers.
Gorse Long flower period dense growing good for use as a wind break also prickly animal or intruder deterant.
Guelder Rose Hedge Good for insects and birds with pretty flowers and bright red berries.
Hawthorn HedgeOne of the best native hedge plants for wildlife
Hazel Hedge Catkins in sprinf followed by nuts twigs can be used as pea sticks.
Holly EnglishWinter berries food for birds as well as being a prickly deterant for intruders.
Hedge HornbeamSimilar to beech only with catkins that turn to bird food.
Laurel Hardy evergreen good for all locations.
French Lavender Hedge Low growing pretty smelling bee friendly plant.
Leylandii Fast grwoing evergreen.
LoniceraLow growing evergreen not suitable for wet, windy or seaside gardens.
Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya)Lovely smelling insect friendly flowers.
Cyprus "Goldcrest" Fast growing pretty smelling evergreen.
Osmanthus BurkwoodiiFragrant flowers any soil but not windy sites.
Photinia Red RobinYoung leaves bright red.
Privet HedgeEvergreen that has small white flowers good for birds and insects.
PyracanthaBerries loved by birds and a prickly deterant.
Rosa RugosaFast growing pretty rose with large hips loved by birds good for seaside location.
RowanBirds love the berries.
Viburnum TinusFlowers over long period with purple and red jewels like berries.
Willow Brilliant for insects with pretty catkins.
Wild CherryPretty blossom followed by cherrys loved by birds.
English Yew Hedge(Taxus baccata)Dense evergreen with bright red berries loved by birds not for humans.

Hedging is bought either bare root, pot grown or root balled and planting is similar for all. Dig a trench that is wider than the root system then sprinkle the trench with organic matter such as bonemeal. Water the roots and then gentle tease them then place in the trench evenly spaced firming the soil as you go.
Happy planting

Back again

2010-10-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hello I am sorry its been awhile but after lots of hiccups some rethinking and a little relaxation Im back. It happens to us all we are forced at times to do a little re-evaluation of ones business and personal life.
Well I have come out of the other side of one of these times with a stronger focus on the business and some time with the family.
So I will be blogging furiously from now on and starting a new blog just for myself really featuring photos I have taken (on my new camera) that are both inspirational and just pretty.
I thought I would pop one on here to start with.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy both blogs

Colour blind design

2010-08-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

After writing my last post on colour in planting schemes it seemed a natural progression to write advice on how to design for someone who is colour blind.

If you are colour blind yourself then you will already know from experience what looks good and what doesn't but for those of us who aren't then it can be difficult to picture your world.

Colour blindness affects around 1-20 men and around 1-200 women according to the BBC Health website.

When designing for someone who is colour blind you must discover the form their colour blindness takes, it is in fact very rare for a person to have the severe form in which all colours appear as black and white or hues of grey.

Protanomaly, a common form, affects the red pigment meaning that reds, oranges and yellows will appear duller and violets and purples will have a stronger green pigment than red making them actually appear blue.

Another slightly less common form, Deuteranomaly, does the same to green pigments meaning reds, oranges and yellows all appear slightly more red and therefor more vibrant.

Another form, Protanopia, that also affects the red, yellow and orange pigments. This will have more of an affect on design as reds are often seen as black or grey. This affects the red pigment in other colours causing yellow hues to show very little difference and blue hues are similarly affected. Green is seen as another hue of yellow and purple as another blue.
An example of the effect on garden design will be when Pink flowers are seen as blue due to missing red pigment.

Deuteranopia affects the green pigment in the same way and therefor the person will see blues and reds with greens appearing as a hue of grey with tints of red and blue. Reds and oranges and yellows as hues of red.
There for grass will appear as a grey with a slight red and blue tint.

Designing a garden in this way can be challanging as a beautiful combination to you could to your client look awful and even clashing. After this type of design job I have never looked at flower and foliage colour in the same way again.

Colour and planting schemes

2010-08-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Colour is an important aspect of any planting scheme, when planning your garden plant foliage and flower colour will often be determined by the style of your garden.

Styles like the cottage garden will imply a multi-coloured scheme but what may seem like haphazard prettiness will more than likely be carefully orchestrated chaos.
Someone has put a lot of energy into the mix and match of colourful flowers.

A contemporary colour scheme can include a mono-chromatic colour scheme, this means that one colour has been chosen but the flowers and foliage are all different hues of this one colour.

When planning a colour scheme it is a good idea to consult a colour wheel
to find colours that will compliment each other. This chart from an Australian website gives a detailed image of how the colour wheel can be used to choose colours.

Colour schemes that are predominantly blue or silver can feel cold so the addition of a warm colour such as red, orange or yellow(gold)in small amounts can help to take that edge off or perhaps that's the scheme you want to achieve.

Don't forget that its not just the colour of the plants that will affect the look of your garden, Any features, furniture or boundaries can also be colour matched to suit your scheme. A bright painted boundary such as a wall or fence can help to enhance your planting colour scheme by either complimenting it or as a contrast.

The important thing is to have fun but don't forget if any of your friends or family are colour blind their view of your garden will be completely different.

Water wise

2010-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

As I write this the garden is looking parched with the long run of dry sunny days stretching into weeks we may be enjoying the summer sun but the plants most certainly are not. Vegetable plants in particular suffer at the mercy of the heat; they need water to swell the pods, tubers and fruit that we enjoy so much.

There are several ways to help save water and also reduce the need for extra watering when hose pipe bans seem likely.

Most people keep a water butt if don’t already it may be time to invest in one although you will have to wait for it to fill up which may take some months. If you have a large garden two or more butts can be joined together.
Grey water recycling is the re-use of water that has been used for the washing up, from the washing machine or after a bath. As long as no strong detergents are used this water can be taken to your thirsty plants by bucket or siphon. Larger water harvesting systems are available and if you feel like going even greener why not try reed bed water recycling systems.

Water is lost from plants and soil by evaporation so you can reduce the need for watering by using mulch around your flower beds.
Common mulch’s include organic mulch’s such as leaf mould, bark chippings, mushroom compost and your grass clippings. Inorganic mulch’s include pebbles, sand, gravel and recycled glass chippings.
Another way to reduce evaporation is to avoid watering the foliage of plants and water early in the morning or late in the evening.
If possible you can bury a foot of drain pipe close to the base of larger shrubs and plants. Watering into this pipe instead of the soil gets the water straight to the roots.

You could also plant your garden with drought tolerant species garden styles such as the desert garden are very striking and often include lots of architectural plants.
Most drought tolerant plants have features that are easily recognisable, plants with hairy or spiny foliage are good at trapping moisture and small or thin foliage will loose less water through evaporation than large foliage.
Drought tolerant plants include Achillea, Berberis and most grass species.

One last thing to remember when weeding avoid digging the soil over to much as this exposes more moisture to the elements. Carefully pull weeds making sure to remove the entire root or hoe the ground allowing the weeds to bake in the sun although if it does rain they will re-establish so plan ahead.

Papaver Perfection

2010-07-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

This year I have had such a beautiful and vide variety of colourful self seeded Papaver or Poppy's that I thought I would give them the coverage they deserved.

Definition of Poppy from the Oxford english dictionary:
a herbaceous plant with showy flowers, milky sap, and rounded seed capsules. Many poppies contain alkaloids and are a source of drugs such as morphine and codeine

Papaver and other genera, family Papaveraceae (the poppy family): many species, including the wild red-flowered corn poppy (P. rhoeas). The poppy family also includes the corydalis, greater celandine, and bloodroot
Origin:
Old English popig, papæg, from a medieval Latin alteration of Latin papaver

Enjoy your garden whatever the weather

2010-06-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

With the weather in England being so unpredictable these days its worth considering some additions to the garden that will allow you to spend time in it no matter what the weather.
The obvious solution to a summer day, that is actually sunny, would be sheltered areas that give shade when you need it most. There are lots of options on the market ranging from sail shades to thatched African style huts. It could also be as simple as a pergola covered in your favorite climbing plants. Why not choose some evergreen climbers such as clematis armandii, this is also scented giving an option for a seated area during the colder months.

Strong winds are something I am seeing more of in our garden and windbreaks will help not only you but any tender plants that would otherwise struggle. You can of course plant trees or hedges that will cut down the wind and also provide habitats for wildlife but even these will need protection to begin with. Other products are available that will be aesthetically pleasing as well as practical such as screens.

Windbreaks must not be solid as this will create its own problems but must simply break the power of the wind by filtering it. Using materials such as rolls of natural fencing is a great value way of introducing a beautiful windbreak that will blend well with its surroundings.

Rain shelters are similar to shade areas but must generally have a solid roof. The options are wide ranging and if you live in an area that is particularly wet you can even opt for covered walkways and glass veranda's.

Winter can be a time when the garden is almost forgotten as a place to relax or entertain. This need not be the case as making use of design elements such as the firepit and even fireplace will heat a small area and are a great excuse to cuddle up to a loved one. For those on a smaller budget there are well priced chimenea's that are widely available.

As long as you plan your garden carefully there need not be a time in the year when it is not practical to enjoy it comfortably. So why not make use of this important space and remember to have fun with it.

The question of sustainability

2010-06-11T03:39:00.001-07:00

I know its the year of bio-diversity but the question of Sustainability has been nagging at me recently and with articles on Landscape juice such as the 'acute oak decline disease' and the recent forum post on permeable paving I thought I would investigate my thoughts further.
I have just completed a project using new oak sleepers, this is what started it all, until this time I believed oak to be a sustainable resource but the article on the oak disease has made me rethink this notion. An oak tree takes 30 years to become useful as frame timber and it takes 120 years to reach its peak, so does this really fit with the description of sustainability.

Brundtland (1987): Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their own needs. (http://www.ecifm.rdg.ac.uk/definitions.htm university of reading)
Even if we are planting Oak to replace the harvested they will not be ready for several generations to come.
So does this mean there are different levels of sustainability for example:
Short term: plants and shrubs and recycles products such as composite deck
Medium term: Pine and other quick growing trees
Long term: aggregates, sand and slow growing trees
After all even gravel will be replaced but it takes millions of years for the mountains to erode. So what does this mean for garden designers and landscapers. Well I try to be sustainable but can I really claim to be if you apply the rule of meeting future generations? How important is it to the industry and the people who work in it?
No I don't think this has answered any questions other than maybe we should be rethinking the uses of any product that falls under the long term sustainable category as our future generations cannot benefit from them. Not being an expert any input from others would be appreciated.

My most recent design and build project

2010-06-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

A holiday cottage design and build in Blakeney Norfolk. After lots of hard work we are finished and I am very happy with the result of this low maintenance seaside garden.

Sunshine, Contractors and down pours

2010-06-06T02:29:00.000-07:00

Well I know I havent been posting much in the last few weeks but I have a very good excuse. My latest project a modern yet functional almost no maintenance garden is drawing to a close so I can at last post a new blog.
The weather has been stunning and at times a little to hot to being doing the work we have been but we have managed to take up an old patio that stretched right around a house. Good job we did to as the builders had put it above the damp course and it was causing all sorts of problems including rotting the bottom of the front door yes thats is how high they built, it with no gap for drainage.
Then it was on to taking away all the turf, well moss really as under the lovely big beech tree it just didnt stand a chance.
Next building the deck this was really good to see coming along as we were using a composite deck board for the first time and although a little pricy I am very pleased with the results. Composite decking is made from recycled milk bottles and industrial hard wood waste and its maintenance free, what could be better.
Oak sleepers seem to have been in shortage but so glad we got them as they look stunning against the sandstone paving, I have a wonderful paver who did a great job unlike the people who turned up to put the corner shed base in place. I spent the entire day making the neighbours calm down only to find the corner base put in at a funny angle turning the door out of place with the rest of the garden. At least I didnt have anything to do with that part.
Saying that though once the summer house had been put in place it really does look lovely with the rest of my designs.
and now to top it all we are haveing really heavy rain to finish in ahh well cant comlain oh yes I can I am british.
Pictures to follow very shortly.

Calander of Events

2010-04-11T03:12:00.001-07:00

To Parterre or Knot to Parterre

2010-04-04T02:46:00.000-07:00

Parterre and knot gardens are both symmetrical and patterned ways of introducing interest. Both are suited to any size of garden although the parterre creates more of an impact in a larger garden.Parterre's originate around the 16th century with the famous example being the Chateau of Versailles in France.
Low evergreen clipped hedges such as Box are used to edge and form the patterns.
Paths are created between the beds so the visitor can meander through enjoying a relaxing stroll.
The parterre patterns tended to emulate French embroidery with complex symmetry and flowing patterns and the spaces between are filled with ornamental flowers, often annuals, replaced throughout the year to create constant colour and interest.
Knot gardens are different in that the hedges undulate as if woven under the crossing hedge whereas parterre hedges remain at a constant height.
Knot gardens use several species of hedging to create different colours threading through the pattern and the spaces between are rarely filled instead a gravel mulch makes an even backdrop for the pattern to really take centre stage.
It is thought that Parterres are an extension on the Tudor knot garden made more flamboyant by the French., both have seen a revival with the Victorians brining back this garden style.

Today’s gardens can equally accommodate such an elaborate style and modern geometric patterns can be re-born as intricate knot gardens.
The relatively low level of maintenance fits well with today’s lifestyle as the gravel base can disguise a weed suppressant matting and the hedges should only need clipping twice a year at the most.
Parterres take a little more work but using perennials instead of annuals will help cut down the work and these can be made to attract wildlife.Front gardens would especially benefit from this style of gardening what a beautiful first impression that could be.

Be Unique

2010-03-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Creating a garden that is unique and personal can sometimes feel like an uphill struggle, most garden ornaments are mass produced on the continent and finding something to enhance your own space without looking like your next door neighbour can be difficult. With a little inspiration you could find it easier than you think to have an unusual and original garden feature.
Living willow sculptures and features such as tunnels and arbours have seen a surge of popularity in recent years. Once planted they will last for many years and of course as they are growing they change and mature with your garden. These are planted between December and early April and each one will be original and unique to your garden. You can use willow to produce structures that are not living such as the pictured planter and turf topped seat which I recently completed for a customer in Sheringham. Both pictures do not do them justice as they are so strong I really think you would need to hit them with a car to move them.
Why not try sculpted turf covered areas, although they take a little more time to mow you can create stunning visual impact with, for example, a turf snake slithering across your lawn or something a little more modern maybe a geometric design undulating in your grass. You could also use wildflower turf to create a sculptural wildlife haven. Turf furniture is also possible.
A maze maybe the perfect answer keeping the whole family amused and adding an extra dimension to your garden. I have designed a simple yet effective maze for my Sandringham flower show garden in aid of Macmillan Cancer support this year so why not come along and see how it could work in your garden you can also donate a little change to this worthy charity at the same time.
There are some wonderful uses for old logs if you are feeling creative, why not try making a log bench by removing sections large enough to sit in or using an old tree stump make a throne fit for a Queen or King. Go collecting drift wood and items from the beach to add to your borders.
And lastly why not visit some of the wonderful reclamation yards we have in the county you never know what treasures your going to find. Having something unique need not mean spending a fortune so try to have fun with it.
If you would like some more inspiration or a little help creating and maintaining you garden get in touch.
www.shadowstopiaryhire.co.uk
01692 535673

Macmillan garden for Sandringham 2010

2010-03-21T03:07:00.000-07:00

Cross our pools with silver
The Macmillan Cancer Support garden
Sandringham flower show 2010

My Sandringham flower show garden this year is in aid of Macmillan, the idea of the garden is to outline some of the ways in which Macmillan helps hundreds of people and their families as they face an extremely confusing and emotional time in their lives.
We are also aiming to raise money throughout the day so why not pop along and throw in a few silver coins (5p, 10p, 20p or 50p) to cover the bottom of the two pools within the garden.

I have placed a link on my website for any wonderful people who cannot attend but would still like to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support.
Below I have listed the ways in which the garden focus's on the help available through the hard working charity.

Practical Support
We guide people through the system, supporting them every step of the way.
Designed around a maze the garden reflects Macmillan through subtle signs throughout, pointing the way keeping the visitor on the correct path during an otherwise confusing time.
Emotional Support
People need emotional support, so we listen, advise and share information
When the visitor arrives at the centre of the garden they find a harmonious center, a circle representing the warmth and support of not only Macmillan but friends and family that are there for the cancer patient and the carers. Two chairs one for the listener and one for the seeker are placed facing each other.
Financial Support
We fund nurses and other specialist health care professionals and build cancer care centres

People need financial help to cope with the extra costs cancer can bring, so we give benefits advice, and grants for anything from heating bills to travel costs
At the heart of the garden are two pools representing funds available to health care professionals and those affected by cancer. During the course of the day the aim is to cover the base of the pools with donations of silver coins (cross our pools with silver).
Carers Support
The planting within the garden is meditative, relaxing and soft promoting a stress free environment to provide a break for both carers and patients.
Medical Support
Some of the plants in the garden have health benefits and are effective in pain and stress relief.

North Norfolk Post March

2010-03-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Typical March jobs:
Continue to mow lawn and prune shrubs (weather permitting)
Plant out chitted early potatoes
Plant out shallot's and onions
If the weather is mild enough sow:
Broad beans
brussel sprouts
leeks
lettuce

Vegetable seeds sales have risen over the last three years with 2007 seeing roughly 30%, 2008 roughly 60% and in 2009 overtaking sales of flower seeds.
So if your not already growing your own will you be in 2010?
Most of us live in urban areas with little or no garden so do you have the room for veg? The answer is yes even if you just have a window box or hanging basket.
There are lots of veg for containers so why not try tomato (Gartenperle) and strawberry hanging baskets for a bit of sweat and savoury or window boxes of mixed salad leaves and spring onions. Even cucumbers such as Burpless Tasty Green F1, will happily grow outside as long as you give them lots of organic matter.
Both young and old love to try what they have grown but if your still finding some resistance why not try heirloom variety's for a very pretty plateful. Who would not be curious about trying Cauliflowers in white, orange, green or purple. Peas that are yellow, green or purple Bi-colour sweetcorn and yellow, orange, red or purple carrots. Most vegetable seeds cannot be planted yet but sifting through seed catalogues choosing your summer menu can be just as enjoyable so now is the time to buy and sowing time will soon be here.

And of course don't forget Mothers day this month for a homemade mothers day present why not plant her some pretty tubs that will last from spring into early summer.
Choose your containers, making sure it has drainage holes and place broken pot pieces or polystyrene in the bottom. Fill with compost and choose a structural perennial such as box, bay or Cordyline. Place this at the rear or in the centre depending on the final position. Choose and plant your finishing touches.
Plants available at this time of year:
Hedera Helix (ivy)
Cyclamen
Primulas
Hyacinths
Pansies
Daffodils

North Norfolk Post Feb issue

2010-02-06T04:16:00.000-08:00

Bare Bones
Hello and welcome to the new year and the first of our regular garden features. Over the coming
months I will endeavor to give you some sound advice as well as interesting facts that I hope will
inspire you to try something a little different in your own garden.
You may think it strange that I chose to start this column in the dead of winter but as we all know the enchanting snow covering that has hidden a multitude of sins will not last forever. Winter is the perfect time to see your garden in all its naked glory. When its dressed in its summer finery it can beeasy to sit back and look at all the pretty flowers instead of focusing on all the skeletons in your patch, and what better time to add winter interest with evergreen foliage and even winter flowers.

Winter jobs in the garden are typically
Cutting the grass (when its not covered in snow)
Planting winter baskets and tubs
Treating and mending and fencing, sheds, summer houses, arches and arbours.
Pruning fruit trees such as figs
or
Planning and constructing new features

Don't move improve have been the property buzz words of 2009 when our finances were hit hardand now in this time of recovery. I suppose I shouldn't condone this when my husbands business is removals but this advice is just as relevant in your garden as these improved areas will provide that all important curb appeal or if you don't plan to sell you still want a nice garden to spend your summer relaxing and maybe entertaining in.

Take a long hard look and decide now if there are any areas that just don't work, paths that don't go any where piles of waste that are usually hidden or areas you would prefer were hidden. Maybe its just a feature you have been planning to add to but just haven't gotten around to it. If you are truly satisfied then congratulations but if not then now's the time to get to work.
Yes it may be a little nippy but as soon as you get to work you will forget all about that just
remember to leave any concreting or cementing until the freezing weather has passed or you may have to start again.

Start by making a list of all the features, furniture, plants and styles you would have in your dream garden. Now you can narrow these down to what is possible in your own garden for example a lake looks beautiful in an estate but a pond would be more fitting for a courtyard garden. Most of your dreams are possible just on a slightly smaller scale.
A winter evenings task is to collect pictures and cuttings from magazines, newspapers, leaflets,
postcards or anything that inspires you. They don't even have to be gardens whatever takes your fancy from vases to vehicles as long as you find them aesthetically pleasing
These will give you an idea of what shapes, colours and styles you are drawn to.
Another good reference is a panoramic photographic image of your garden in its current state as
you can sit in the comfort of your home even in the dark evenings you have a clear image of how
your garden looks. Stand with your back to your house or to the end of the garden and turn to face one side of the garden. Take the first photo then turn so that you still have most of your previous view in the next photograph and repeat until you reach the other side when developed you can stick these photos together. Some digital cameras have this feature and if you are lucky enough to own one this is the perfect opportunity to test it.
It is also useful to sketch the new look garden using tracing paper over the panoramic view.
Remember to make a note of your favorite plants and their positions as they can easily get lost in all the enthusiasm.
The Landscape gardener Humphry Repton (a term he himself coined) produced lots of visual aids for his clients called 'Red books'. These red books, so called because of there covers, were full of illustrations,overlays and water colours to allow the reader to gain an insight into his ideas for the finished garden. As a related interesting fact Humphry Repton was born in Bury St Edmunds in 1752, grew up in Norwich and is buried in Aylsham churchyard 1818. Sheringham park is one of Humphry Repton's most famous local commissions.
You now have a starting point from which to plan how to bring your garden together by fixing all
those problem areas and adding brand new features. Any large projects or complete redesigns can now be done but I would recommend learning how to accurately measure your garden before attempting this as it will prevent any costly mistakes.
If you really don't feel like gardening in winter, just don't like gardening or feel like treating
yourself or a loved one,why not employ the services of an experienced professional.
Shadows have a variety of different packages from garden workshops to full redesigns or
competitively priced maintenance services.

Must visit gardens
Blickling Hall a well known local national trust owned Jacobean house, Gardens and park. The
gardens open after the winter break around February the 1st with the house and plant centre reopening around the 28th of February.
Please check all opening dates to avoid disappointment.
Must have plants
Daphne bholua 'Alba' A pretty evergreen variety with white winter flowers an easy maintenance
shrub. Size 50-180cm Hardy Warning poisonous if eaten.

Romantic Garden Design

2010-01-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

Valentines day is fast approaching and the thoughts of how to express our emotions through gifts can fill us all with dread.
A romantic garden may be just the answer, it will be a token that will last, can be enjoyed together and can remind us of our loved one during separation.

My idea of a romantic garden conjures images of winding paths with hidden seating next to flamboyant scented blooms. But this image is only one idea of romance our idea of a romantic garden has been influenced through history by several high profile landscape movements.
The romantic movement created landscapes of flowing fields, lakes and woodland dotted with the odd temple ruin this is how most of us believe our country estate grounds should look. These very artificial landscapes were created by names such as capability brown and many survive to this day.

Another very English idea of romance is the rustic cottage garden filled with bursting borders it is very relaxed whereas another idea of romance may be a formal garden with clipped box hedges. Both will have the feeling of strolling along on paths wide enough to hold hands, getting lost along some hidden adventure.

Romantic gardens around the world have been influenced by the English idea of romance. Japanese gardens move through traditional replication of nature into a sudden introduction of pagodas, stepping stones and vistas. These influences begin the ‘Modern romantic garden’ movement that came into being around the time that western society began to have influence over Japanese culture.
French gardens or jardin anglais were influenced by English gardens but kept their sense of identity by introducing their own theatrical presence. Even here rustic idyls, moving water and tents provided focal points and romantic hideaways.

Italian renaissance landscapers took their influence from roman gardeners but again the introduction of water usually fountains and hidden groves play an important part of what makes it romantic.

So if you decide to create a romantic garden for your loved one a winning recipe seems to be:
Winding paths wide enough for two
1 Running water (fountain, stream or river)
1 Covered seating preferably half hidden but with a view.
Planting that is scented, flowering or moves in the breeze.

Optional
Bridges, stepping stones or gothic ruins.

In the bleak midwinter

2010-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

Gardeners across the country are wrapped up in front of the fire a cup of tea/coffee/tipple in hand dreaming of summer and the garden but as we know us gardeners are a twitchy bunch so what jobs can be done in January.
Well you will be pleased to know that there is no rest for the wicked and even less for the gardener so here is a guide to jobs even the most amateur gardener can get to grips with.

Firstly what better time to plan any new areas of your garden you can start by reshaping any beds or borders that may not have worked last year or add a new veg patch inspired by all those wonderful edible show gardens that were so popular in 2009.
Any of you that started veg gardening last year can now get digging, January is the perfect time to dig in lots of lovely orgainc matter wether single or double digging you may have to wait a little longer in the soil is still frozen or wet as wet soil is easily compacted.

Next there are all those tempting catalogues delivered to your door know is a great time to order lots of lovely seeds that will be delivered in time for sowing. Remember to take time reading and dont just order what you always order as every year there will be something new or even old and long forgotten to try.

Hard pruning for plants like Buddleia can be done now as well as pruning fruit trees, clematis and climbing roses only attempt pruning during mild weather and when the forecast isnt to gloomy.

Planting can be done but again mild weather is best even for roses so for now why not mulch your beds this will also help to warm up your soil.

Your lawn as ever will need tending brushing worm cast off and mowing when mild and dry enough.

And last but not least protect all your tender plants wrapping those that need it and dont forget to protect anything that may get damaged by high winds or heavy snow.

Snow day

2009-12-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

My little piece of snowy Norfolk

Gardening for your health

2009-12-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

It is well documented that gardening can help you improve your health in many different ways, but this has been brought home to me more than ever this week.
One of my customers has, earlier this year, been diagnosed with alzheimers. This terrible condition causes the sufferer to loose their memory she often becomes confused and is very withdrawn. When I visit the carers warn me not to expect much as she is having a bad day.
Very often though I find that after a brief pause she remembers me and knows exactly what we have planned for the garden. She loves to come out and talk to me about all the plants and how she came to have them and how her father grew veg and her mother loved clean soil, as she puts it, and how her husbands favorite place to be was their allotment.

I think its incredibly important to remember how a persons garden can keep them grounded in life, scuse the pun.
We are increasingly finding retirment homes and care homes who include their residents in the garden to improve their quality of life and make them feel more at home even entering the 'In Bloom' competitions.

But it is not only the elderly who are benefitting from our gardens and green spaces people of all ages are joining the green revolution.
Over the last couple of years we have seen an increasing number of schools using veg gardeing and wild or environmetal gardening as an important teaching resource. We are even seeing forest schools and outdoor classrooms. Inially developed in Sweden more recently study's have shown that
'A 13 month long study carried out in Sweden on children from similar backgrounds found that children attending forest school kindergartens in the countryside environment are far happier than children in kindergartens located in the urban environment. The study concluded that children in the forest school are more balanced with greater socially capability, they have fewer days off sick; are more able to concentrate and have better co-ordination than the city kindergarten children' http://www.forestschools.com/history-of-forest-schools.php

The general public are coming to expect a lot more of their parks and gardens and as a garden professional the responsibility of designing and maintaining these special places is a proffession I am proud to belong to.

After all my health is also benefitting from them through, at times, vigorous excercise fresh air creative freedom and the medative affect of doing the job I love.

Even now in these cold slow winter days I think myself very lucky.

Memories of summer

2009-11-24T02:02:00.000-08:00

Finally I have uploaded some photos from this years Sandringham flower show

Your garden personality

2009-11-17T09:14:00.000-08:00

I believe that like our pets our gardens give something of our personality away, especially to the strangers who walk up your garden path. So what does your garden say about you?

Well its only fair that I go first so while I was mowing the lawn (in my T-shirt in Nov silly weather) I examined what my garden says about me.

Well the front garden is well presented if not a little unorthodox, can I get away with saying that without sounding arrogant, oh and a little too preoccupied with what other people think.
Fussy in some areas and completely unorganised in others.
Wildlife friendly trying to be organic and full of veg, fitting as I am vegetarian.
There is always something happening and can be a little to busy at times
And lastly quite and private down a little country lane.

So what does yours say about you are you a loud urban brightly coloured personality or a quite church mouse a scruffy unashamed estate garden or a formal garden totally in control of your life?

Have you got Worms?

2009-11-08T00:43:00.000-08:00

Earth worms or Lumbricus terrestris.
Its assumed that if you have a garden, from a courtyard covered in pots to acres of landscaped estate, that you have worms. Well it may come as a surprise to learn that your earth could be barren.
Worms can leave and often will do if you get the builders in, all that banging, vibrations, pollutants and builders bums soon see these gardeners friends heading for the greener pastures next door.
They are also so sensitive to pollutants that the use of herbicides and pesticides is killing of what should be one of the farmers greatest allies.
Recently I have come across a couple of front gardens that are missing these important components and the soil is obviously suffering as a result.
There are two ways you can re-introduce worms back into your garden one of which is buying them. Yes you can buy worms through online shops or ads in magazines mail order worms are available. You can buy anything from 100 to 2000 or by weight with the recommended dose being around 100 worms for every 10sqm and with prices ranging from £9 and up they can be one of the cheapest products you will ever buy for the garden.
Simply dig them a hole place them in cover with soil and then cover the soil with generous helpings of organic matter and leave them work their magic.

Or why not try your hand at worm husbandry by starting a wormeries, you can buy kits online or make one from a plastic bin feeding them kitchen scraps.

Worms help the garden and are kept in wormeries because of the way they process organic matter. They pull the decomposing matter into the soil, aerating it as they go, where they feed on it and leave worm casts or poo which is high in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium carbonate and other beneficial nutrients these are easily absorbed by plants.
They also produce a good liquid fertiliser that you can collect from your wormerie the feed you plants.
Avoid using your worms on lawn areas if you are annoyed by worm casts and any that appear just brush away when dry remember that your grass is green and lush because of worms not in spite of them.
When using worms you must start using the non-dig method of gardening it is true to say that if you accidentally cut your worm in half with a spade the half that has the saddle part or fat part will survive but half still dies. The non-dig method helps the worms establish and produce a nice colony.
Good news all round, as Alice Bowe says in The Times (sat 07th Nov) 'Tunnelling worms are the lazy gardener’s best friend'.

How to: build a wildlife pond

2009-11-02T02:21:00.000-08:00

Why not use this slow time of year to create a beautiful water feature that not only good for you but attractive to wildlife to.

Contrary to popular belief you can have your cake and eat it so even if you have set your heart on a modern, contemporary formal pool you can still have visiting wildlife all you have to do is choose the right plants and provide an entrance/exit to the water for little legs.

The only thing you cant have are fish as they tend to eat any visitors.

Plants

Some of the best plants for water wildlife are good places to hide so plants such as water lilies, floating water hyacinth, Pistia Stratoides or water lettuce. Tadpoles and larvae will use these plants to hide from predators.

Next are deep marginals such as Aponogeton Distachyum, Nymphoides Peltata 'Water fringe',

Of course you need oxygenating so make sure you have a small collection of oxygenators.

Marginals such as Calla Palustris ' bog arum', Caltha Paltustris 'kingcup marsh marigold', Iris or Typha Latifolia 'reed mace' provide food and cover and a place to rest next to the water for flying visitors such as dragonfly's.

Building the pond

First you must choose the type of pond and look you want see: What pond Liner.

Next you must choose the location, a good wildlife pond will be in dappled shade so that it benefits from sunlight but does not over heat, although to many trees will turn into a lot of work removing fallen leaves in the Autumn. To much sunlight can cause an overgrowth in algae so it is important to get a balance.

Decide on the size of pond your garden can easily accommodate and then dig the hole or build up accordingly. Don't forget to make shelves within the pond for each set of plants. You will need one 20-30cm deep at the edge for marginals, deep marginals should have a deeper shelf or rest on the bottom. Make sure that your hole is at least 3ft at its deepest to allow any creatures to escape the winter ice.

You will need to include one sloping side or piles of rocks to allow amphibious reptiles and entrance and exit.

If creating a raised pond you will of course attract flying wildlife but if you want frogs or newts you will need to think about how they will access the raised area by perhaps making a ramp out of site. Most creatures will find the water themselves over time so dont worry if your pond isnt instantly teaming with life.

If making a sunken pond you will need to line the hole with soft sand, old carpet or an underlay before installing your chosen liner. For medium to large ponds you can then add a layer of earth for a more natural looking pond and to allow creatures to inhabit the muddy bottom.

Once installed you can now fill your pond using a bucket if small or a hose if larger. trim the excess liner now and edge the pond with your chosen material. Once filled you will need to add some water collected from an established pond or a De-chlorinator and allow to settle.

Another great use for a large pond is as a natural swimming pool there are specielist companies who can build these great addittions to your garden.

What pond liner?

2009-11-02T00:45:00.000-08:00

You may have thought that deciding to build a pond and where to place it was the hard part but now you have to deciding how to line your pond. In order to make this decision a little easier I have listed the options below with some of the advantages and disadvantages.

Most gardeners no matter how amateur will have heard of the flexible Butyl rubber, Epalyn rubber or PVC liner and the majority will opt for this option which if laid correcting can last anything between 11 and 25 years before it needs replacing. Price is dependant on the size required and material chosen but there is usually something for most budgets. Dont forget you will need to line the hole before laying the liner to stop sharp stones from splitting it. For this you will need soft sand, pieces of old carpet or a pond liner underlay.

Next is the preformed pond liner, made from glass fibre or polyethylene, this type of liner gives and instant shape with built in marginal planting shelves. They come in a range of sizes and shapes, from formal to natural, with a choice of colours. Lasting ten years or more they are disadvantaged against the flexible liner. These start at around £25 for a 74cmx89cmx30cm and the larger the pond the bigger the price tag. These ponds also need protecting so soft sand must be molded to its shape to stop any sharp stones or distorting.

You could choose to create a concrete lined pond although this building method is not as popular as it once was. If the pond you require has a formal look and needs retaining walls you may choose this method. The shape is built with breeze blocks and then skimmed with a mix of sharp sand, cement and fibre glass.

Concrete used to be pored into a shuttered mold to produce a solid concrete structure but after time these structures would shift causing cracks to appear that are difficult to repair.

Another option you may choose is to build your structure from brick, block or another building material and have it covered in glass fibre to water proof it. This method is good for difficult shapes and comes in a wide range of colours but can be a solution for a larger budget as in my experience in can cost upwards of £50 per square meter(inc VAT).

And finally a more natural option is clay lining a tradditional method of puddling is used by shoveling clay covering in enough water to make it flexible and then treading all over it (JCB if large area) to release all the air. This method can be difficult and will require more research. It was used to line canals and other waterways but back then they would drive flocks of sheep or cattle down the waterways to trample all the air out.

The much maligned dandelion

2009-05-26T01:17:00.000-07:00

Dandelions are viewed by most gardeners as a nuisance, destroying lawns and something that needs to be eradicated by careful extraction or systemic weedkillers.

These much maligned flowers are a reletive of the sunflower and with control can be a welcome edition to your garden.

To control the spread, once established, remove of the flowers once faded (dead head), this will prevent the production of seed and promote the production of more blooms.

As any viewer of the Chelsea flower show coverage would have seen both dandelion and nettles were introduced onto gold medal winner Jekka McVicars herb display.

Nettles support around 40 insect varieties as well as their cullinary uses whereas dandelions support no less than 93 different insect varieties including bees as they produce an abundance of nectar.

Its not only the insects that can benefit from this plant as we to can eat the fresh young leaves in salads and use the root in such drinks as dandelion and burdock. Not only this but their medicinal qualitys are invaluable for use as a diuretic. The root can be gently boiled and the liquid left can be used as a liver cleanser and antibiotic to help with urinary tract infections.Please make sure you know what your picking before using any wild flowers or herbs I know this sounds silly but humans can be very silly.

So why not give them a place in your border or veg bed, I am as this will be one of the more unusual plants in my Show garden for Sandringham this year.

How To: Make a wildflower meadow

2009-05-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

A wildflower meadow or lawn can be a beautiful addition to any garden. No matter what the size of your garden it is possible to create a wildflower area.

As well as being pretty to look at the flowers used provide an important habitat for many species of insects and small mammals which in turn contribute to the food chain.

A wildflower meadow or lawn looks wonderful but they can be difficult to establish. Firstly you need to decide whether you are going to convert an existing piece a grass or start on bare earth.

If you plan on using a fresh piece of ground to lay you wildflower area you need to prepare the ground by taking off a layer of top soil roughly 10cm deep. This is to reduse the soils fertility, wildflowers prefer low soil fertility.

The next step for both bare earth and grass areas is to choose how you plan on introducing wildflowers. There are several choices as you can use:

seed

plug or pot grown plants

wildflower turf

Converting a grass area can easily be done by overseeding although it would be best to airate the area by pushing your fork blades in a couple of centimeters and wiggling it round before sowing as more seed can come into contact with the soil this way.

Plug or pot grown plants can be introduced by removing small areas of turf with a bulb planter and popping the plants into the hole. With this method try not to make the planting to uniform and group the varieties together in three's or five's, this will help to make it look more natural.

The bare earth area can be seeded making sure you gently rake over to half burie the seed. Cover with netting to stop the birds helping themselves and water well n dry weather.

Wildflower turf can be laid in a similar wa to lawn turf. It is grown on a moisture retentive biodegradable felt, most of these products contain over 20 different species of wildflower.

After rolling out you can peg the turf down and then water thoroughly.

With both areas and any method you must never fertilise the ground as this will encorage grass's which will strangle out the wildflowers.

Sandringham

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to say that I have been invited to design and build an 8m x 8m show garden for this years Sandringham Flower Show.

This is my local and seems to be a lot more relaxed than the RHS shows but is still very competative and judged by Chris Beardshaw and Alan Mason so no slacking.

After much tweaking of the design and hours of emailing potential sponsors I am now within sight of having a show garden to be proud of and as its my first I am pleased to have gotton this far.

The design is based on the use of recycled and sustainable building materials together with planting on the Grow-Your-Own theme. I have grown all the plants from seed this year and so I also have the added stress of worrying about how big the plants are and whether they will be ready in time. The lack of sunny days, and would you believe it rain, have added to my concern.

I have had more luck with sponsors with generous donations from:

Ronseal Eco-Friendly and Woodland Trust paints

Pallets given by Jewsons of Cromer and Travis Perkins of North Walsham

North Walsham Garden Centre have kindly given Plastic pots and loaned Norfolk variety fruit trees.

MJ Tree Services have also kindly offered wood chip for the paths.

As its a Grow Your Own garden I will be blogging with hints and tips on how to grow vegetables herbs and edible flowers in your garden no matter how small.

Black Beauties

2009-05-14T02:57:00.000-07:00

I have a passion for unusual plants and some of my favorites are blacks, purples and blues. I would love to set aside an area just for these wonderful plants but as I live in a rented property I have had to confine them to pots.
These beautiful colours seem to be on the increase with new varieties in the catalogues every year. I will be listing a few of my favorites below with hints and tips on how to grow them successfully in your garden.

Rose Black Baccara Rhapsody in Blue Blue Moon
Three of my favorite roses, as with all roses bush hybrid tea roses can come as bare root. These need soaking for up to 24 hours before planting in soil well mixed with lots of organic matter and watered well after planting. Your roses will need feeding with a specielist rose feed and feeding should start in spring and stop a month or so before the first frosts.

Phyllostachis Nigra Ophiopogon planiscarpus nigrescens

(black bamboo)
These are two of my favorite evergreens providing lots of winter interest. Prefering full sun or partial shade I have found the bamboo does not tolerate a windy position as this tends to dry the soil out and brown the leaves. The bamboo can reach 6 mtrs and can be invasive producing rhizomes that spread through the soil, so it is not a plant for a small garden.

Athyrium 'Ursula Red' Albiza Summer Chocolate

(Japanese painted fern)

This fern like all ferns prefer rich, moist, well drained soil in part or full shade.

Albiza summer chocolate is a new one to me, a slow growing shrub ideal for containers. It has sented flowers and seed pods in winter.