Home//Garden News/3 December 2022/In This Issue
Garden News|3 December 2022Always find space for more roses!It’s hard not to love roses. They’re the quintessential plant of the classic cottage garden – long-blooming, often beautifully scented and dazzling in a whole range of colours.Choosing a favourite, therefore, was no easy task (see our feature on tried and tested roses, page 14). I plumped for one I love for sentimental reasons, but I could just as easily have picked ‘Munstead Wood’, with its amazing fruity fragrance, or the beautiful peachy flowers of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. We have another shrub rose, bought from the bargain bucket of the local DIY store with no label several years ago, that just keeps on flowering with stunning red blooms. A garden always has space for one more rose although, as I say, it’s very hard to pick a favourite!The weather…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022ANCIENT YEW NAMED TREE OF THE YEARThe spectacular Waverley Abbey yew, whose roots grow out of Britain’s first Cistercian Abbey monastery, has been crowned Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust’s 2022 competition. The winning tree, thought to be more than 500 years old, will now go on to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year contest. Its roots grow into and around the ruins of the English Heritage site, Waverley Abbey – the very first monastery founded in Britain 900 years ago. It accounted for 16 per cent of the total votes, finishing above The Portal Tree in Midlothian (11 per cent), a rowan which grows in the landscaped grounds of Mavisbank House, one of Scotland’s most important historic houses. Tom Reed, citizen science officer for the ancient tree inventory at…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Climbing roses that will reach for the skyAutumn’s the best time to plant trees and shrubs, particularly bare-root roses. Climbing roses are valuable and there’s a huge selection to clothe walls and fences or more compact forms to grow up structures in borders or tubs.Buying bare-root is cheaper, too. Modern varieties are more vigorous and disease resistant, repeat flowering and sometimes exquisitely scented. Habits vary, with some producing vigorous, long stems, while others are more slender, reaching between 1.8-3m. Some larger shrub roses can also be pruned and trained as short climbers.When you receive your bare-root plants, tease tangled roots apart and prune away any that are broken. Soak roots in a bucket of clean water for a couple of hours before planting. Position the rootball at least 15cm away from the wall or fence, angling the…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Grow your own… Christmas tree!It only seems like last week we were all embroiled in a long drought and stifling heatwave that peaked at about 42C here in Lincolnshire. And now our thoughts are turning to decorating Christmas trees. Honestly, where does the time go? I must admit we have an old artificial tree my partner bought that’s been round the block a bit; it’s about 12 or 13 years old, still works and looks great with all our old tinsel and lights, so why change? In the spirit of reusing and recycling, it’s got a lot more life in it yet. You may be in the market for a new tree this year, though. I’d not recommend buying a new, artificial tree; it just adds to the world’s plastic waste eventually. Besides, there’s…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Your garden GEMS!TIMELY REMINDER To make it really easy to remember when I need to sow, order or buy my favourite plants, I write everything on my wall calendar, which I refer to every day. That way I’ll never forget what I should be doing or leave it too late! Eddie Peel, by email TIERS OF JOY! I bought some heavy duty metal planters in three different sizes, then filled them with compost and stacked them up, one inside the other. It makes for a fab feature all planted with herbs and I can fit more plants in this way. Ben Eccles, via Facebook MARVELLOUS MUG I’ve got too many mugs in the cupboard so I made this easy mug insect hotel and hung it on a branch. I packed it with…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Prepare for future droughtIt pays to be prepared; if this year’s odd weather is anything to go by, we need to think about how we’re going to protect our gardens in future. As part of your autumn planning, consider the measures you might want to take to beat any potential drought conditions next year, while remaining economical with your water supply and making the most of what moisture you’ve got.ECONOMICAL WATER BUTTSGet the best water butt for your garden now, so you can start collecting some good solid rainfall in time for spring. The most useful are those attached to guttering, which will collect far more than a simple open vessel. More attractive butts make for nicer garden features – the ones disguised as barrels, fountains and planters are worth investing in if…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022my gardening DIARYMONDAY Thinking of restarting a collection of old primroses. In the early days of our nursery, Glebe Cottage Plants, we specialised in old named varieties of primrose. We also grew Barnhaven primroses from seed and multiplied our favourite seedlings by division. I miss these special plants; we only have a few left, so the quest will begin again.TUESDAY I wasn’t expecting iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ to show up until the new year, but in the troughs on the terrace and along the beds either side of the front door their fat, pointed shoots are pushing through.WEDNESDAY The cercis tree that my mum gave us about 40 years ago has borne a huge crop of pods this year. It’s a legume and has ‘pea pods’, flat and slender containing four or five…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Get beautiful FREE PLANTSTHIS WEEK AT GLEBE COTTAGE The latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden... plus her diary for the week! It may seem that this time of year is all about consolidation, about bringing the garden to some kind of finality, finishing off before the whole thing starts again. But the soil isn’t yet cold; there are still some sunny days and it’s a great time for planting some things – trees and shrubs among them – and there’s the opportunity to make more plants. This is the ideal time to divide herbaceous perennials, especially those that flowered earlier in the year. At Glebe Cottage, there never seems to be a time when everything is switched off, or come to that, a time when activity is turned down a notch. Making new…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PROPAGATE SUCCULENTSThere’s tremendous satisfaction from propagating plants. As we move into winter our time spent outdoors is reduced. Propagating plants is a wonderful way to keep our hands in the soil. Although spring is an obvious time for propagation, you can still get stuck into projects over winter; plants are just slower to grow. Sempervivum, echeveria and Crassula ovata (jade plants) are popular succulents for leaf propagation.Succulents need moisture so they can develop roots but despise soggy soil as this can rot roots and stems, so keep compost well drained and ventilated. Don’t place in a propagator as the humidity is likely to promote rot. Like with all plants, looking after them is about getting the balance right.It’s important to not immediately plant your cuttings but wait a few days for…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PROPAGATE SUCCULENTSThere’s tremendous satisfaction from propagating plants. As we move into winter our time spent outdoors is reduced. Propagating plants is a wonderful way to keep our hands in the soil. Although spring is an obvious time for propagation, you can still get stuck into projects over winter; plants are just slower to grow. Sempervivum, echeveria and Crassula ovata (jade plants) are popular succulents for leaf propagation. Succulents need moisture so they can develop roots but despise soggy soil as this can rot roots and stems, so keep compost well drained and ventilated. Don’t place in a propagator as the humidity is likely to promote rot. Like with all plants, looking after them is about getting the balance right. It’s important to not immediately plant your cuttings but wait a few…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PICTURE IMPERFECT!Notes from a small GARDEN Starting a garden is an exercise in dreaming big and building greenhouses in the sky. And in my very first Notes from a Small Garden column I listed my ambitions: I wanted flowers for cutting and I wanted a pond. I was keen to encourage wildlife and I needed tree fruit and space to experiment. At the time, it wasn’t just a blank canvas but scorched earth. Or, at least, earth that was compacted by the iron oppression of fake grass. It was all wrong and my mission was to make it right. The thing about a mission, however, is that you get so caught up in the immediate quest it’s hard to see how far you’ve come. Until, the other day, I came across…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022THE PROBLEM SOLVERGot a problem? Our Problem Solver can help! See our contact details on page 3 #GN ASKTHEEXPERTSHow do I grow successful sweet peas?Faye Wellington, by emailStefan says: You sent me a catalogue of problems but rather than try to eliminate each of them one by one, it might be easiest if I gave my recipe for sweet pea growing; and I do so with some satisfaction because I think mine have been better than ever this year! I must add, however, that this is my recipe for growing garden sweet peas to be cut for the house, not for exhibition.Success lies in good soil preparation to ensure the roots never dry out. Prepare the planting site thoroughly now, in autumn, by digging down to about 30cm depth and thoroughly forking…7 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Take on the weather to keep crops goingHelping you get your best-ever fruit and veg Earlier in the year we had the hottest weather ever in the UK, with hosepipe bans widespread over most of the country, but we seem to have had buckets of rain every week here in Sheffield ever since! Even though I’m on a hill, the veg bed levels do sometimes flood as the garden is built on clay, so I have to tend to the gravel paths each year. They need raking to stop them sinking into the soil below (even though there’s a double layer of membrane), as they compact easily and weeds become rife. Removing weeds when the soil is moist is so much easier, even though I end up with wet knees! My rhubarb didn’t do that well this…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022TEA BREAKWeekly test crosswordNUMBER 49 Use the following answers to complete a well-known quotation from Shakespeare: ‘12 across 4 down we 16 down a 15 down by 7 down 25 down 6 across would 5 down as 26 down.’ACROSS1 Wall colouring that covers up a scandal? (9)6 Word by which someone is known (4)10 Means of concealing one’s identity (8)11 Bottomless chasm (5)12 Take ___, boy band (4)13 Of a plant, able to withstand all but severe frost (4-5)18 Skill, expertise (7)20 Actress Miss Redgrave (7)24 26 downs on sticks (9)27 Stone fruit (4)28 Mountain ash (5)30 Planted temporarily at an angle, as a tree (6,2)31 Playthings (4)32 Musical notes (9)DOWN2 Distance upwards (6)3 One-piece hosiery item (6)4 See 7 down5 Odour, scent (5) 7, 4 down and 29 down___ But…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022READER OFFERSSpring stunners!World-renowned for their history and heritage, Barnhaven have been breeding primulas since the 1930s and these varieties are some of the most beautiful we have seen. Fully double, rose-like blooms appear in late winter, surrounded by a collar of foliage adding colour to even the darkest, coldest days and will continue to do so until the end of spring. Supplied as 9cm pots, delivery in 7 days.Vibrant bloomersThe perfect plant to brighten up your late winter and spring display, Coronilla glauca will fill your garden with vibrant colour and perfume aplenty. From February through to May, evergreen foliage is smothered with rounded heads of up to 15 yellow, pea-shaped blooms, which form crowns and release a sweet, lemon narcissus fragrance. Perfect for coastal and windy gardens. Supplied as 9cm…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022A fine show of bloomsThe world's finest share their tips for success John Peace National Early Chrysanthemum Champion for the past 20 years, John has also won the best exhibit award 15 times. Growers from across the UK put on a fantastic show with their blooms after braving the extreme weather conditions we’ve had this year. The Bentley Trophy for best exhibit in show and the Centenary Trophy for 18 large exhibition blooms went to Andy Whickham, for his tremendous display, including four yellow ‘Phil Houghton’, two ‘Phil Houghton’, two golden ‘Phil Houghton’, silver ‘Gigantic’, amber ‘Peggy Anne’, ‘Shirley Primrose’, ‘Jimmy Motram’, ‘Elizabeth Shoesmith’, ‘Pink Duke’ and ‘Fitton’s Reward’. This was the most competitive class in the show with five entries. In the decorative class, the George Prickett Challenge Trophy was won for the…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Pick of the POSTSuch a rosy display I picked these ‘Mama Mia’ roses from the garden this morning. Still giving a beautiful show in November! Meryl Jamieson, Inverness Garden guardian This little boy, along with his puppy by his side, has been in our garden since being purchased at Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham some 10 years ago. At first it was a drinking fountain, but once the upper dish cracked, it’s been used as a plant holder. The little boy has admired the plants over the years and gives us joy while we’re tending to our garden. He’s too beautiful to discard, we love him dearly. M Lambert, Cheshire Looking ace in my garden It’s November 11 and my acer looks incredible! Elaine Mepham, York Bursting into life Last Christmas, after our…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Always find space for more roses!It’s hard not to love roses. They’re the quintessential plant of the classic cottage garden – long-blooming, often beautifully scented and dazzling in a whole range of colours. Choosing a favourite, therefore, was no easy task (see our feature on tried and tested roses, page 14). I plumped for one I love for sentimental reasons, but I could just as easily have picked ‘Munstead Wood’, with its amazing fruity fragrance, or the beautiful peachy flowers of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’. We have another shrub rose, bought from the bargain bucket of the local DIY store with no label several years ago, that just keeps on flowering with stunning red blooms. A garden always has space for one more rose although, as I say, it’s very hard to pick a favourite!…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022NEW FOR THE GARDENCJ WILDLIFE WOODSTONE SEVILLE NEST BOX £23.99● If you put bird boxes up now, our feathered friends will have time to get used to them before nesting season in spring. This CJ Wildlife one is perfect for great tits, pied flycatchers, tree sparrows, or house sparrows. It’s also designed to insulate the nest, as well as offer protection from predators, such as cats and squirrels.From: www.birdfood.co.uk.WOLF-GARTEN MULTI-CHANGE GUTTER CLEANER £64.99● With the last of the autumn leaves falling, now’s the time to look after gutters. WOLF-Garten’s gutter cleaning tool easily scoops out leaves, and as part of the multi-change kit, it can attach to a telescopic handle so you can clean gutters from the ground. The multi-change tool can also be attached to a window wiper and window washer attachment.From:…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Climbing roses that will reach for the skyAutumn’s the best time to plant trees and shrubs, particularly bare-root roses. Climbing roses are valuable and there’s a huge selection to clothe walls and fences or more compact forms to grow up structures in borders or tubs. Buying bare-root is cheaper, too. Modern varieties are more vigorous and disease resistant, repeat flowering and sometimes exquisitely scented. Habits vary, with some producing vigorous, long stems, while others are more slender, reaching between 1.8-3m. Some larger shrub roses can also be pruned and trained as short climbers. When you receive your bare-root plants, tease tangled roots apart and prune away any that are broken. Soak roots in a bucket of clean water for a couple of hours before planting. Position the rootball at least 15cm away from the wall or fence,…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Your garden GEMS!TIMELY REMINDERTo make it really easy to remember when I need to sow, order or buy my favourite plants, I write everything on my wall calendar, which I refer to every day. That way I’ll never forget what I should be doing or leave it too late!Eddie Peel, by emailTIERS OF JOY!I bought some heavy duty metal planters in three different sizes, then filled them with compost and stacked them up, one inside the other. It makes for a fab feature all planted with herbs and I can fit more plants in this way.Ben Eccles, via FacebookMARVELLOUS MUGI’ve got too many mugs in the cupboard so I made this easy mug insect hotel and hung it on a branch. I packed it with twigs and bamboo cane offcuts of different…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022TRIED AND TESTED ROSESNow’s the perfect time to plant bare-root roses, so they have the chance to establish ready for a blooming bonanza next summer. Just give them a bit of space, lots of sun and good soil, with a helping of well-rotted manure for good measure – just delay planting if the soil is frozen or waterlogged. But out of the literally thousands of species and varieties available, which rose should you go for?Here at GN we hope to help you out with our own tried and tested recommendations, all grown and enjoyed by us. We’re sure there’s one or two here that will suit you and your garden.Carol Klein‘NEW DAWN’I love so many roses and through my work I’m always being introduced to varieties that are new to me. But perhaps…6 min
Garden News|3 December 2022TRIED AND TESTED ROSESNow’s the perfect time to plant bare-root roses, so they have the chance to establish ready for a blooming bonanza next summer. Just give them a bit of space, lots of sun and good soil, with a helping of well-rotted manure for good measure – just delay planting if the soil is frozen or waterlogged. But out of the literally thousands of species and varieties available, which rose should you go for? Here at GN we hope to help you out with our own tried and tested recommendations, all grown and enjoyed by us. We’re sure there’s one or two here that will suit you and your garden. Carol Klein ‘NEW DAWN’ I love so many roses and through my work I’m always being introduced to varieties that are new…6 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Over the FENCEThe colour just keeps on comingCaroline & David BroomeA plant-packed suburban garden in London that is accessible all year.We’ve been having extreme weather lately; thunder and lightning one minute, sunshine the next. Showers have played havoc with late-flowering perennials, climbing roses and grasses, now splayed in all directions. So it’s time to start cutting back in earnest.Most of my attention has centred on the patio. Although summer container displays are dying away, there’s enough going on with colourful heucheras and evergreen ferns to provide an attractive winter enclave.The unheated greenhouse is filling up with perennial divisions. I’ve lifted and potted up my favourite magenta geraniums in dry soil ready for overwintering. The next thing will be the salvias. My daily job has been sweeping leaves off the drive.Some plants that…5 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PLANT LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS BULBSSpring bulbs are especially exciting at Christmas and bring a colourful treat to the festive proceedings.Paperwhite daffodils are the easiest and quickest to grow. Planted now they should be in bloom for Christmas or the New Year. You may even find them for sale at half price in garden centres. Don’t worry if they already have curved green shoots in the pack. These will straighten once planted and will still flower.Plant them in pots of compost or grow them in a vase or pot of gravel. Fill the container with gravel and position the bulbs on this. Add more gravel or stones to hold the bulbs in place and just add water. It’s important to add just enough water so it doesn’t touch the base of the bulb. Roots will…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Over the FENCEThe colour just keeps on coming Caroline & David Broome A plant-packed suburban garden in London that is accessible all year. We’ve been having extreme weather lately; thunder and lightning one minute, sunshine the next. Showers have played havoc with late-flowering perennials, climbing roses and grasses, now splayed in all directions. So it’s time to start cutting back in earnest. Most of my attention has centred on the patio. Although summer container displays are dying away, there’s enough going on with colourful heucheras and evergreen ferns to provide an attractive winter enclave. The unheated greenhouse is filling up with perennial divisions. I’ve lifted and potted up my favourite magenta geraniums in dry soil ready for overwintering. The next thing will be the salvias. My daily job has been sweeping leaves…5 min
Garden News|3 December 2022GOOD RESULTS FROM THE LATE AUTUMN SHOWThe RHS Late Autumn Show, held at RHS Garden Harlow Carr last month, was certainly a success this year, with some super fruit and vegetables on display. Compared to last year, entries on the fruit side of the competition were well up, with Adrian Baggaley once again picking up most of the red cards. Likewise in the vegetable classes, with my fellow judge David Thornton and myself taking well over an hour to work our way through all the classes.At this time of year, however, it was noticeable that some of the vegetables had gone past their best. Some of the potatoes had been shown at previous shows, and though good in shape and uniformity, were lacking in freshness and so marked down on condition. However, the opposite was true…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Take on the weather to keep crops goingHelping you get your best-ever fruit and vegKITCHEN GARDENER Rob SmithTV gardener and social media star. Also a seed guardian for the Heritage Seed LibraryEarlier in the year we had the hottest weather ever in the UK, with hosepipe bans widespread over most of the country, but we seem to have had buckets of rain every week here in Sheffield ever since! Even though I’m on a hill, the veg bed levels do sometimes flood as the garden is built on clay, so I have to tend to the gravel paths each year. They need raking to stop them sinking into the soil below (even though there’s a double layer of membrane), as they compact easily and weeds become rife. Removing weeds when the soil is moist is so much…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022LIFT AND STORE DAHLIA TUBERSTV and radio broadcaster Martin is an RHS judge and former head gardenerDahlias are always good value for money and will produce masses of colourful blooms from midsummer through until autumn, and in mild seasons they’ll often flower well into November. However, by late November, when days are short, damp or frosty, dahlias come to the end of their growing season and take a well-earned rest.It’s at this point you have to decide what you’re going to do with the plants over winter. One option is to allow them to die down and leave the tender, fleshy tubers in the ground where they’ll grow again next spring if the winter hasn’t been too frosty. There’s always a risk with this option, but in a mild winter you can often get…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022A fine show of bloomsThe world's finest share their tips for successJohn PeaceNational Early Chrysanthemum Champion for the past 20 years, John has also won the best exhibit award 15 times.Growers from across the UK put on a fantastic show with their blooms after braving the extreme weather conditions we’ve had this year.The Bentley Trophy for best exhibit in show and the Centenary Trophy for 18 large exhibition blooms went to Andy Whickham, for his tremendous display, including four yellow ‘Phil Houghton’, two ‘Phil Houghton’, two golden ‘Phil Houghton’, silver ‘Gigantic’, amber ‘Peggy Anne’, ‘Shirley Primrose’, ‘Jimmy Motram’, ‘Elizabeth Shoesmith’, ‘Pink Duke’ and ‘Fitton’s Reward’. This was the most competitive class in the show with five entries.In the decorative class, the George Prickett Challenge Trophy was won for the first time by John Pattison…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Heavenly offers on helleboresHellebores are one of the most popular winter-flowering blooms and are nicknamed the ‘Christmas’ or ‘Lenten’ rose as flowers can often be seen flourishing on Christmas Day. The flowers bring a magical touch to your garden during the winter, while most other plants slumber. Hellebores are fully hardy perennials, so you can enjoy them in containers or borders year after year.Helleborus Pretty Single EllensNodding flowers in shades of pink, white and red, surrounded by clumps of leathery evergreen foliage. Helleborus Pretty Single Red Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Helleborus Pretty Single Pink Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Helleborus Pretty Single White Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Or buy the collection of 1 of each for £15Helleborus orientalis MixA staple in your winter garden, this mix is guaranteed…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022LIFT AND STORE DAHLIA TUBERSMASTERCLASS TV and radio broadcaster Martin is an RHS judge and former head gardener Dahlias are always good value for money and will produce masses of colourful blooms from midsummer through until autumn, and in mild seasons they’ll often flower well into November. However, by late November, when days are short, damp or frosty, dahlias come to the end of their growing season and take a well-earned rest. It’s at this point you have to decide what you’re going to do with the plants over winter. One option is to allow them to die down and leave the tender, fleshy tubers in the ground where they’ll grow again next spring if the winter hasn’t been too frosty. There’s always a risk with this option, but in a mild winter you…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022THE PROBLEM SOLVERGot a problem? Our Problem Solver can help! See our contact details on page 3 #GN ASKTHEEXPERTS How do I grow successful sweet peas? Faye Wellington, by email Stefan says: You sent me a catalogue of problems but rather than try to eliminate each of them one by one, it might be easiest if I gave my recipe for sweet pea growing; and I do so with some satisfaction because I think mine have been better than ever this year! I must add, however, that this is my recipe for growing garden sweet peas to be cut for the house, not for exhibition. Success lies in good soil preparation to ensure the roots never dry out. Prepare the planting site thoroughly now, in autumn, by digging down to about 30cm…7 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Heavenly offers on helleboresHellebores are one of the most popular winter-flowering blooms and are nicknamed the ‘Christmas’ or ‘Lenten’ rose as flowers can often be seen flourishing on Christmas Day. The flowers bring a magical touch to your garden during the winter, while most other plants slumber. Hellebores are fully hardy perennials, so you can enjoy them in containers or borders year after year. Helleborus Pretty Single Ellens Nodding flowers in shades of pink, white and red, surrounded by clumps of leathery evergreen foliage. Helleborus Pretty Single Red Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Helleborus Pretty Single Pink Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Helleborus Pretty Single White Ellen: 1 x 9cm pot £10 Or buy the collection of 1 of each for £15 Helleborus orientalis Mix A staple in your winter…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022READER OFFERSSpring stunners! World-renowned for their history and heritage, Barnhaven have been breeding primulas since the 1930s and these varieties are some of the most beautiful we have seen. Fully double, rose-like blooms appear in late winter, surrounded by a collar of foliage adding colour to even the darkest, coldest days and will continue to do so until the end of spring. Supplied as 9cm pots, delivery in 7 days. Vibrant bloomers The perfect plant to brighten up your late winter and spring display, Coronilla glauca will fill your garden with vibrant colour and perfume aplenty. From February through to May, evergreen foliage is smothered with rounded heads of up to 15 yellow, pea-shaped blooms, which form crowns and release a sweet, lemon narcissus fragrance. Perfect for coastal and…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022ANCIENT YEW NAMED TREE OF THE YEARThe spectacular Waverley Abbey yew, whose roots grow out of Britain’s first Cistercian Abbey monastery, has been crowned Tree of the Year in the Woodland Trust’s 2022 competition.The winning tree, thought to be more than 500 years old, will now go on to represent the UK in the European Tree of the Year contest.Its roots grow into and around the ruins of the English Heritage site, Waverley Abbey – the very first monastery founded in Britain 900 years ago.It accounted for 16 per cent of the total votes, finishing above The Portal Tree in Midlothian (11 per cent), a rowan which grows in the landscaped grounds of Mavisbank House, one of Scotland’s most important historic houses.Tom Reed, citizen science officer for the ancient tree inventory at the Woodland Trust, said:…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022NEW FOR THE GARDENCJ WILDLIFE WOODSTONE SEVILLE NEST BOX £23.99 ● If you put bird boxes up now, our feathered friends will have time to get used to them before nesting season in spring. This CJ Wildlife one is perfect for great tits, pied flycatchers, tree sparrows, or house sparrows. It’s also designed to insulate the nest, as well as offer protection from predators, such as cats and squirrels. From: www.birdfood.co.uk. WOLF-GARTEN MULTI-CHANGE GUTTER CLEANER £64.99 ● With the last of the autumn leaves falling, now’s the time to look after gutters. WOLF-Garten’s gutter cleaning tool easily scoops out leaves, and as part of the multi-change kit, it can attach to a telescopic handle so you can clean gutters from the ground. The multi-change tool can also be attached to a window…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Grow your own… Christmas tree!It only seems like last week we were all embroiled in a long drought and stifling heatwave that peaked at about 42C here in Lincolnshire. And now our thoughts are turning to decorating Christmas trees. Honestly, where does the time go? I must admit we have an old artificial tree my partner bought that’s been round the block a bit; it’s about 12 or 13 years old, still works and looks great with all our old tinsel and lights, so why change? In the spirit of reusing and recycling, it’s got a lot more life in it yet.You may be in the market for a new tree this year, though. I’d not recommend buying a new, artificial tree; it just adds to the world’s plastic waste eventually. Besides, there’s no…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Hitting the slope!Gardener Heather FrancesLocation Bridgnorth, ShropshireSize Between ¼ and ⅓ of an acreSoil Sandy and dryBeen in garden 12 yearsOpen to the public? By appointment – email heatherfran48@gmail.comAs many gardeners will testify, working with a slope of any nature can be a tricky proposition. And a garden such as that belonging to Heather Frances would fill many with absolute dread. At somewhere between a quarter and a third of an acre, it’s completely sloping from front to back, yet for Heather it has posed no problems.“Our previous house had a much smaller garden but it was on a slope too,” she says. “It was what I was used to. And when we moved here 12 years ago we loved the house because of the views it gave us. Some people think…5 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Hitting the slope!Garden OF THE WEEK Gardener Heather Frances Location Bridgnorth, Shropshire Size Between ¼ and ⅓ of an acre Soil Sandy and dry Been in garden 12 years Open to the public? By appointment – email heatherfran48@gmail.com As many gardeners will testify, working with a slope of any nature can be a tricky proposition. And a garden such as that belonging to Heather Frances would fill many with absolute dread. At somewhere between a quarter and a third of an acre, it’s completely sloping from front to back, yet for Heather it has posed no problems. “Our previous house had a much smaller garden but it was on a slope too,” she says. “It was what I was used to. And when we moved here 12 years ago we loved the…5 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Get beautiful FREE PLANTSThe latest from Carol's beautiful cottage garden... plus her diary for the week!It may seem that this time of year is all about consolidation, about bringing the garden to some kind of finality, finishing off before the whole thing starts again.But the soil isn’t yet cold; there are still some sunny days and it’s a great time for planting some things – trees and shrubs among them – and there’s the opportunity to make more plants. This is the ideal time to divide herbaceous perennials, especially those that flowered earlier in the year.At Glebe Cottage, there never seems to be a time when everything is switched off, or come to that, a time when activity is turned down a notch.Making new plants has to be at the heart of our…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Prepare for future droughtIt pays to be prepared; if this year’s odd weather is anything to go by, we need to think about how we’re going to protect our gardens in future. As part of your autumn planning, consider the measures you might want to take to beat any potential drought conditions next year, while remaining economical with your water supply and making the most of what moisture you’ve got. ECONOMICAL WATER BUTTS Get the best water butt for your garden now, so you can start collecting some good solid rainfall in time for spring. The most useful are those attached to guttering, which will collect far more than a simple open vessel. More attractive butts make for nicer garden features – the ones disguised as barrels, fountains and planters are worth investing…4 min
Garden News|3 December 2022my gardening DIARYMONDAY Thinking of restarting a collection of old primroses. In the early days of our nursery, Glebe Cottage Plants, we specialised in old named varieties of primrose. We also grew Barnhaven primroses from seed and multiplied our favourite seedlings by division. I miss these special plants; we only have a few left, so the quest will begin again. TUESDAY I wasn’t expecting iris ‘Katharine Hodgkin’ to show up until the new year, but in the troughs on the terrace and along the beds either side of the front door their fat, pointed shoots are pushing through. WEDNESDAY The cercis tree that my mum gave us about 40 years ago has borne a huge crop of pods this year. It’s a legume and has ‘pea pods’, flat and slender containing four…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PICTURE IMPERFECT!Starting a garden is an exercise in dreaming big and building greenhouses in the sky. And in my very first Notes from a Small Garden column I listed my ambitions: I wanted flowers for cutting and I wanted a pond. I was keen to encourage wildlife and I needed tree fruit and space to experiment.At the time, it wasn’t just a blank canvas but scorched earth. Or, at least, earth that was compacted by the iron oppression of fake grass. It was all wrong and my mission was to make it right.The thing about a mission, however, is that you get so caught up in the immediate quest it’s hard to see how far you’ve come. Until, the other day, I came across a photo. It was taken only a…3 min
Garden News|3 December 2022PLANT LAST-MINUTE CHRISTMAS BULBSJOB OF THE WEEK Spring bulbs are especially exciting at Christmas and bring a colourful treat to the festive proceedings. Paperwhite daffodils are the easiest and quickest to grow. Planted now they should be in bloom for Christmas or the New Year. You may even find them for sale at half price in garden centres. Don’t worry if they already have curved green shoots in the pack. These will straighten once planted and will still flower. Plant them in pots of compost or grow them in a vase or pot of gravel. Fill the container with gravel and position the bulbs on this. Add more gravel or stones to hold the bulbs in place and just add water. It’s important to add just enough water so it doesn’t touch the…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Apple chutney for ChristmasI regularly check apples in storage crates as just one mouldy one can spoil any others close by. I make sure they aren’t touching and any showing signs of bruising are used straight away. By turning them over and checking them, I can have apples through until spring. ‘Bramley’ seems to keep longest. My favourite, ‘Greensleeves’, keeps until February in a cool, dark place. Here’s my mother-in-law Joan’s recipe for apple chutney. She started making it in the 1950s and it’s a sweet and spicy accompaniment for festive cheese boards. It also makes a lovely homemade Christmas present.Ingredients● 900g eating apples● 450g onions● 225g sultanas● 450g brown sugar● 1tsp each of ground ginger, salt, cinnamon● 1 tbsp whole pickling spice● 450ml vinegarMethodMakes approximately 7 x 300g jars● Chop apples and…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022GOOD RESULTS FROM THE LATE AUTUMN SHOWGROWING FOR SHOWING The RHS Late Autumn Show, held at RHS Garden Harlow Carr last month, was certainly a success this year, with some super fruit and vegetables on display. Compared to last year, entries on the fruit side of the competition were well up, with Adrian Baggaley once again picking up most of the red cards. Likewise in the vegetable classes, with my fellow judge David Thornton and myself taking well over an hour to work our way through all the classes. At this time of year, however, it was noticeable that some of the vegetables had gone past their best. Some of the potatoes had been shown at previous shows, and though good in shape and uniformity, were lacking in freshness and so marked down on condition. However,…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Apple chutney for ChristmasHomegrown I regularly check apples in storage crates as just one mouldy one can spoil any others close by. I make sure they aren’t touching and any showing signs of bruising are used straight away. By turning them over and checking them, I can have apples through until spring. ‘Bramley’ seems to keep longest. My favourite, ‘Greensleeves’, keeps until February in a cool, dark place. Here’s my mother-in-law Joan’s recipe for apple chutney. She started making it in the 1950s and it’s a sweet and spicy accompaniment for festive cheese boards. It also makes a lovely homemade Christmas present. Ingredients ● 900g eating apples ● 450g onions ● 225g sultanas ● 450g brown sugar ● 1tsp each of ground ginger, salt, cinnamon ● 1 tbsp whole pickling spice ● 450ml…1 min
Garden News|3 December 2022Pick of the POSTSuch a rosy displayI picked these ‘Mama Mia’ roses from the garden this morning. Still giving a beautiful show in November!Meryl Jamieson, InvernessGarden guardianThis little boy, along with his puppy by his side, has been in our garden since being purchased at Gardeners’ World Live in Birmingham some 10 years ago. At first it was a drinking fountain, but once the upper dish cracked, it’s been used as a plant holder. The little boy has admired the plants over the years and gives us joy while we’re tending to our garden. He’s too beautiful to discard, we love him dearly.M Lambert, CheshireLooking ace in my gardenIt’s November 11 and my acer looks incredible!Elaine Mepham, YorkBursting into lifeLast Christmas, after our amaryllis had stopped flowering, I snipped off the tired foliage,…2 min
Garden News|3 December 2022TEA BREAKWeekly test crossword NUMBER 49 Use the following answers to complete a well-known quotation from Shakespeare: ‘12 across 4 down we 16 down a 15 down by 7 down 25 down 6 across would 5 down as 26 down.’ ACROSS 1 Wall colouring that covers up a scandal? (9)6 Word by which someone is known (4)10 Means of concealing one’s identity (8)11 Bottomless chasm (5)12 Take ___, boy band (4)13 Of a plant, able to withstand all but severe frost (4-5)18 Skill, expertise (7)20 Actress Miss Redgrave (7)24 26 downs on sticks (9)27 Stone fruit (4)28 Mountain ash (5)30 Planted temporarily at an angle, as a tree (6,2)31 Playthings (4)32 Musical notes (9) DOWN 2 Distance upwards (6)3 One-piece hosiery item (6)4 See 7 down5 Odour, scent (5) 7, 4…1 min
