Spring and apple blossom are months away, what does pollination have to do with anything in October? Nothing, if you already have apple trees that are happily partnered up. But the bareroot tree planting season is almost here and if you are planning on adding some apple trees to your garden, you need to make… Continue reading Apple Pollination Groups & Dates
Get the Ground Ready for Lavender
If you are planning on buying lavender plants this year here are a few tips which might help you grow them just that little bit better. 1. Don’t buy your lavender until towards the end of May. Lavender is a funny old thing – the angustifolia varieties such as Hidcote and Munstead are as tough… Continue reading Get the Ground Ready for Lavender
Hedging – Plants with Feet of Clay
It is all hedging at this time of year…. These yew hedge planting pointers apply equally to almost all other hedging plants as well, certainly anything that needs a well drained soil. You can dig a trench to plant your hedging if the ground is well drained. You can improve the soil as much as… Continue reading Hedging – Plants with Feet of Clay
To Fedge or Not to Fedge?
That is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the willow to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fedgeune, or to take arms against a sea of fedges, and by opposing end them. Willow fedges are living structures made from closely planted willows. Ornate structures can be built up; chairs, houses, pergolas and so on,… Continue reading To Fedge or Not to Fedge?
Fruit Trees at Altitude
We get hundreds of enquiries a year about growing fruit trees in the UK at altitude and our answers usually start off with something like: “Unfortunately your location sounds beautiful but (from the perspective of fruit trees) terrible. Your site is high up and almost certainly windy given that you are south facing and prevailing… Continue reading Fruit Trees at Altitude
Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Homemade Elderberry Syrup The Recipe: This is our family recipe, and we think it makes the best elderberry syrup we have ever tasted. Pick the berries on a dry day, (I added pieces of ginger before simmering) You will need: * Loads of elderberries – get a couple of kilos to begin with (take whole… Continue reading Elderberry Syrup Recipe
Photinia Leaf Spot – Don’t Panic!
Photinia Red Robin makes a really photogenic hedge plant, with blazing red young leaves that can be persuaded to reappear all summer with regular trimming and simple but lovely white flowers. However, just as the most handsome face can be marred by acne, the prettiest Photinia bush can can be disfigured by an unpleasant looking… Continue reading Photinia Leaf Spot – Don’t Panic!
Lavender Diseases Exist!
I read an article the other day which claimed that lavender is immune to disease, a quality that is linked to its healing properties. I’m the first to hop in a bath infused with lavender when I need a break and I am certain that the relaxation it gives me is good for my mental health… Continue reading Lavender Diseases Exist!
How not to plant a Beech Hedge…
My friend Rachel is a passionate if impatient gardener. Vegetables are really her thing (probably because so many of them are sown and germinate before you get bored). The same, unfortunately cannot be said of her prowess when it came to a beech hedge she planted five years ago. Her mistakes were as follows: 1. She… Continue reading How not to plant a Beech Hedge…
Escallonia – A Winter Surprise
Everyone knows that Escallonia gets badly frostbitten. Every book says that Escallonia is a tender hedge plant. Every list of plants that “only grow in the south-west” (it used to be “in the Scillies”) contains Escallonia. Every article says it should only be used as coastal hedging. I even read a piece in a reputable gardening magazine that… Continue reading Escallonia – A Winter Surprise