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.

Pampas Grass Pruning

Question:

Hello, I have just moved house and inherited a large pampas grass which is approx 10 feet across and is overhanging the footpath and my driveway, it also has last seasons plumes and appears very dense with previous dead foliage, the centre of the plant approx 3 feet in diameter appears mostly dead foliage with no green leaves in the middle, my questions are, is it too late (31 May) to cut the plant back so i can reduce its diameter? will it damage the plant if i remove the dead foliage as the plant looks very untidy? and do you think it sounds like the middle has died.

Answer:

Pampas Grass is a very tough plant and it is practically impossible to harm it by accident and in fact it often needs brute force to keep it under control.

The best time to remove any dead material from the centre is January or February but as long as you are not too bothered about new plumes this year then you could get stuck in now. You can also cut off any dead or broken plumes and leaves to help tidy it up and dig out or cut down any unwanted external growth to keep the width down. The roots of the pampas grass are very tough and difficult to remove so it is probably easier just to keep it cut back. If you feel you can cope with removing some of the roots to reduce the size then have a go as it won’t kill the plant.

Going forward in late winter or early spring trim back all the dead foliage and comb out any dead material from the centre of the plant. Give it a general feed with a base fertiliser such a Growmore or Fish, Blood and Bone Meal, if we have a dry summer you may need to water it occasionally otherwise no other care is required.

The GR Allotment: Update

The Gardening Register has had it’s allotment for nearly a year now and we are finally making progress.

We were unable to do much during the winter months due to the bad weather then we struggled to find a vehicle large enough to deliver our supplies.

The first job this year was to have a few tonnes of aggregate delivered which my brother Allan spread across the area planned for the shed and greenhouse. We then had a couple of tonnes of sand delivered which was spread on top of the aggregate.

To finish off this area we were lucky enough to have the help of Allan’s father-in-law to lay the slabs which look great.

Allan also managed to get three raised beds built and ready for planting so our potatoes went in a couple of weeks ago. We are growing Anya, a second early and Maris Piper a late and our Mum’s favourite potatoe, great for chips, roasting and mash.

It’s not too late to order your seed potatoes from Thompson & Morgan. Click here.

Last weekend Allan and I started to erect the greenhouse; a much harder task than is sounds! We will finish the glazing next weekend.

We also planted out some Brussel Sprouts and Petit Pois Peas; our first splash of green on the plot.

A lot of the heavy, landscaping work is complete but we still need to erect the shed lay pathways. We are still to decide what our pathways will be made of as we’re not keen on having too much of the area covered in slabs. We may lay a good thick layer of bark on top of a weed suppressing membrane which will keep the weeds down but will look more natural.

The Pyracantha hedging is looking good and we think it will make a great background to the site. Pyracantha is an evergreen shrub with dark green leaves, spiny branches and bunches of small white flowers in late spring. These are followed by a profusion of yellow, orange or red berries in autumn. It can be grown as a free-standing shrub, against a wall or as a hedge. Click here to buy your own from Crocus.co.uk.

Last update June 2009; more updates to follow.

Website Review – Coblands

I have come across a new website which is worthy of being added to my list of preferred suppliers; I haven’t placed an order with them yet but when I do I will post a review of their services.

Coblands Nurseries’ website, has a wide range of plants including Fruit, Rhododendron & Azaleas, Hedging, Climbing Plants, Ferns, Bamboo, Bulbs, Designer Plants, Grasses, Shrubs and Perennials. They also have ranges of plants such as Aromatic foliage,  Architectural Plants,  Moisture loving plants,  Shade loving plants and Ground cover plants to help you find the types of plants you want.

They are also an approved stockist of Rolawn Topsoil, Compost, Bark and Turf; recognised as the leading supplier of quality topsoils.

As well as lots of special offers throughout the year they also have a membership club which will save you 15% on all plants, all day, every day.

Just register to receive these great benefits for Coblands club members

• Free membership.
• Collect points to make savings.
• Tiered membership, Bronze, Silver and Gold discounts.
• Access to special members only promotions.
• Advanced previews on new products and offers.

And to top it off, standard delivery is free when the order value is over £55.

Click here to see Special Offers from Coblands

What’s looking good in September

The Gardening Register garden is getting ready for winter but there are still a few plants worth a mention.

Here is a picture of our Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Herbstsonne’ (see plants in our garden for more information) together with Euonymus alatus compactus. The Euonymus is a very unusual shrub with distinctive corky wings on the stems. It has dark green leaves which turn a bright pink in autumn. The colour does not come over very bright on the photograph so if you get a chance to see it in real life I’m sure you’ll fall in love with it.

Another late bloomer looking great is Phlox paniculata. I’m not sure of the exact variety but it is a lovely clear white. My mum has had this in her garden for years and this is part of her clump which I put in a few years back. I moved it last autumn into a better spot and it seems to like it.

I thought I had told you about my Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis) back in the summer when the bracts were glorious but I didn’t. So I thought I’d show you how it looks in September. These bright red fruits appeared about four weeks ago and look as if they will last well until the frosts.

Crocus.co.uk are selling this wonderful tree; here’s what they say: A real showstopper of a tree, with two seasons of interest. Broadly conical in shape, it produces tiny green flowers in June, surrounded by showy creamy white, flower bracts, that fade to lovely shades of pink. In autumn the dark green leaves turn crimson-purple and mature trees produce strawberry-like fruits. It’s an excellent specimen tree for a small garden or woodland edge, and the leaf colour is best in fertile, well-drained, neutral to acid soil. Click here to buy it 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