What does ‘stepover’ mean? Cultivated since the Victorian times, a ‘stepover’ tree is the smallest of all fruit trees, and is described as a low growing tree which has been trained horizontally and can literally be stepped over. How high are ‘stepovers’ kept? ‘Stepovers’ are traditionally kept to 12 to 18 inches in height and […]
On milder days, February is a good time to get your garden tidied and organised ready for the growing season ahead. The following gardening jobs will give you a good head start. We have our huge, new selection of roses now in stock in the nursery. Whether you are looking for a rambler, climber or […]
Chitting will give your potatoes a head start… While the cold weather persists and the ground is hardened by late winter frosts, it is too early to begin planting in the vegetable patch, but there are still lots of things that restless gardeners can do to get this year’s crop off to a flying start. […]
Thanks to the hard work of our field and nursery staff, new conifer stock has arrived in the nursery. Offering wonderful, evergreen colour ranges from blue-grey, through to various shades of green, copper and gold, conifers come into their own at this time of year. For beautiful colour in the drab winter landscape then Pinus […]
There are many plants that provide striking ornamental bark during the winter months, many of which create wonderful, structural form too. If you visit the nursery at this time of year, you will spot several of them planted in our borders, their stunning colours a sight to behold against a cold winter backdrop or beautiful […]
If you are tidying up your leaves, watch out for hedgehogs! A pile of tightly compacted leaves, moss and garden debris at the base of thick hedges, under bramble bushes, shrubs or among piles of leaves may mean that you have a hibernating, spiky friend in your garden. Hedgehogs are fantastic friends to gardeners as […]
As we head toward the short, dark days of deep winter it is a good time to begin exploring those plants that work hard for us when most other varieties are awaiting milder conditions. One such group of plants is the Daphne: a genus native to Asia, Europe and North Africa which offers evergreen and […]
At Larch Cottage our borders are carefully designed for year-round interest. As well as the fabulous summer colours of our herbaceous borders and the stunning golds, russets and oranges of autumn, winter brings the wonderful blooms and fantastic fragrances of our favourite winter shrubs. Shrubs that perform best in the colder months are often shade […]
We’re absolutely thrilled to announce that Larch Cottage has been voted by members of the public as the National Garden Scheme’s ‘Nation’s Favourite Garden’ in the competition’s North category. The award was collected by owners Peter and Jo Stott who on Monday 4th November attended the awards ceremony at the Garden Museum in London. The […]
The dark nights, colder temperatures and stronger winds begin to arrive in November but there are still several jobs that can be done in the garden this month. Protect outdoor container plants by raising them off the ground using bricks or special ‘pot feet’ available at the nursery. Insulate outside pots by wrapping them in […]
