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A stolen hour in the garden

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

The trouble with working from home is that you can very easily get side tracked as happened to me today.  I went outside to have my lunch in the warm sunshine and the next thing I was dead-heading, then the yew bush by the gate needed to be shaped up.  As I took the rubbish to the compost heap I passed the vegetable patch and an hour later I was happily picking produce for supper.  Clearing the spent plants as I went and mentally making notes for next year. Just before going into the house I passed a large pot that has a huge Hosta in it.  The leaves had gone brown and weren’t at the mushy stage so I pulled these off to reveal the Ecocharlie Slug and Snail Deterrent that I had spread over the pot to keep the slimy criters at bay.  The garden looks much better and I feel clearer headed ready to get back to work.  Well for the moment anyway!!


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And the answer is…..

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Actually, first here’s the question for you:

Which plant, when grown here in Blighty,

1) has absolutely no garden pests – nothing from slugs to rabbits to deer will touch them,

2) despite being a shrub requires no pruning,

3) once planted is unlikely to need real maintenance of any kind in the garden, save for maybe a decent annual mulch,

4) is ridiculously hardy, down to about -25C at least,

5) produces some of the most spectacular, highly fragrant and breathtakingly beautiful flowers of any plant anywhere,

6) was, very possibly, the first plant anywhere on earth to be grown for purely ornamental reasons,

6) is flowering right now,

7) oh, and is the number 1 subject of Japanese tattoos…

Give up?

The answer is the Tree Peony, or more accurately the Tree Peonies.

Paeonia Golden Thunder.

Emblematic of several Eastern countries, Peonies have permeated Japanese and Chinese art and culture for millennia where they have always been deeply revered.

Paeonia, the slightly awkwardly spelled genus to which they belong, is a highly distinctive group of less than 40 species.

Despite many attempts to lump them in with various other plants, (particularly the buttercup family) recent genetic studies have revealed that these ancient and highly aristocratic plants are not closely related to anything else.

Paeonia suffruticosa.

Of those 40 species more than 30 are herbaceous and disappear entirely below ground each winter.

The remaining 8 are woody and slowly build a permanent branching structure, much like any other shrub. Reducing things still further just 4 of those 8 species (namely: P. delavayi, P. ludlowii, P. rockii, and P. suffruticosa) are widely cultivated.

Thanks to several thousand years of intensive cultivation and hybridization in the East those 4 have, between them, been responsible for the creation of a multitude of forms and colours, some of which are now readily available for gardeners to plant and enjoy here in the West.

Cultivation.

Paeonia delavayi.

Tree Peonies are not hugely fussy about most aspects of their cultivation and are extremely easy to please in the garden. Plants may be seed grown (the species) or grafted onto a rootstock (the named cultivars).

If grafted, and supplied bare root, then they should be planted deep, with the graft union around 8cm beneath the surface of the soil. This helps to stimulate the grafted plant to create it’s own roots, and forms a stronger plant in the long run. Potted plants should be supplied in very deep pots, having already been planted with the graft union underground.

Soil type is not particularly important. The driest and wettest sites should be avoided, certainly, as should sites in deep shade. In the wild most species grow in quite bright, open situations, on poor soils, and although the plants will thrive in complete shade in cultivation, they will certainly flower much better in a reasonably sunny position. Good air flow is useful too, and will help prevent any fungal disease, although a site with too much exposure risks having the often large flowers smashed in high winds.

Growth habit.

P. ludlowii - new growth unfurling.

Tree peonies are never fast growers, and could certainly never be accused of romping away. Typically a plant will put on perhaps 15cm of new growth each season and will eventually form an attractive, dome shaped shrub of around 2 metres by 2 metres.

The foliage is extremely handsome in it’s own right. The leaves of P. ludlowii & P. delavayi in particular are very large and very heavily divided into various intricate patterns. This foliage is generally cut back by the first hard frosts leaving the thick, densely woody stems over winter. New shoots start to appear in March and (in my experience at least) are completely untroubled by frosts.

The enormously fat flower buds develop alongside the new foliage and  open in succession throughout May and on into June, depending on the temperatures. The species will also set large amounts of seed, from which new plants can easily be germinated.

The species.

Paeonia ludlowii.

Although the hybrids are very spectacular the smaller flowered species from which they were derived are also extremely garden worthy.

P. delavayi (with incredibly intense, blood red flowers) and P. ludlowii, (with larger canary yellow flowers) are very closely related to one another and often considered part of the same species.

Both are widely available as very good value seedling plants, which will flower when only 30cm or so tall, and are to be highly recommended.

P. rockii form.

P. suffruticosa is the Chinese species that forms that backbone of all of the Tree Peony hybrids.

It is widely variable in the wild, with flowers ranging from white through pink to deep crimson and it’s this variation that has provided so much material for generations of plant breeders.

Finally P. rockii (named after the Austrian-American botanist Joseph Rock) is another widely variable Chinese species, but the finest and most sought after forms have single or demi-double flowers that are pure white with black-red markings in the throat. Although there are numerous variations on that theme they are collectively known as the Rock Peonies.

The hybrids.

Paeonia Botan Pink

With such a long and important history of cultivation there are, not surprisingly, innumerable hybrids and named forms in China and Japan.

Widespread interest in the UK has only really taken off in the last 15 years or so, and there are now a number of specialist suppliers who are introducing the Asian hybrids (often under their true Chinese names, sometimes under Anglicised versions) in increasing numbers.

Most of these are regarded as heritage plants – i.e. amongst the heirlooms of the gardening world – and many command hefty price tags that reflect the slowness of grafting and the limited quantities of plant material.

A single flowered P. suffruticosa/rockii hybrid

Flower forms encompass singles, semi-doubles  and full doubles, whilst colours range from white through all possible shades of pink and red, together with yellows and a few peachy/oranges, some with contrasting streaks and stripes in the petals and many with darker centres, where these are visible.

For me, though, the beauty of the Tree peony flower comes through it’s simplicity and purity of form.

The single-flowered white, yellow, and intensely red plants, each with a contrasting boss of golden stamens, some with that dark central “eye” and many with a beautiful perfume, together sum up the glory of the garden on the very cusp of summer.


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Poorly Pumpkins!

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

 

For the last three mornings I have woken up to a ground frost, and today I regret not taking better care of my newly planted pumpkin seedlings  …  they seem to have been doomed from the beginning .. first the mice dug up the seeds and ate them! And now Jack Frost has visited my vegetable patch and decided that the pumpkins are not to be, and has damaged them beyond repair.  Determined to not be beaten in the quest for homegrown pumpkins for Halloween,   I planted out a packet of seeds directly into the ground when I planted my seedlings, so I am hoping they will germinate when the soil warms up, and produce some heavyweight fruits!

On the chicken front, I have had a poorly hen too :(   Her tail feathers were looking a bit mucky, so I tried to bath her in a bucket of warm water, and then on closer examination, I found that she had louse eggs firmly cemented to the base of her feathers.  After seeking some advice from a fellow hen keeper, I have dusted all the girls with some Livestock Louse Powder and will check later in the week, to see if the problem is under control.  I love the ethos of  the EcoCharlie Garden, and would prefer to use environmentally sustainable products as much as possible, so I researched some methods for keeping chickens fit and healthy, and found that if you add Apple Cider Vinegar and garlic to their drinking water, it works not only as a poultry tonic but also to control intestinal worms and parasites.  My garlic is growing well at the moment so we soon be self sufficient, and I have found a local source the the vinegar  … it has to be live and non-pasturised and not the sort you buy from the supermarkets.

 

 

On a more positive front, my rhubarb is immense, and I have been picking it regularly for the last couple of weeks.  This will also encourage it to keep growing throughout the Summer months.  I usually simply roast the rhubarb in orange juice and zest, fresh and ground ginger and a sprinkling of brown sugar for about 15 minutes in the Aga.  the combination of flavours works so well, and the cooked rhubarb can either simply be eaten with a dollop of creme fraiche, or made into a crumble or fool, or used with any other recipe requiring cooked rhubarb.

My next job of the day, is to sow some Cat Clear as I have a continual challenge of the neighbours cats using my front flower bed as their toilet area!  Cat Clear is an Eco-Friendly solution to feline control in all sized gardens.  It works on two instinctive properties of the plants that are grown from seed – odour and texture.

Hopefully the next time I write, the frost should be gone for this part of the year, and I can continue to plant out some of the more succulent varieties of vegetables including some courgettes.


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Gardening Tips April

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Easter is a difficult time – a time of betrayal for gardeners. In the first instance, the date of Easter chops and changes each year. ‘Easter is the traditional time to plant your potatoes’ – oh yes? But not only is the date a problem, but the weather in early April is by nature completely unpredictable anyway. This year’s ghastly, endless winter that has left my soil cold and sticky and my allotment almost unapproachable – literally. Furthermore, the fact that Easter has fallen early, only a week after the clocks changed (giving us at least a vital extra gardening hour) means that I shall not, repeat not, be planting my spuds yet, or anything else, for that matter. So sulky spuds in serried ranks will be stuck in old egg boxes in my garage, ‘chitting’ quietly to themselves for a while longer, I fear.

Common Sense is, for gardeners, the greatest of all qualities. Follow this or that rule to the letter and you are done for: Rules are there to be broken and adapted, after all. Guidelines written on packets are what they say they are – just guidelines. Understanding what makes plant tick and adjusting your habits according to the conditions in your own plot, season by season, these are the things that contribute enormously to good planting and to a lifetime of rewarding gardening.

Why so philosophical this month? I am in the process of writing two books at once (How? One with my left hand, one with my right, natch). They come at gardening from two completely different standpoints, one is practical and straight up and one is a compilation of my own and other gardener’s batty experiences and weird opinions. Common sense links the two.

Take everything you read with a pinch of salt. Experiment. Observe. Enjoy.

Back in the practical saddle next month, when I will look at supports for border plants.


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Hidden spring gems.

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Once upon a time pretty much all of the Northern Hemisphere was covered by forest. Most of this was deciduous forest, which meant that in early spring the forest floor was bright and light beneath the still leaf-less canopy above. And so it was that over vast stretches of time, and all around the globe, a truly enormous diversity of small plants evolved to exploit this window of flowering opportunity.

Deinanthe caerulea.

These, then, are the hidden spring gems. Plants that will reproduce later in the year, safe beneath their giant leafy over-head protectors, but which burst into sudden and often simultaneous flower in spring time.

The number of forms and varieties of these spring gems is pretty mind boggling, and more or less all of them are garden worthy when sited correctly.

I’m going to blog in more detail about a couple of specific genera next month, but, to wet your appetite, here are a ten of my favourites that you just might not have come across before.

Scoliopus

Scoliopus bigelowii.

I really can’t resist starting with these little guys as S. bigelowii is a plant that I’ve previously cited as my very favourite – always an impossible choice though.

Native to the forest floors of the Western American seaboard, with particular strongholds in Oregon, the two species of Scoliopus were long considered to be closely related to Trilliums, but new genetic studies have relocated them into the huge Lily family.

Scolipus emerge very early in the year, often in January, and always by Feb., and start by producing a pair of leopard-spotted, glossy leaves (closely resembling many British orchids) between which comes the little flowering stem. It’s these flowers that have always fascinated and intrigued me. They consist of 3 tri-partite elements – 3 filamenous petals, 3 much larger sepals, 3 stamens and a 3-chambered ovary.

They are miniature architectural wonders that demand close inspection so early in the year. Scoliopus are absolutely bone hardy and enjoy moist, shady conditions – watch out for slugs though!

Uvularia

Uvularia grandiflora.

Another small genus of North American natives, the uvularias are airy beauties, with hanging, bell-shaped flowers in a variety of shades of yellow.

Easily grown in any woodland-ish spot, they will slowly clump-up to form a very pleasing feature.

U. grandiflora is the most frequently seen and (as the name suggests) also has the largest flowers, with lovely twisting petals of pale yellow.

The pretty, but much less robust U. sessilifolia is smaller in all respects with solid, elongated bell shaped flowers of primrose.

Glaucidium

Glaucidium palmatum.

G. palmatum (the only species in the genus) is a Japanese woodlander that has become known to western gardeners as both a bit of a legend as well as a mystery.

The legend part is due to the plants’ ethereal beauty, with robust clumps of maple-shaped foliage giving rise to large flowers of lavender blue with silken textured petals.

The mystery is to do with the plants’ true identity. Is it a form of Peony, a member of the Buttercup family or maybe a poppy?

Botanists are still unsure but gardeners, at least, don’t have to be too concerned and can simply enjoy it’s beauty.

Jeffersonia

Named after US president Thomas Jefferson, the two species of Jeffersonia are amongst the most delicate, ephemeral and aristocratic of all spring flowering woodland plants. The elegant leaves of North American J. diphylla emerge paired, and clasped together like hands in prayer, before unfolding like the wings of some exotic jade green butterfly. The exquisite, pure white cup-shaped flowers rise above the foliage and always charm everyone who sees them. J. dubia represents the genus in China, and has equally attractive, near-circular  foliage and flowers of the palest blue.

Kirengeshoma

Kirengeshoma palmata.

K. palmata is without doubt one of the finest as well as one the most easily grown of all the woodland herbaceous plants, and really should be in every garden that has any shady area (that would be pretty much every single garden surely?!)

The Japanese native has stems that can rise to 6 feet (although mine stubbornly peak at around half that) clothed with deep green, jagged-toothed Maple-shaped leaves and topped with cascading clusters of creamy-yellow flowers.

It really is a head-turner at all stages of growth in the garden.

Deinanthe

Kirengeshomas are rather improbable herbaceous members of the Hydrangea family, and that’s also the home to the two species of Deinanthe.The plants have handsome foliage but their principle appeal comes from the clusters of cup-shaped flowers of the very palest lavender. Not widely seen in cultivation – mostly because they are very slow to reproduce by division – deinanthes are actually pretty tough little customers, and easily accommodated in a shady garden spot.

Dodecatheon

Dodecatheon meadia.

Commonly known (along with maybe a dozen or more other plants…) as “shooting stars”, Dodecatheon meadia is a really superb little primrose relative native to a wide swathe of the southern states of the US.

At first forward-facing, the pure white petals perform a 180 degree rotation as they open, to create a wonderful contrasting display alongside the gold and blood-red centres of the flowers.

I grow the plants alongside hellebores and other woodland marginals, where clumps happily increase year on year without any special treatment.

Anemonopsis

Anemonopsis macrophylla.

There are a really large number of Anemone relatives that excel as garden plants but if I had to plump for just one it would have be the Japanese A. macrophylla.

Plants produce large mounds of large (as the name suggests) heavily divided, ferny foliage which are pretty enough in themselves, but bursting from the midst of these leaves come jet black flowering stems.

These are stiffy upright and rise way above the foliage to display a galaxy of airy little flowers, each a miniature marvel in white with different degrees of purple staining.

Saruma

Saruma henryi.

A fairly recent introduction into Western cultivation, the Chinese Saruma henryi – the only species in the genus – is a close relative of the highly desirable Asarums (aka wild gingers).

I’d have to say it’s a pretty unique garden plant – I’ve certainly never come across anything quite like it.

The foliage is perfectly heart-shaped and densely furry and emerges a deep purple – all highly appealing – whilst the crinkly, mid-yellow flowers that tip on top superficially resemble small wild roses. Sarumas are, like most of these plants, very hardy and pretty straightforward to grow in a woodland or pseudo-woodland garden spot.

Scopolia

Scopolia carniolica.

Black or near black flowered garden plants are always highly sought after, and Scopolia carniolica is certainly no exception.

An ornamental member of the Nightshade family (from whence come potatoes and tomatoes as well as our hedgerow native Deadly Nightshade) this little beauty hails from eastern Europe.

Emerging in early spring the leafy shoots soon give bear pendulous, bell-shaped flowers of intense, metallic deep violet-black.

There is also an extremely rare yellow-flowering form, but, to my mind at least, this can’t match the sinister charms of it’s dark-flowered sister.


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New House – New EcoCharlie Garden!

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

Well the Christmas decorations have been taken down and we are frozen into our new house.  We must have moved in the coldest weather ever. Our removal men did so well to get us here to West Sussex.  All my garden paraphernalia survived even if I did bring along some of the frozen soil from the old garden.  I now have the pleasurable job of placing all my pots and arranging the new potting shed although given the conditions this will have to wait for the warmer weather.   As it is so cold all I have managed to do is to make sure the birds are feed and watered.

The country house where the new EcoCharlie Garden is being set up

New house where the EcoCharlie garde nis being set up

I have found that by melting some lard and adding bird seed and any scraps left over from toast etc then putting the whole mixture into a bowl I can take out the food in the morning and then bring in the old bowl to replenish in the evening.  I have also ventured out to knock the snow from the conifers before the snow breaks any branches.  As the sun is shining today I am off to take some pictures of my beautiful area.


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Notes of what to do!

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

have been in active for the last two weeks.  This is due to tearing a calf muscle while clearing leaves. It was such a lovely day with bright blue sky and I had a million and one things to do indoors but I just had to get outside.

It was the third wheelbarrow of leaves that did it.  I pushed the wheelbarrow full of leaves to the appointed leaf drop position and ping.  I heard a sound like an elastic band breaking and felt like I had been shot in the back of the leg. As I tried to put my foot down a dreadful pain shot through my leg and I realised that something was very wrong.  I was up a slight slope and on the lane outside my garden so I hopped 200m to the house in order to get my husband to help. He sat me down found me an ice pack and we decided to visit casualty.

The upshot is that I am now on crutches and having physio.  It is very difficult and tiring trying to walk let alone garden on crutches, although I have managed to reach the green house and pot up some spring bulbs that were buried under some fleece in the potting shed.  I have become quite inventive in the ways that I have transported things around when no one is there to help.  A small rucksack is a must to carry everyday bits that you might need mobile phone, pad and pencil, tissues, lip salve and the must have these days glasses!

The other must is somewhere that you can plonk yourself when your arms tire. My family have been positioning chairs and stalls for me all over the place and they have been very good at looking after me but I am not a good patient!

Anyway….

On the gardening front I have made copious notes about what I need to do A) when I can move unaided and B) the weather brightens up. Here they are:-

Green House:

Remember to open on brighter days for ventilation and to close in case of a frost.

Pick off dying leaves to prevent mould.

Take out old tomato plants and compost.

Keep checking for slugs and snails and other undesirable bugs.

Water plants.

Vegetable garden:

Clear up the soggy Rhubarb leaves and Borage plants.

Bring in some leeks and the last of the carrots (family to pick).

Continue to harvest kale and cabbage (again remind family).

Collect leaves (putting them into jute sacks) and lift the boards I walk on.

Tidy beetroot plants and cover to enable me to harvest baby beetroot leaves for salads.

Flower garden:

Pick up fallen branches from silver birch and keep for supports.

Re-tie in climbing roses and other climbers that have been battered by the strong winds.

Cover the pots I have missed with potato sacks or move into the potting shed.

Continue to dead head flowers that won’t stop flowering, great for the bees that I have still seen in the garden.


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Autumnal Leaves

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

The trees have been an absolute picture driving through the country lanes near my house but since the heavy rain most have fallen to make a colourful carpet on the ground and with this in mind, it’s leaf collecting time again. Before the grass is too wet I use my lawn mower set on high for this task.  It’s good to use the mower because it cuts the leaves up into tiny pieces, which in turn speeds up the composting process.  I have special bins for the leaves made from chicken wire with stakes at the four corners.  Once the grass is too soggy I like to use my rake.  This is not only a very satisfying task on a crisp Autumn day but great exercise as well.  I must confess to hating the noise of all those leaf blowers, such an intrusion into your thoughts as you clear the garden.

I am in the process of moving all of my pelargonium’s and fuchsias into my potting shed.  The problem being that over the last few months I have let it become very messy!!  I will have to give it a sort out and then the moving can start. I cut the plants down by half and clean up any decaying leaves.  I need to make space for the dahlias as well.

For these I take the tubers out of the pots and leave in a tray upside down.   I then sprinkle with yellow sulphur, then cover with dry compost and leave in a dry, dark frost free place until the spring.

I have spent the odd dry day wandering around my garden, secateurs in hand, sniping and tidying the borders.

I also thought it would be a good idea to prune the roses that have a lot of fresh growth to prevent wind rock. In the vegetable garden I have cleared away any fallen leaves and weeds and harvested all the crops that will spoil in the very cold weather. I have covered the last of the salad with cloches to see if I can get it to over winter again.  Fingers crossed it will or I could always sow some on the window sill.


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Garden Madness

Sunday, October 25th, 2009

Having a short time away from home, the garden has decided to take matters into its own hands.  On my return I had a walk around assessing what needs to be done.  I couldn’t believe how many baby strawberry plants have sprouted from their mothers, giving me a new supply to replenish the old tired plants or give away to friends.  I have finally managed to plant out the baby kale plants.  They have settled happily because the soil is so warm still after the fabulous September weather.  I have discovered that I no longer have only one toad I have a whole family and some newts as well.  I am pleased to see them and hope they will stay to eat any slugs and snails.  My blueberry bushes have now turned a spectacular shade of red.  In fact the whole garden looks so colourful and bright.

There is a tremendous amount of berries on our Holly and Sorbus trees, which will give the birds lots to eat.  I must remember to get out the bird feeders and give them a good wash ready to fill them for the Winter time.  I had a lot of trouble with squirrels last year, they managed to take down, destroy and try to bury any bird feeder I hung up even the square ones!

I have a lot of self seeded Verbena Bonariensis that seeded into the driveway.  I moved them into pots and they are now ready to plant out into the main herbaceous border along with the Guara  Lindheimeri that I have grown.  They should settle in quickly because the soil is still so warm.   I am an avid seed collector and have been out collecting the seeds of Nicotiana Sylvestris, fennel and coriander ready for next year.  I store them into paper bags that I have brought my market fruit and vegetables in or brown envelopes or sometimes I have asked my local camera shop for the plastic film cases that they just throw away.  All are great for seed storage.


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September 2009 – Getting Colder

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Autumn seemed to arrive on the 1st September, colder nights and longer shadows.  The courgettes have developed  mildew on the leaves but I will leave them in place for a while longer as they still seem to be producing courgettes,  which is great as the colder weather has made me won’t to make soups and courgette soup is a family favourite.   I decided to dig up all my remaining potatoes and store them in my Jute bags to make space for the pumpkins and squashes that have been rapidly outgrowing their containers in the greenhouse.

This completed I continued to tidy and weed the vegetable garden.  I planted out some very late lettuce and made sure to surround them with an ample circle of Slug and Snail Deterrent.

I still have a lot of spinach another soup favourite and masses of Raspberries which I am picking on a daily basis.  I must make some room to plant out some Garlic and make space for the kale that I am growing.  I had to pull up all the original kale plants as they had a bad attack of cabbage white caterpillars. The tomatoes in the green house are slow to ripen but then I remembered a tip I had heard it was to put a banana skin near the tomatoes and the chemical that is released from the banana will help the tomatoes ripen.  The good thing is that it is working.

I am also going to sow some Calendula ( pot marigold) for next year I love to have these bright little flowers in the vegetable patch and dotted around the garden.

In the flower borders I am continuing to dead head and collect seed for next year.  The Asters are the star flower  in the herbaceous border with the sedums coming a close second.  We have Aster novi-belgii and Aster frikartii ‘monarch’ and Sedum spectabile ‘carmen’  I seem to have inherited some plants this season that were not there last year.  One is the very large Rudbeckia Herbstsonne and a pink flower Chelome obliqua .  Perhaps the seed was dropped by birds or they came along with another plant.  It’s always fun when this happens.


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