May is a fantastic time to be in the garden: the weather begins to warm up and the beds and borders respond to changes in day length and temperature, meaning there are many jobs for the busy gardener. Now is the time to begin hardening off tender, young plants. Place your plants outside during the […]
Category Archives: Advice
There are many plants that you can grow in your vegetable patch that will encourage beneficial insects, redirect the unwanted attentions of pests and attract pollinators that will feed on unwelcome visitors, as well as improving crop yields and the overall health of your plants. Some strongly scented crops, planted alongside one another can be […]
Here at Larch Cottage it is the time of year when we feed the vegetable patch and a number of borders with mushroom compost. Mushroom compost consists of well-rotted stable manure and, being high in organic matter, is very effective as a soil improver or mulch. ‘Spent’ mushroom compost, leftover from the mushroom farming process, […]
How long do Helleborus flower? The Helleborus Niger AGM One of the nicest sights in the garden during the depths of winter is the Helleborus Niger AGM or Christmas Rose. An Evergreen perennial – which holds The Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM). bears flat, nodding, white flowers with golden stamens that can measure […]
The Larch Cottage Rose list 2018 is now available to download. Listing all the roses we currently have in stock the Rose List has information on the different types of roses available from Shrub roses to Climbers. Rambling Roses to Standards and Half Standards, as well as notes on fragrance, flowering times, roses that grow […]
The Crab Apple – one of the best small garden trees. Considered by many to be one of the best small garden trees, the crab apple provides a mass of late spring blossom which rivals that of the Japanese Cherry, with a variety of very attractive, often edible fruit. One of our favourites is the […]
Callicarpa Bodinieri var Giraldii Profusion AGM really is the most beautiful shrub which really comes into its own during mid to late Autumn. The bright purple berries stand out like jewels in these dull days of Autumn bringing much wanted colour to the garden. At one time the Bodinieri species lost popularity mainly due to […]
Paeonia’s make a fantastic addition to any garden Flowering in a variety of rich colours through spring and early summer, Peonies are hardy, adaptable and prefer to grow in full sun. Although they will grow in light shade, they will produce fewer flowers even though they do tend to bloom for longer. The single flowered […]
What to do when my garden has been flooded? The severe flooding experienced across Cumbria in 2015 left many Cumbrian gardens with heavily water logged soil and has led to the loss and damage of a number of trees, shrubs and perennials. How do plants drown? As the floods begin to subside, gardens which are […]
Article written by Robin Lane Fox and appeared in the FT Weekend, House and Home section In wind and heavy rain the recent splendour of asters, dahlias and late-flowering salvias has been reduced to sodden brown pulp and blackened stems. Beauty has to be found elsewhere and I am finding it where many other gardeners […]