Rowan Tree

Loving the Rowan Tree in our garden with it’s bright red berries ….. the magpies are going mad over them!

The Rowan or Sorbus sargentiana is a slow-growing tree with large, sticky red buds in autumn. In spring, dark green leaves are produced which turn a fiery orange and red in autumn. The white flowers are produced in early summer usually followed by red berries which are quickly eaten by birds.

A lovely tree for the small garden. Our Rowan is a self-seeded specimen, bought in by the birds no doubt!

It like full sun or dappled shade and prefers a slightly acidic soil which is why it does well here. It doesn’t require regular pruning, just remove any broken or diseased brances in late autumn. Eventual height and spread is 10m.

Crocus.co.uk have a good range of Sorbus Trees, click to find out more.

Our Plant of the Month – Euphorbia

Euphorbias are a vast genus of fully hardy perennials with about 2000 varieties.

The like full sun or partial shade in light, well-drained soil. They are fast growing and flower during April and May with insignificant flowers. It is the bracts which give the colour, ranging from limey yellow to bright orange.

Euphorbia require little care, just cut back the faded flower stems in the autumn. Take care when working with euphorbia as the milky sap is poisonous and can cause skin irritations.

The Euphorbia in our garden is Euphorbia polychroma whose dark green, lance-shaped leaves are topped with a froth of bright, acid yellow spring flowers that form a distinctive star shape. In autumn the foliage turns a lovely shade of bronze.

Below is a selection of Euphorbias on sale at Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information:

Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’	Euphorbia × martini	Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’	Euphorbia characias Silver Swan (‘Wilcott’)

Plant of the Month – Camelia

Camellias are wonderful plants giving amazing splashes of colour on bleak February days. This year, in my garden at least, the Camellias are very late in flowering due to the exceptionally cold winter and early Spring.

Despite the late flowers the glossy dark green foliage, which remains throughout the year, has been a welcome sight.

The camellia in the picture has been growing in a container in my North facing garden for about eight years and always rewards me with lots of these deep pink flowers during late Winter and early Spring which I’m really looking forward to. The variety is Camellia x Williamsii Debbie which you can buy from Gardening Express for just £12.95 for a 3.5l plant.

Camellias are well suited for pots and containers, but they need acid compost, a reasonably large pot and regular watering to thrive. Once the flowers have faded they drop off the plant meaning no dead-heading, making this shrub a practically maintenance free plant.

Below are a selection of Camellia on sale at Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information: 

Flower Carpet Red Velvet and Cynara scolymus

My garden has reached the stage where there is no more room left to plant anything! So you’d think I’d stop going to the garden centre wouldn’t you? But no ….. this week I came across a lovely red rose (yes, red again!).

This is Flower Carpet Red Velvet a ground cover rose.

It is a lovely bright red with a yellow centre with glossy, rich green foliage and it really catches the eye; I liked it so much I’ve bought mum one too, she’ll love it.

As I don’t have any room in the ground I have put it in a pot in the hope that it will flow over the top and give a trailing affect. There are lots of buds on both plants so hopefully we’ll get flowers until the frost; I’ll let you know.

Here are the details:

• It is naturally disease resistant
• It has a long flowering season
• It grows to 50cm (20ins) high and you will need 2-3 plants per square metre (yard)
• Plant in a sunny spot in any soil type or plant it in a container in a good quality compost, water well and keep moist
• Add a quality rose food to the soil / compost
• In early spring cut back to 15cm (6ins) from the base and add more rose food
• Trim off any spent blooms as this will encourage more prolific flowering

Buy your Flower Carpet Red Velvet from Gardening Express

While I was at the garden centre I found a bargain in the Sale section.

It is a Cynara scolymus or Cardoon.

It is a very architectural plant growing up to 180cm (6ft) tall and producing these wonderful purple-mauve, thistle-like flowers in late summer; keep them on for the winter for an extra show of interest. The foliage is jagged and greyish green which will make a change for my garden.

I have managed to find a small spot at the back of my main border I just hope it gets enough sun.

If you would like to buy your own Cardoon take a look at Cynara cardunculus ‘Cardy’ from Crocus.co.uk. This variety is shorter but has the same jagged foliage and bee-friendly thistles and is just as architectural.

Calamondin Marmalade

Calamondin is probably the most hardy citrus tree available in the UK and due to it’s small size makes an ideal citrus tree for any home. They also make great Christmas present particularly if they are in fruit. See below to buy your own Calamondin from Crocus.co.uk.

My brother bought me my Calamondin Plant seven or eight years ago and it has slowly grown into a lovely specimen for my conservatory. Each summer I put it on my sunny patio and it thrives.

The fruits are edible but they are extremely tart so the only option for them is to make marmalade. My plant flowers and produces fruit a couple of times a year but it can take two years for it to produce enough fruit to pick and produce marmalade.

This year by the time the fruits were ready I was busy so I picked them and put them in the freezer until I had the time to make the marmalade, the end result was the same as when the fruits were not frozen so it is worth considering freezing if you are short of time.

These fruits are too small to peel so use the whole fruit, as long as you strain it well it will be fine. This method produces a smooth marmalade, if you want shreds carefully peel a few of the fruits, cut into shreds and place in a muslin bag. I had 1.8kg of fruit which made 12 8oz jars; plenty for me, the craft fair and for family and friends.

The recipe I used is:

Ingredients:

• 2lb / 1kg Seville oranges
• juice of 2 lemons
• 3lb / 1.25kg white granulated sugar
• 4 ½ pts water

Method:

• Wash the fruit well
• Put fruit, lemon juice and water into a pan, and hang the shreds in their bag in the water
• Cook gently until soft (about 2 hours), removing shred bag after 1 hour
• Rinse the shreds in cold water in a sieve
• About half way through squash the fruits to release the pulp within the fruits
• Put the sugar, jars and lids to warm in a low oven
• Strain the soft fruits through a sterilized sieve pushing gently
• Restrain until the juice is clear
• Return strained liquid to the pan
• Warm the liquid, add the sugar and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved
• Bring to the boil rapidly, stirring occasionally, until setting point is almost reached
• Take pan off the heat, stir in the rinsed shreds
• Bring to setting point (see below)
• Pot into warmed, clean jars
• Put the lids on immediately while hot, and close tightly
• Leave until completely cold
• Label with type of fruit and date

Setting Point:

• Before you start cooking put a couple of saucers in the fridge
• As soon as the mixture reaches a really fast boil, start timing
• After 15 minutes spoon a little of the marmalade on to one of the cold saucers from the fridge, and let it cool back in the fridge
• You can tell – when it has cooled – if you have a ‘set’ by pushing the mixture with your little finger: if it has a really crinkly skin, it is set. If not, continue to boil the marmalade and give it the same test at about 10-minute intervals until it does set.

If you are new to preserving I think the best place to buy the products you need is Lakeland. I have been shopping online with Lakeland for years now and their products are always of good quality and they have a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your goods. Click here to see the whole range of preserving products.

A lovely, vigorous plant with bright green, glossy leaves and scented waxy, white flowers from spring to summer. The blooms are followed by small, spherical fruit with sweetish, thin, bright orange peel and sour flesh with few seeds. Unlike most citrus, the Calamondin orange is quite hardy and very resistant to cold but is best grown in a pot and in colder areas should be moved to a frost-free place in winter. In Vietnam the calamondine orange is a symbol of prosperity, and it is often given as a gift of good wishes on important or festive occasions.

Ideally grow in a pot which is easily moved from terrace to conservatory, in soil-based compost. Feed every two weeks with a special citrus fertiliser (there is one for summer and another for winter), and pot on or top-dress plants in late winter. Move outside after the risk of frost has passed to a sunny, sheltered patio. BUY NOW

Plant your Spring Flowering Bulbs

Now is the time to plant your spring flowering bulbs.

Spring Flowering Bulbs come in lots of shapes, sizes and colours but the one thing they have in common is the ability to turn a dull late winter, early spring garden into an oasis of light and colour. No garden is complete without the good old daffodil or tulip but there are many other spring flowering bulbs which will add additional interest.

There are bulbous plants for lots of different situations but nearly all require good drainage and many thrive in sunny sites. Many bulbous plants are threatened in the wild so it is important to buy bulbs from cultivated sources such as Crocus.co.uk which has a great range of colourful, healthy Spring Flowering Bulbs.

When planting incorporate well-rotted organic matter and a balanced fertiliser. Bulbs generally need planting quite deep; the general rule is three times their own depth. However, if you get the depth wrong most bulbs will pull themselves down into the ground using special, contractile roots. If you’re planting bulbs in heavy soil, add grit to the bottom of the hole to ensure good drainage.

A few bulbs prefer shallow planting. Plant Madonna lilies (Lilium candidum) with the tip of the bulb just showing above ground. Lay Crown Imperials (Fritillaria imperialis) on their sides so that water can’t collect in their hollow centre and make them rot.

Deadhead regularly and apply a low nitrogen, high potassium fertiliser in subsequent years. Lift and divide if they become overcrowded.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium cristophii – Star of Persia
Huge globes of small star-shaped, pinkish-purple flowers appear in summer above narrow, grey-green leaves. In bloom these fabulous globes – up to 20cm (8in) in diameter – have a metallic sheen. The faded flowerheads hold up well in the border and are useful for dried flower arrangements. Perfect for a sunny site, dotted in small groups among ornamental grasses, or as part of a Mediterranean scheme. Alliums look best planted between medium-sized herbaceous plants, which help to mask the strap-like leaves, which fade by the time the flowers appear.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ – Dutch Garlic
Dense, rich-purple globes held high on erect stems above strap-like, mid green leaves appear in early summer. They look spectacular grouped in a pot, or in a sunny border, dotted in groups among ornamental grasses, or as part of a Mediterranean scheme. Alliums look best planted between medium-sized herbaceous plants, which help to mask the strap-like leaves, which fade by the time the flowers appear.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Allium sphaerocephalon – round-headed leek
Small, egg-shaped, claret-coloured flowerheads appear like drumsticks on tall, slender stems above strap-like, mid-green leaves in mid to late summer. Planted en masse in a border in full sun, these diminutive claret flowers look great emerging from a screen of foliage, or against a backdrop of ornamental grasses. They gently fade as summer comes to a close.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Anemone blanda blue-flowered – winter windflower blue-flowered
This is a wonderful plant that produces cheerful, daisy-like flowers in shades of blue and purple in March and April. These are perfect plants for naturalising in a mixed border around the base of deciduous shrubs, or adding spring colour to the edge of a woodland garden. For maximum impact, plant in bold drifts in September or October, and if happy, they should spread quite quickly.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Crocus chrysanthus ‘Cream Beauty’
Rich-cream goblets with brown flushes and deep golden-yellow throats, emerge in February and March amid slender, strap-shaped, mid green leaves. These spring-flowering crocuses are perfect for naturalising in sunny, well-drained areas of the lawn. Relatively vigorous, they soon form large colonies, which can be divided in early autumn for use in other parts of the garden.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Fritillaria meleagris – snake’s head fritillary
Pretty, pendent, white and pinkish-purple bells with distinctive checkerboard markings on slender stems in April and May. These delightful snake’s head fritillaries are perfect for naturalising in a moist woodland edge or wildflower garden. It’s essential to select a site where the soil remains moist in summer.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Galanthus nivalis ‘Viridapice’ – snowdrop
A taller variety with a distinctive, long spathe which looks like the flowers have a hood. This is a good choice for those looking for a slightly more unusual snowdrop, or those wanting to add to their collection as it is still quite rare. Both the inner and outer petals are white, but have green markings which make them look as if they have been painted with a brush.

Spring Flowering Bulb
Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Woodstock’ – Hyacinth
A fabulous hyacinth with deep magenta-purple blooms that are delicately scented. Plant in mixed beds in the garden or in pots on the patio so you can move them around for best effect. A great colour for mixing with deep purples or plum shades to create a ‘bruised’ border.

Browse the full range of Spring Flowering Bulbs from Crocus.co.uk

Leylandii Hedge

Question:

I have just moved into a new house and there is a 20 foot high leylandii hedge down one whole side of the garden.  The bottom is a bit sparse, and I really want to plant a border in front of it.  Can you please give me any advice about what plants would survive?

Answer:

Leylandii are a nuisance in the garden as they grow very quick and if not kept in check can soon take over a whole garden!

It is extremely difficult to grow anything under a hedge, particularly leylandii as they remove so much moisture from the soil.

I would not advise trying to plant a border under the hedge as the shade and lack of moisture means that not much is likely to grow there successfully.

I would plant up pots to provide colour and interest, just place them under the hedge and keep them well watered.

Try planting a few pots with spring flowering bulbs layering different types to get a succession of flowering e.g. daffodils in the lower layer, followed by tulips, then crocus or iris; anything that takes your fancy will do. Once flowering is over these pots can be moved into a corner out of the way until next spring. Replace them by pots full of summer bedding plants.

For all year background interest you could have your evergreens and grasses; conifers also do well in pots and their size is kept in check.

A good plant for autumn interest is Skimmia, they don’t mind low light and are great in pots. click here to see a selection from Crocus

Questions for April 2008

Question

I am not sure if you can help but I am looking to buy some coprosma evening glow or/and coprosma fire burst so far I have had little luck I have tried googling it but very poor results none of my local garden centres stock it I bought some last year from a local market and would like to get more I really want a fairly well established rather than a small gutting that needs to be grown on do you know of any online nurseries that would sell this also regards dogwood I really like the look of this but again not been able to find it in my garden centres does this come in the form of a shrub or bush has its something I am not familiar with thanks for any help you can provide

Answer

I have to admit to not knowing about Coprosma but I have managed to find a company who sell a few varieties. Click on this link:  http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pn_id=176. There are several types of Dogwood (Cornus) so I have added a link to a few at Crocus for you to look at.

Question

We have a well established pear tree in our garden. The problem is that is has grown lopsided / horizontally right across the garden, so much so that it is obstructing the garden path. I would like to keep the tree but would like some advice on how to prune it to encourage it to grow upwards rather than outwards.

Answer

It is possible to do what you are asking but it will need to be done in stages as to reduce the stress to the tree. I think the best thing for you to do is to follow RHS advice on this matter so I have included a link below on Apple and pear tree renovation: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/fruit_tree.asp

Question

I have what seems to be three different type of spotted laurels one is dark green in colour the other light green with what seems like the beginning of possibly some flowers the other is the same colour light green the first two were planted around a month ago and around 2 3 ft the last one was planted last summer and has hardly grown at all I did read for these to produce flowers you need a male and female like a holly and I thought they were very quick growers I have seen some has high has well over 20foot round where I live they seem to get bigger every year mine are planted in full sun in a good quality compost any information on this plant would be welcomed thank you. I bought a shrub called a beauty berry in October last year it had a abundance of purple berries which have gradually dropped of I believe it is suppose to have pink flowers in summer but at moment I have just a bare shrub is this normal

Answer

Regarding your laurels; do you know which variety you have? I have detailed three of the more common ones below and as you can see their sizes and flowering requirements do vary. If you can find the actual varieties I can do more research for you.

• Aucuba Japonica Crotonifolia. Evergreen, bushy, dense shrub with stout, green shoots. Large glossy, dark green leaves are heavily mottled yellow. Grows in sun or shade and well drained soil. Height 1.7m Spread 1.7m. Male.
• Aucuba Japonica Rozannie. Very handsome shrub which has large, toothed and leathery green leaves. This all green form is self pollinating and produces large red fruits in winter. Grows in any situation and any soil to about 1m. Male.
• Aucuba Japonica Variegata. Evergreen, bushy, dense shrub grown for its yellow spotted leathery leaves. Height 7 ft. Spread 7 ft. requires any reasonable soil. Will thrive in sun or shade. Plant with crotonifolia for berries. Can be kept as a colourful hedge or as a specimen plant. Female. As regards your Beauty Berry (Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii Profusion). The lovely purple berries will gradually drop off, or get eaten by the birds, before the end of the winter which is normal. It will remain bare until it begins to produce its leaves then small pink flowers around July.

Question

I have got some branches on our pear tree where the buds are not opening – should I cut them back or just leave it?

Answer

If the tree is the right size and shape for you then I’d leave it. However, you may want to read the RHS article below for information on how to prune your tree should you wish. http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1101/fruit_tree.asp

Question

Now that the buds are out on the roses does this mean that I can cut them with an outward facing slope away from a bud at a height of 6 inches from the base now? Can I cut the honeysuckle back to 6 inches as well now?

Answer

I would wait until all risk of frost has passed because if you get a hard frost it can cause the tips of shrubs to die back. This die-back can be trimmed off but if the shrub is at its lowest height you will have nothing left to trim away. You should be OK to do it at the middle of April. You will still get a good display so don’t worry, you’ll be surprised how quickly they will grow from May onwards. You method sounds good but don’t forget to give them a little feed of fertilizer. You can buy one specifically for roses or you can use blood, fish and bone meal which can be used on all your plants. A mulch of well rotted manure around the base will also be good to keep down weeds and help improve the structure of the soil.

Question

Leaves on the hyacinth are going yellow. Can I cut them to the base; remove bulbs from the indoor pot and plant in the garden now? Any thoughts as to where best and how i.e. depth etc to plant them?

Answer

Yes you can cut them back and plant them out in the garden. Here’s a link to my Bulbs page which should help you when planting but the general rule is three times its own depth in a sunny position. http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/bulbs.htm

Question

I have recently bought some of the pretty flowering heathers you see at this time of year but know little about them I did hear that they need to be planted I the special compost you use for azaleas and rhododendrons also how long do they flower for I am told the ones you see in the garden centres are all forced has I believe they do not flower until early summer do I prune them when they finish flowering and when should I feed them thank you for any advice you can provide

Answer

There are two types of heather so I’ll give you the details for both. The first type is the “Erica” variety. These heathers do prefer acid soil but they will tolerate slightly alkaline soil, either way it needs to be well-drained and placed in a sunny spot. If you don’t know how acidic your soil is then it would be best to plant into pots using Ericaceous compost although it’s not essential. This type of heather flowers January to March and should be trimmed after flowering with shears or secateurs to remove the dead flowers and encourage bushy growth. The second type is “Calluna”. They like full sun and well-drained, humus-rich, acid soil or ericaceous compost. They flower July to November. In March or April cut back the flowered shoots to within 2.5cm (1in) of the old growth.

Question

My husband would like to know are than any certain types of methods used to make top soil more firm? He’s clearing out some land and the soil is too soft to hold weight.

Answer

I’m not entirely certain I understand exactly what the problem is but I think it is one of the following. The top soil may be too “soft” meaning it is not compacted enough. If this is the case then you should be able to carefully tread down the surface by slowly walking around until it is firm. However, the problem may be that the soil is too sandy, meaning that it has no substance and keeps falling apart. The added problem here is that it will also be very poor making it difficult to grow anything. If this is the case then you need to improve the structure by adding lots and lots of well rotted organic matter such as horse or cow manure. This can be bought in bulk or, if you live near a farm or stables, you may get it for free if you agree to collect it. If you have to go this route then it will take some time for the soil to change and become more substantial, perhaps as long as a year. To avoid weeds taking hold while you’re waiting you could grow some green manure which will subsequently be incorporated into the soil, again adding goodness. Here is an article which might help. http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/soil.htm#Green_manures0

Questions for August 2007

Question:

I bought a lavender tree lavandula dentata I planted about 6weeks ago it does say its hare had only the odd night of frost but don t expose to prolonged frost we have had only the odd night of frost since I bought it I have noticed today there are one or two brown spikes on it and the rest seem to be drooping I have given it a feed of miracle grow rose and shrub food I am been unduly concerned will it perk up when the weather gets warmer and is there any thing I can specifically do to help it.

Answer:

Unfortunately Lavandula dentate (French Lavender) is not hardy in the UK so should be kept indoors during the winter. You could try bringing it in now, keeping it warm for the next few weeks to see if it perks up. Don’t cut off the brown spikes just yet. If you still have some green growth by the end of April then prune it back before placing outdoors for the summer. Be careful not to prune into any old or brown woody parts of the plant as it will never re-grow from these areas.

Question:

I would like to know if I could put my magnolia in a container as I am moving house and the garden is all slabs, it is around 2 to 3 years old and around 4 foot.

Answer:

My mum has successfully grown her magnolia in a pot for years and it always looks good. I assume it is in the ground at the moment so you will have to carefully lift it ensuring you don’t damage the roots. Make sure it doesn’t dry out before placing it in as large a pot as possible. Put lots of crocks in the bottom to help drainage and add a slow release fertilizer to the soil around the plant. Each year top off the plant with new compost and / or manure to keep the soil well fed. You may find it goes into shock this year but it should be OK by next year’s flowering season. You will find that the plant won’t grow as big as it would if it was in the ground and it may not live as long either.

Question:

I currently live in West Sussex and do hope that you can give me some advice on the Meyers lemon tree that I purchased last year. You see I am new to the way of gardening here in England, as I spent most of my gardening life in the tropical area of South Africa where it never gets really cold. As I have already mentioned I purchased a lemon tree, which I put into a huge pot on my patio, but now I see that during the course of winter it has lost all its leaves and a lot of the tips of the branches have gone brown. I did not place it indoors, as I do not have the strength to be lugging it around – nor did I cover it with anything. My question is do I throw the tree away or do you think it will pick up again in spring.

Answer:

Unfortunately citrus plants will not survive outside during an English winter. However, having said that, if you have not had a hard frost and it’s in a sheltered position then you may get away with it. I wouldn’t give up on it just yet. Buy some horticultural fleece (available from garden centres or the larger DIY stores, cover it for the rest of the winter and make sure it doesn’t get too wet. If it’s survived you should see new leaves appearing when the weather warms up during April/May.

Question:

Can you please tell me any plants besides Aubrietia that you can plant in the top of a walled raised bed to hang over or to plant vertically in the wall?

Answer:

Please find below some suggestions. Most of these are alpines and do require a well drained soil. Cerastium (Snow-in-summer) – colour: white Iberis (Candytuft) – colour: white Linaria (Toadflax) – colour: various – there is an upright version of this too Saponaria (Soapwort) – colour: pink. You could also consider planting a nice coloured, small leaved ivy to trail down and plant some low growing alpines, such as Thrift to add some height. If you don’t mind a bit of work you could consider planting trailing geraniums or other colourful annuals each year.

Question:

Our neighbours have just built an extension, the side wall of which overlooks our back garden. Unfortunately, a variety of bricks have been used and they haven’t been spaced out very well with the result that the wall overlooking our back garden is unsightly and also oppressive. We would like a fast growing plant which would hide the wall. The wall goes up to 310 cm in height. Please could you advise us as to what would be the best plant to hide this wall and which would grow quickly?

Answer:

My ideal would be ivy. There are lots of different varieties giving you a wide selection of leaf sizes and colours which are evergreen. Once established it is extremely fast growing and also has the benefit of being able to climb without support and will grow in any situation. The other is the Montana range of Clematis which again is very fast growing and has the extra benefit of fragrant flowers in the spring. However you will need to erect some sort of support structure such as trellis or wires before planting. A sunny site will give the best results. Which ever plant you choose make sure you don’t plant it too close to the wall as it won’t be able to get as much water as it needs. If you go to my Plant your Garden page http://gardeningregister.co.uk/NonProductPages/Articles/planting.htm.  You will see an advert from Crocus. If you click the Climbers box you will be able to enter some information about the location and features required and receive a number of suggestions back.

Question:

I’ve got a question about holly trees that you might be able to answer for me…! As you know – you need male and female holly for the female plant to produce berries, but do the male and female plant need to be the same variety?? I have a silver queen (male) and a golden king (female) – will I get berries from this??

Answer:

I have double checked and you only need to have one male holly, of any variety, to pollinate several female plants of any variety. Therefore the two you have will do fine; the female plant will produce the berries, not the male. If you’d like more berries you could buy another female variety.

Question:

I am the General Manager of a psychiatric unit in London. We have recently built a secure steel balcony to provide additional outdoor space to one of our first floor wards. The construction is a ‘metal cage’ with a very raw look to it and I would appreciate it if you could give me some ideas on the types of plants we would use to brighten up the area. The balcony is south facing and I would preferably like ones that are easy to manage and stay evergreen so there is colour all year round. Have you any suggestions. The main problem is that for safety reasons we can not use climbing plants as patients could use these to climb up and fall, we can not use plants that have poisonous leaves or berries as patients could eat these and we are unable to use plants that have sharp edges as patients may use these to self harm or ones that attract bees in case of allergic reaction to possible bee stings. In addition, we would require the plants to be in pots that are too heavy for a patient to lift in case they throw them. As you can see from a non-gardeners point of view I am struggling to find the appropriate plants and your assistance and advice would be very welcome.

Answer:

I’ve come up with some ideas and attach an outline of a plan which may be of interest. My first thought was to fit a bench across the left-hand 2.4m section. This could be attached to the balcony and would allow seating for a few people. I have also left room for quite a large table and six chairs. Your idea of galvanized containers screwed into the patio seems a good idea and I’ve found a couple of sites which may be able to provide them. and http://shop.theurbangarden.co.uk/product_select.asp?prtID=49&d=planters. The alternative is to have a raised bed built into the corner which is also attached to the balcony as per my plan. You could have it built as one big “box” or if you had six separate boxes they could be tiered so that the outermost ones are lower than the top ones. This would provide more interest and allow for plants to cascade the corners of each “box”. As for plants. My initial thought is to use Herbs. These are usually soft and are, of course, edible. For added interest I thought a few grasses. I have found a few examples of my thoughts on Crocus.co.uk and have attached a link to their page so you can find out a little more about them. Fennel (especially Bronze which is a lovely colour) these grow to about 1.8m but not very wide so you could fit in quite a few. They are light and move with the wind giving a feeling of movement. I find it best to snip off the flowers to avoid them going to seed and ruining the look. Also, they will die down for the winter but this also means it doesn’t take over. To compliment the colour and movement of the Fennel I thought a few soft grasses would be nice. They tend to give great autumn colour and if left over the winter they provide structure and look nice when frosted. They will have to be cut back to allow the new growth through but it’s not a hard job. Here are a couple of examples. For an evergreen look I think Rosemary would be good. They can grown quite big so may need keeping in check but they are very hardy and don’t require much maintenance. They are usually a rich dark green with lavender/blue flowers during the summer. To compliment the rosemary how about Lavender. There are lots of varieties around but you need to have a good hardy one to see you through the winters. To break-up the front of the containers/bed I suggest planting a few “lesser” periwinkles. These come in white, lilac or purple in lots of different shades. The leaf colours also differ so you could find one you like. The “greater” periwinkles have bigger flowers and grow too big and fast for containers. Just tuck them into the corners of each “box” and let them hang down. They do spread so you may need to pull them up to avoid them taking over the whole container. Finally, I thought the little space near the entrance could do with something. Mint is a great herb but extremely invasive so it is ideal in its own container. There are lots available, such as pineapple mint and apple mint so again you should find some you like. They will die down for the winter but will come back each spring. Regardless of the containers you use you will have to ensure that there is adequate drainage in the bottom. Punch some holes in the base of the containers and lift them slightly off the floor. To help the drainage and keep the weight down fill the bottom of the containers with a good layer of polystyrene which you get in packaging. Use good quality compost and add some vermiculite which will also help keep the weight down but will also aid drainage. I would also add a slow release fertilizer and some water-retaining granules. You won’t be able to use hard mulch so I would top off the planting with a good layer of well-rotted manure. This will help retain moisture, keep weeds down and add goodness to the soil. Each autumn you should add another layer.

Plant of the Month for May

Dicentra spectabilis or Bleeding Heart is one of the first plants to emerge in late spring and has arching sprays of dainty, rose-pink, heart-shaped flowers above fern-like, fresh green leaves.

It is extremely easy to grow and as long as the ground is moist it will thrive in full sun or partial shade and it looks great planted in groups towards the front of a shady border or as part of a cottage garden scheme.

Dicentras are happy in any good garden soil that is fertile but not too heavy. Enrich the soil with plenty of leaf mould before planting and apply a mulch in autumn too. A light fertilising in March will also help.

Clumps of dicentra remain compact for many years and do not need dividing however they have brittle roots and so do not like disturbance – instead, try taking root cuttings in spring.

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Here are a selection of Dicentra from Crocus.co.uk – click here to find out more or to go shopping

Dicentra spectabilis	Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’	Dicentra ‘Bacchanal’	Dicentra formosa ‘Aurora’	Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’

Our Plant of the Month for February – Camellia

Camellias are wonderful plants giving amazing splashes of colour on bleak February days. The glossy dark green foliage remains throughout the year to add interest at all times.

This particular camellia has been growing in a container in my North facing garden for about eight years and always rewards me with lots of these deep pink flowers during late Winter and early Spring. The variety is Camellia x Williamsii Debbie.

Camellias are well suited for pots and containers, but they need acid compost, a reasonably large pot and regular watering to thrive. Once the flowers have faded they drop off the plant meaning no dead-heading, making this shrub a practically maintenance free plant.

Below are a selection of Camellia on sale a Crocus.co.uk, click on the pictures for more information:

Planting under a Leylandii Hedge

Question: I need some advice on a stretch of garden outside my back door. It measures about 3.6m from kitchen step to neighbour’s fence. On the neighbour’s side there is a row of leylandii about 10ft high on our side there is a narrow shaped bed border by a gravel path. There are few plants struggling to grown in the bed with the exception of a rhodedendron. The stretch of garden is east facing. I wanted to know if it would be best to get rid of the narrow shaped bed and extend the gravel path up to the fence and then plant up pots with shrubs and climbers in order to disguise the fence. If I were to keep the bed, what plants would suit that position as it is quite dry and only gets about 2 hours dappled sun a day. Would grasses and evergreens thrive. Answer: Leylandii are a nuisance in the garden as they grow very quick and if not kept in check can soon take over a whole garden! It is extremely difficult to grow anything under a hedge, particularly leylandii as they remove so much moisture from the soil. The fact that your bed only gets a couple of hours sunshine a day is also a problem. I would get rid of the bed and extend the gravel up to the fence and, as you suggest, plant up pots to provide colour and interest. You will still have a problem with low light levels but most do plants are OK in pots for a few years. Try planting a few pots with spring flowering bulbs layering different types to get a succession of flowering e.g. daffodils in the lower layer, followed by tulips, then crocus or iris; anything that takes your fancy will do. Once flowering is over these pots can be moved into a corner out of the way until next spring. Replace them by pots full of summer bedding plants. For all year background interest you could have your evergreens and grasses; conifers also do well in pots and their size is kept in check. A good plant for autumn interest is Skimmia, they don’t mind low light and are great in pots. click here to see a selection from Crocus There aren’t many climbers which will survive against the fence but ivy should be OK and will give your gravel area an evergreen backdrop. There are lots of different ivy available, click here to see a selection from Crocus.