Which plants will give Autumn Colour in my garden? LIQUIDAMBAR: If you are looking for a flush of Autumn colour to brighten up your garden why not consider a Liquidambar – or Sweetgum as it is commonly known. With their large, maple like leaves which burst through in long-lasting colours of scarlet, purple orange and yellow […]
The beautiful, long flowering Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ Awarded Chelsea 2011 Plant of the Year’, Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ is a stunning introduction by Elizabeth MacGregor. The large white flowers 7 to 9 cm across, have a distinct blue banding on the reverse and are held above attractive green foliage. Opening throughout the day, the flowers close to bells […]
Why should I plant a Cornus in my garden? A genus worthy of consideration for almost any garden is the Cornus family particularly the more hardy cornus kousa cultivars. These are mainly slow growing small trees or in some cases large shrubs. As gardens get smaller with ever increasing pressure for housing our gardens are […]
What is an Inkarho Rhododendron? An inkarho Rhododendron is a new lime-tolerant rhododendron rootstock which has taken over 20 years to develop and on to which many different and popular rhododendrons are being grafted. Where is the best place to plant a Inkarho Rhododendron? Although they appear rugged in the landscape, rhododendrons have a delicate root […]
Fear not, the Chelsea Chop is not the latest must-have hairstyle straight from one of London’s trendy boroughs, but is in fact a method of pruning where you limit the size of your late-flowering hardy perennials and have more control over their flowering season. It’s called the Chelsea Chop because it usually happens at the […]
How do I encourage insects into my garden? Flying insects such as bees and hoverflies which visit flowers for their nectar and pollen perform a vitally important pollination service. Pollination is where the pollen from one flower is transferred to another flower, bringing about fertilisation. Some flowering plants are pollinated by the wind but the […]
Slugs in the garden and how to control them. Recently we have had a lot of people asking how they can control the damage caused by slugs in the garden so we have put together a list of suggestions to help you put a stop to any slug-related trouble. Slugs can cause a lot of […]
When does Edgeworthia Red Dragon flower? The much sought after Edgeworthia Red Dragon is a winter flowering deciduous Chinese shrub with cinnamon coloured young bark and dense nodding terminal clusters of fragrant orange to red flowers which open in late winter. The branches are so flexible that when young they can be tied in knots. […]
WHAT IS ROOTSTOCK AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? The rootstock onto which your tree is grafted will determine the ultimate height of the tree when it is mature. If you are planting on open ground and have lots of room then this is not so relevant but for those with smaller gardens or who wish […]
When is the best time to plant fruit trees? The best time to plant a container grown tree is from mid august to the end of May It is possible to plant in the summer – June and July, but watering is essential – at least a bucket a week. Bare root trees should be […]