creative shoots

how to keep the summer all year

2009-09-19T23:40:00.004+01:00

If you are needing a little inspiration to see you through the winter months then why not create a little wall art of your favourite garden image from my blog? Just visit my new photo website at http://www.photoboxgallery.com/fusionphotos select your favourite photograph and have it made into an original piece of art.

Or if you are looking for the perfect gift, you can choose photo mousemats, coasters, T-shirts and bags. Prices start from less than £5 so please spread a little creative cheer.

twitter madness

2009-09-05T09:50:00.003+01:00

The garden this morning is the centre of a twittering madness. Swirls of low-flying small birds are streaking past in their droves. Mainly tits, they whizz from tree to fence to plant chattering away in the excited tones I havent heard since Spring's mating & nesting season.

The cocophany of tweets is loud enough to be clearly heard above the roar of the thundering burn. Swollen by the torrential rain in the last 3 days the chocolately coloured water is tugging at the trees as it rolls down-river. Many of the lower branches are stripped bare and bob constantly above the water.

There was no rain overnight so it's already receding this morning. You can see where the grass on the opposite bank has been combed flat on the rocky shelf like a bad comb-over on a balding man. The lade, always genteel and calm, even when it raises by a metre is now also slowly lowering.

After days of rain, the birds are celebrating and feasting on all the new bugs.

Alliums: great all round

2009-08-13T23:05:00.007+01:00

Alliums are one of my all-time favourite plants. They may be related to the onion family but these fantastic bulbous plants are real showstoppers. Guaranteed to make you smile - rather than cry like their common cousins!

So what's so great about alliums? they are just divine.

design - they are the garden designers no1 friend - great with both architectural and cottage schemes.

impact - the spectacular round heads with delicate flowers suspended in a perfect sphere create a real wow factor

variety - from compact drumsticks to showy plate sized spheres alliums come in all colours and sizes including yellow, purple, blue and white

intricate - each allium head draws you in to marvel at its detailed composition with tiny flowers held aloft on slender stems in a perfect sphere

nature loving - the butterflies and bees love them

elegant - with graceful long perfectly straight stems holding striking heads they give balance and height to borders and containers

Alliums are easy to grow - they just like a sunny spot and they'll return happily every year. With so many different types they flower from April to August in my garden.

My favourites include:

Allium cristophii: this was the first allium I bought (because of the name it shares with my husband) It has a large metallic purple spherical head that looks great in flower or dried.

A. schubertii: another large allium with a head that looks like a burst of fireworks.

A. sphaerocephalon: compact pinky drumsticks on long wiry stems that last for ages.

A. nigrum: dome shaped white flowers on a long tall stem

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation' - a tight deeper purple round head on a tall stem. For really tall and massive purple heads try Allium giganticum or globemaster.

Allium moly: a small allium with yellow flowers

Allium bulgaricum - an unusual drooping flowerhead in white with purple markings

Glad all over

2009-08-13T22:42:00.005+01:00

No more blues - I'm in the pink this week. Yes, my gladioli and lilies are a stunning crescendo in pink. The first of the pink dahlia's, elegant pink fuschia's and the willowy verbena bonesaris flowers are also poking out.

Other treasures from this weeks garden include the striking bell shapes of the agapanthus, the strong velevety blackcurrant flowers of the hollyhocks, the gold and orange fronds of crocosmia and the delicate and spiky silvery balls of the echinops.

In the veg garden we enjoyed the first yellow tomatoes at the weekend - but its not looking like it will be a bumper crop this year so we'll have to treasure each tasty one. Small green peppers are dangling from the capsicum but the chilli are still being blighted by greenfly. The beetroot are looking great and we saw the first tiny cauliflower head tonight.

butterfly heaven

2009-08-08T13:11:00.005+01:00

Today is defintely a day for flying. Around my deck is a swirling cauldron of butterflies, hoverflies and bees. Attracted by the asiatic lilies that have just opened on one side and the buddlejia in full flower on the other, its a veritable feast.

The hoverflies also seem to be loving the orange shuttlecock-like flowers of the helenium on the bank and the bees have even taken to sleeping on the contorted lilac arms of the veronica fascination, they cant get enough of it!

Here are some of the photos from this mornings winged wonders on the buddlejia.

small tortoiseshellpeacockpainted ladies

Dont get blue: lilacs keep summer cheer

2009-07-27T22:13:00.009+01:00

This week the garden is full of unusual lilac blooms. The stars of this week have been the lovely lilac poppies that have battled to survive the changing weather. It's been glorious sunshine one minute and torrential rain the next. Their delicate blooms are only lasting a day before being battered.

The veronica "fascination" is also living up to its name - forming some very fascinating and somewhat spooky shapes. Dont you think this one looks like a hand?

It's planted next to the lovely contrasting orange helenium or sneezeweed which is also battling bravely not to be trampled by the rain.

The lilac/purple theme is continued round the garden by the lavender, alliums, foxgloves, primula vialli, lupins, campanula, buddlejia and callicarpa and the new buds of the echinops, gladiolli and agapanthus that are yet to make a show.

In the veg patch things are progressing nicely. The peas and potatoes are cropping heavily and the beetroot and carrots are coming along well. I had to rehome dozens of chillies and peppers this week as all the seeds had grown into strapping young plants. The peppers are flowering but I'm battling the greenfly which arrived on 2 plants this weekend. It's such a pain but such are the trials.

If you turn your back ....

2009-07-18T10:19:00.008+01:00

Turn your back on your garden for a month in June and it goes mad. I imagine its like having teenagers that are left at home while your away. Things start appearing everywhere, lying around where they're not meant to and generally letting their hair down and getting unruly. But then there are the surprises. The plants that blossom and sprout to greet you when you get back. It's like a new garden.

Talking of new gardens I've spent the last month in Australia trying to landscape a new garden. Now that's a different challenge. No soil just sand. And no I dont mean sandy soil like you get here, it's just like a visit to the beach! More on that in a later blog.

Since I've got back I've spent the last few evenings trying to pull out the worst of the weeds - some of which, like the giant lobelia - are taller than me! Speaking of giant plants - there's a fantastic 7ft tall purple foxglove by the shed. The drift of pink and white wild foxgloves on the bank looked great when I got back.

The purple lupins are in full bloom and still looking very striking in contrast to the gold and orange geums they're planted with.

I'm still trying to work out what I've missed. A few daylilys maybe, but the tall cardocrinium lillies are open now and sporting lovely white trumpets with yellow centres. The delicate lilac, purple and white bells of the campanula are all round the garden. While the profuse pink roses are fading now the delicate buds of the white and red roses are peeping out. The ligularia has thrown its tall yellow flowered spires and the two tone primula vialli spikes are standing tall.

The veg patch is looking fantastic. Luckily my dad did a fantastic job of keeping it (and the grass) under control while I was away (thanks dad!) so other than some shot salad leaves and radish everything else is progressing nicely. We've been savouring the first of the new pototoes, turnips and peas and the last of the strawberries this week. The tomatoes, beetroot, carrots and caulis are growing nicely and the chillies & peppers have formed this amazing dense wall of green!

Back to it... more weeds to pull.

blooming marvellous!

2009-06-01T21:37:00.011+01:00

30/31 May: What a weekend! It's been blisteringly hot with clear blue skies all around since Friday. It's been a long weekend of several gardens. In between working in my garden (more on that later), I've been enjoying life in a beer garden (ok, not many plants to look at but you cant beat a long cool drink with a friend on a sunny day), a garden centre (to help the same friend get some plants for pots), and Gardening Scotland. The sunny weather certainly encourage people to visit the show in their 1000's. The childrens pallet gardens at Gardening Scotland were inspirational in their creativity and a perfect reminder that you dont need a big space to create an impact. In the floral hall, my favourite display was the mecanopsis garden which was simply full of the most stunning metre high blue poppies.

My mecanopsis (bought at the show a few years ago) is yet to make an appearance this year, but it wont reach the striking heights of its show cousins. This weekend however, the garden has been jam packed with new appearances. The peony is now in full bloom and heavily laden with soft ruffled heads of crimson.

The graceful purple iris with fine dark purple and white markings and yellow centres has started to flower alongside the vivid yellow hemerocallis (day lily).

Every week new types of aquilegia open this week's additions include a stunning pink and yellow variety and the blackest purple one has tall lilac tufts that start like tiny blackcurrant berries.
The alliums continue to shoot forth while the normally understated silver leaved celmesia has thrown a plethora of thick rope like stems with with daisy like flowers.

Mr & Mrs Great Tit are still working hard but no sign of the chicks yet other than the sound of constant clamour when food arrives. More orange tipped butterflies are breezing through the garden but no others to report yet.

Finally, it great to see the grasses quietly making a come back alongside the showier blooms. The first heads on the stipa gigantica are fluttering in the sun glinting green and pink whilst a very different smaller grass sports the first spiky mace-shaped heads.

With everything sprouting its proving tough to stay on top of the dead-heading and weeding but I'm trying. The vegetables and fruit are also coming on in leaps and bounds. This week:

We've been enjoying the first peppery radishes along with more salad leaves.
Potting on the chilli and pepper seedlings that we've grown from seed along with some cauliflower seedlings we've been given.
The peas are now about a metre high so I've added more string to the wigwams to give the something to hold on to.
The tomatoes have been basking in the sun and are already sprouting their first flowers.

Fingers crossed for a good crop!

Gardening Scotland starts tomorrow

2009-05-28T21:25:00.005+01:00

This year's Gardening Scotland exhibition starts tomorrow (Friday 29 May) and goes on till Sunday 31st May at Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, Edinburgh.

It's Scotland's leading gardening show and a great mix of plants, floral, food and garden furniture Lets hope it will be buzzing again this year. For more information check out the Gardening Scotland website.

I'll be there on Sunday and heading straight for my favourite garden furniture designer, Fusion Metalwork who'll be exhibiting some fantastic new designs. I'm also looking forward to seeing what new plants are on display this year (and perhaps coming home with a few!)

Fingers crossed the weather stays sunny.

Peonies and herb tarts - summer is here!

2009-05-24T22:51:00.013+01:00

Today was just glorious. An impromptu alfresco lunch with friends and family perfectly captured the reason everyone should have a garden - so they can sit in the sun, surrounded by nature and friends with food made fresh from homegrown ingredients.

More on that soon, but first. The peonies! They have finally started to open and the large deep crimson cup shaped flowers filled with tightly packed ruffles look fantastic. There’s just three open so far and lots of bulging round buds waiting their turn.

Next to the peonies the first oriental papaver has opened. It’s plum petals are so thin and papery they are almost translucent. With black spots like thumb prints they circle the tight black centre packed with loops of stamen. The rest of the large hairy poppy buds are still tightly closed.

It’s been a long week of waiting for the big buds to open. The weather has been so mixed, and yesterday seemed more changeable than most going from sun to blustery winds to lashing rain and back again. But today the sun shone.

Mr & Mrs Great Tit are still going in and out of their eaves nest constantly while other birds hop around the garden. The orange tip butterflies are still flitting around.

The aqualegia and cranesbill geranium are in full bloom all and the ferns are all unfurling new stems.

The purple and white alliums are a spectacular mass of tiny flowers in a perfect sphere.

The oregano, thyme and rosemary are all growing madly. With lots of delicate new shoots it’s the ideal time to make a lovely herb tart.

Since cooking is my other creative passion, here’s the recipe for the herb tart I rustled up for lunch.

I hope it encourages you to make the most of the new herbs.

Brie & Tomato Summer Herb Tart

Roll out a rectangle of puff pastry, place it on a floured baking tray and lightly score round the pastry about 2-3cm in from the edge with a sharp knife. Make sure no ingredients go onto the border.

Next go and pick a selection of rosemary tips, oregano, thyme, chives etc. and chop them finely.

In a small food processor, add 3 cloves of garlic, some fresh black pepper, a little extra virgin olive oil and 6 slices of parma ham. Blitz and sprinkle the ham over the pastry.

Next cut in half about 15 baby plum tomatoes, chop a few soft sundried tomatoes and sprinkle them over the pastry. Sprinkle the tomatoes with half the chopped herbs.

Now take a wedge of brie and chop it into thick slices about 2cm wide and place them on the tomatoes.

Grind some salt and pepper over the tart and sprinkle on the remaining herbs.

Lightly brush the outside border of the pastry with milk and pop the tart in a 190 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

When its golden brown and bubbling take it out and let it cool for 5 minutes before covering it with freshly picked rocket and baby salad leaves. Eat & enjoy.

Great Expectations

2009-05-19T20:44:00.006+01:00

16/17 May: The theme for this week is great expectations. The week started well with some lovely weather and then it turned to rain and strong winds. Even the ducks have gone into hiding!

Everything, including me, has great hopes of the summer to come. So many large buds are sitting tentatively and teasingly waiting for their moment in the sun. Peonies, poppies, alliums, iris are all poised to burst out. But, despite looking so promising, very few flowers have opened this week.

The deep pink magnolia, cherry armagowa and lilac all look a little weather beaten, even though they are in full flower and the gusty winds have finished off the last of the tulips.

Over the weekend, in between showers, the garden was quickly full of butterflies, bees and birds all looking for something to eat before the rain started again. More pairs of orange tipped butterflies could be see flitting very quickly from plant to plant. I spotted this pair of mating dragonflies on the wood anemones.

Mr & Mrs Great Tit have been flitting in and out of their nest in the eaves constantly this week with mouths full of food. It’s been like a baton race. All of the birds seem to be enjoying the lighter nights with full evening chorus cracking off about 8.30pm every evening as the heron does its nightly fly round. The water in the river is too high and fast for the ducks this week so hopefully they’ll be back next week.

The fruit and veg are doing ok though. The extra water doesn’t seem to be going amiss there. The peas and potatoes are shooting up and the strawberries are in flower already. I even managed yesterday to harvest enough salad leaves for lunch. It's not all bad even on a wet day!

Great for the ducks!

2009-05-10T17:09:00.007+01:00

Well, this week has been largely weather for the ducks alternating with gusty winds. Not a good week for gardening. Thankfully there was a short burst of good weather today (Sunday) so we could get out and do some power weeding.

Despite the weather, the birds were definitely back in fuller voice today. When the rain forced us to take a break from weeding a host of thrush, robins, blackbirds and tits descended with great chirping to dig for worms. Mr & Mrs Great Tit that are nesting in the eaves were going in and out constantly this afternoon so lets hope that means the chicks have hatched.

With all the rain, the river is high and a thick chocolatey colour - and the ducks are loving it. It was lovely this morning to watch the pair of mallards waddle up the bank and then swim back and forward across the little rocky rapids just upstream from our garden. After they’d finished playing Mr Mallard stood guard as Mrs Mallard fed. Hopefully we’ll have some ducklings again soon. As I watched the ducks I also spotted a super speedy black and white stealth bird that whizzed down the river twice. No chance of getting a photo but I think it was a Martin.

After this week’s poor weather many of the big buds are still tightly closed. The lilac has started to open and is attracting bees and butterflies. There were two types of butterflies around this morning.

One, a cabbage white (white with fine grey lines)

the other an Orange Tip butterfly (white with vivid orange wing tips).

One of the magnolia buds has decided to brave it and open along with a few of the rhododendron heads but the poppies and peonies remain tightly closed.

Buds have appeared on the claret thistle while the first flowers are out on the purple cranesbill geranium, a ruby astrantia and the pink/cream aqualegias.

The summer bulbs and tubers are also starting to make an appearance this week. A few alliums have started to open their papery outer covering. Whilst others like allium moly and the chives are covered in tight little heads. The iris are also forming new tightly bound purple heads.

When rain forced the first weeding break, I watched from the back door as the tiny droplets formed on the lupin leaves in the pot I’d added to the deck last week.

Mesmerised I was driven to grab my camera and get out to photograph it (despite the rain). Realising how beautiful the glistening crystal droplets looked I then continued round the garden to create a collection of photos showing the garden after rain.

the rain clings to some, like the pasque teasels, and just drips off others like the acer

Not even the rain can dull the striking colour of the tulips

The wonderfully curious Pasque flower

2009-05-07T22:06:00.004+01:00

The pasque flower is one of the most fabulously curious plants I have. It earns that title over a relatively short life but from the moment it pokes its hairy alien-looking head out of the ground to the beautiful nodding bell shaped flowers with vibrant yellow crowns to the iridescent spiky teasels after the flowers have gone - it 's continually engaging and intriguing.

Here are some photos of the pasque flowers in my garden this year to show you what I mean.

They first made an appearance in mid March - like little hairy aliens crawling out the old leaves that still litter the ground

But less than two weeks later the first elegant bell shaped flowers have already appeared on finely dessicated leaves covered in wispy fine hairs.

During April they continue to flower

And by May the flowers are passing to reveal wonderful softly spiky teasle heads

Pasque flowers go by many names (prairie crocus, wind flower, Easter Flower and meadow anemone are a few of the more common). It's called the Pasque flower because it flowers around Easter (passover). It's proper name is Pulsatilla and its one of the first perennials to flower every spring. It's highly toxic but used dried and in dilution in many homeopathic treatments.

There are a number of wildlife reserves and places of special scientific interest around the country that have rare pasque flower meadows. You can fine one near you on the Natural England website

or the Scottish Natural Heritage website.

The big buds are getting ready to burst

2009-05-04T22:34:00.009+01:00

2/3 May: Although the weather has been mixed during this week it’s another lovely sunny weekend. As I sit on the deck writing I’m covered in a “snow” shower of copper husks mixed with a few white cherry petals. Most of the trees around me are now sporting a full set of new green leaves and the husks that protected the leaves are being brushed off in the breeze.

It’s a bank holiday weekend and I’m wondering if everything has gone on holiday. The usual bird acrobatics and daytime chorus are no-where to be seen. A lone cheeky thrush bounced around the garden rustling through leaves and lawn while a heron sits on a high branch on the bank watching carefully before taking off with a series of loud squwaks. A few pink breasted wood pigeons fly past before settling in the trees. In the distance I can hear the odd crow and pheasant calling. But that’s about it.

I did spot one welcome newcomer during the week, a fork tailed swallow. The messenger for summer quickly flitted around above the house and then was off again. I’m sure I’ll see more of them soon. Another fast flitting flyer was out in the evenings this week - the tiny bats that live here could be seen ducking and diving round each other at high speed. It’s amazing to watch.

Flowering just now
Around the garden, the flurry of spring activity has slowed down too as the plants get ready for the next big burst.The pasque flowers have faded and left some fantastic teasles. The lily flowering tulips still look stunning but some of the earlier virdiflora are starting to fade.

The second cherry, a thin upright armagowa, now drips with lush light pink blossom. It’s a great shape, like a exclamation mark in the bend in the path.

The early clematis have also started to bloom – beatutiful white luxurious flowers on the evergreen clematis cling to the shed while the pinkish Montana runs along the fence.

I’ve been to the garden centre today to get some more potting compost. As the usually do, a few plants happened to jump into the trolley while I was there. I’ve now planted up a selection of summer pots. Two big blue pots on the deck now have orange geum and blue lupins in and three octagonal pots by the door have lovely lilac and white brachycome and silver cineraria in. I love the delicate daisy shapes of the brachycome and it’s one of the few annuals I always plant.

Coming soon: The big buds

Meanwhile the next wave of new flowers are silently getting ready. The big buds are about to come out! The upright compact buds of the red rhododendron are standing to attention.

Under the lime popular the peonies are sporting loads of large tight balls edged with a deep red next to the large hairy poppy heads.

Clusters of tiny, tight new buds are sprouting on the lilac bush and dark pink horns are standing proud on the magnolia tree. I can't wait!

Pea tendrils and blueberries

2009-05-04T22:25:00.005+01:00

2/3 May: The peas are absolute stars. They already have tiny tendrils looking to wind their way round some thin sticks. Although they’ve got a cane wigwam to grow up when they get bigger, to get them started, I’ve given them some lovely glittery gold twigs that I had left over from a floral display.

The potatoes have also started to sprout, with each displaying two or three small leaves. The radishes are well underway, with carrot and beetroot seedlings delicately following. The fruit bushes are also doing well with the fig and gooseberry sporting some new leaves and the blueberry looking like it might even have some flower heads forming.

The veg seeds I planted in mid April are also sprouting. Outside the pots of kale, rocket and salad leaves all have little seedlings, while inside the capsicum and chillies have two little leaves each.

I’ve also bought some lovely tomato plants from a local organic farm. With all the wet weather last year I lost all of the three types of tomatoes I’d grown from seed before they fruited so this year I’ve cut back and just bought four plants; two gardeners delight and two golden queen. They are now planted in tall tomato pots by the south wall of the house so lets hope the weather is good this year.

Take a flutter on an acer

2009-04-30T22:34:00.008+01:00

It's late April and the feathery acer leaves are starting to unfurl from their delicate husks. Acers, or Japanese maples come in all shapes and sizes and are a great addition to the garden. There are three in my garden.

The oldest is a small (50cm high), almost bonsai shaped one with horizontal branches and feathery green leaves. I keep it in a half barrel pot on the deck. The picture below shows its leaves just coming out last week. There are 100's of cultivars of Maples and I've no idea what this one is. But it looks great.

Next to the lawn, I've got an acer "orange dream" a delicate but vibrant acer thats already sporting a vivid red and orange leaves. Its about 1m high at the moment with multiple slender stems supporting a cloud like array of leaves that change colour through the summer. I got it from a specialist acer nursery 3 years ago and it's a real stunner but unfortunately prone to wind scorch.

The biggest acer is taller than me at about 2.5 high and wide with classic maple leaves. Acer leaves are easily recognisable although they vary in size from from 4-12 cm each with 5,7 or 9 lobes.

The photo below is the same tree late last summer on a sunny day where the whole tree glowed like amber. They all tend to be quite slow growing and can be a bit fussy but take advice and there will always be some to suit your garden.

Tulips: a painters palette of colour

2009-04-26T12:00:00.011+01:00

Tulips are a fantastic addition to any garden. With over 150 different varieties they offer one of the most vivid and varied ranges of flower colours. Their versatility also means they work just as well in pots or garden beds so are perfect for adding a splash of colour to any size of garden.

Quick guide to the main tulip types

In rockeries and small pots try dwarf tulips that flower in March/April such as Greigii 15-20cm tall red tulips or Kaufmanniana 20-25cm tulips in a range of colours including orange & pink/lilac

For a vivid splash of colour from March to May try traditional cup shaped tulips. They vary dramatically in height from from 25-30cm short stemmed varieties such as diana (white) or purple prince to tall 50-60cm varieties such as queen of the night (black) and Apeldoorn (red)
so make sure you plant them in the right position in the bed.

For elegant style, my favourite tulips are more unusual varieties with beautiful shapes such as lily & peony flowering, virdiflora and parrot.

Lily flowering tulips are the epitome of elegance, 50-60cm high and flowering in April/May. I love Ballerina (orange) shown in this photo.

Virdiflora tulips have an understated green stripe up the centre of each petal. 40-50cm high. The pink, red, yellow and cream flowers bloom in April/May.

The more blousy and ball shaped peony flowered tulips offer a range of colours from 45-60cm high. Try the delicate pink of Angelique.

For great texture try the frilly edged ruffles of parrot tulips. They come in some fabulous rich colours and flower in May (55cm tall)

Colour selection

When picking your tulips, either complementary or contrasting colours work equally well. It just depends on the look you are going for. For example:

Try Red tulips with bronze oranges or contrast with pinky purple or white

Try Orange tulips with creamy yellows or contrast with lime green

Try Yellow tulips with whites or contrast with blue

Try Black tulips with rich reds or purples or contrast with silver or hot pink

Planting for impact

There are no rules for planting tulips but here are four basic ideas to make sure your tulips look great.

1. Blended in small natural drifts under trees or beside grasses and shrubs provides a lovely understated surprise.

2. Plant two contrasting colours of tulips in a long narrow bed or strip.

3. Plant one type of tulip in a shaped bed or block alongside another flower of a contrasting colour. Underplanting works well on tall tulips. Try muscari, wallflower or euphorbia.

4. Create impact in large pots by filling them with either just one colour of tulip or use tulips to add height to the centre or back of a display that combines other complimentary plants.

In my garden

All of these photographs were taken in my garden, but here's a description of the different ways I've been using tulips to create colour and interest.

Orange lily tulips combined with creamy cheerfulness narcissi and lilac primula in a old copper tank.

Pink peony tulips combined with anemones, lilac primula and alliums in tall silver metal containers

Mixed colours of Virdiflora tulips planted in small drifts under the lime poplar alongside vinca and in front of a ligularia that’s just starting to grow.

Orange leaved acer under planted with red tulips

Blue ceramic pot with bright pink tulips

Queen of the night (Purple black) tulips in a silver bed

Tulips bring vital colour to the April garden so make sure you get your bulbs in this Autumn for a fabulous splash of colour next spring.

Peashoots and rhurbarb flowers

2009-04-25T11:48:00.004+01:00

18/19 April: The veg patch is sprouting already! You have to look closely but the peas, radish, beetroot, carrots and fennel are all making an appearance.

We’ve added to the veg in the garden this weekend by planting some spring onions, kale, rocket, salad leaves, parsley, chilli, pepper and basil seeds. The latter three are indoors at the moment but the rest are in pots outdoors on the deck. So we’ll see how they all go. The kale is a bit experimental as its not normally grown in pots but it does no harm to try different things!

The fruits have also started their growth spurt. The blueberries and gooseberries have new leaves while the raspberries are shooting up new canes. Unfortunately some of them have come up over 1m away from where they should be so I’ve had to take them out. But no fear they are vigorous and shooting up all over the place. The indestructible strawberries have started to run again.

The rhubarb has had a good start but are already sporting flower heads. I’ve quickly photographed it before chopping it off so it can resume normal growth.

Cherry blossom and bird nests

2009-04-25T11:28:00.003+01:00

18/19 April: It seems like the first flurry of Spring excitement has passed. There’s a much more sedate feel in the garden today. It’s a glorious weekend but the birds aren’t singing quite so loudly. Maybe they don’t need to, since courtship is over and they are busy building nests. The lawn is stripped of moss by their vigorous pecking and now its just the odd wood pigeon that’s rummaging around for small twigs.

We’ve got a family of tits that use a tiny corner under the eaves at the back of the house every year. And every April it sounds like they’ve got the builders in remodelling the pad for this year. Over the weekend I've been watching this years family flitting in and out lining their new extension with moss and twigs ready for their new brood.

Around the garden, two weeks has made such as huge difference. The daffodils and pasque flowers have been in full bloom and are now starting to gently fade at the corners.

The first virdiflora tulips have made a tentative appearance while the primula denticulata boldly strut their stuff across the garden with pink, lilac and white pom poms.

The primula offer a billiant and long lasting impact in the spring garden and multiply every year so you can spread them around.

Another great plant with a long season has made an appearance – the euphorbia. They come in all shapes and sizes and although they are poisonous they add interesting colour and detail.

The trees have transformed from bare branches with tight buds and catkins to being clothes with vivid new lime green ruffled leaves. However, this is the week of the gean (cherry) tree. It’s smothered in stunning clusters of white flowers and like confetti, the blossom has already blown over the lade and vegetable patch. The birds have been helping with this process. It looks like they are sitting in the tree gleefully throwing the flowers around but they are feasting on the tasty bugs in the flowers.

The magnificent white fingers of the magnolia stellata flowers are now waving in the wind, while the other magnolia still try to produce buds. I was in London last weekend and reminded of the season differences across the UK by the fantastic magnolia trees in full bloom already. It’ll be another few weeks before we see them in Scotland.

The acers have also started to show their colours. “Orange dream” looks fantastic with its red stem and citrus feathery leaves.

Flowers around the garden at the end of March

2009-04-02T22:50:00.004+01:00

In between preparing and planting the veg patch this week, I've taken a look around the garden at the new flowers that have just opened as the clocks spring forward. Here are a few of my favourites.

The daffs are now opening - as you can see from the ice follies in the box by the driveway. (below)

The buds on the Mangnolia stellata are just starting to burst open.

Elsewhere the pulsatilla are blooming just in time for Easter, quite appropriate and well timed!

On the woodland bank, the wildflowers are making a beautiful new carpet:

Planting this years veg patch

2009-04-02T22:06:00.007+01:00

This year’s vegetable patch in my garden is an easy no fuss option. I’ve decided to go for the "sow and go" approach, after last year's a wash-out. Although I nurtured 100’s of seedlings, potting them on diligently until they were ready to go out, the excessive rain and lack of sun meant that I got nothing more than a few potatoes and lots of mouldy plants.

So, this year, all I've done is prepared the vegetable patch and popped the seeds straight in. The photo shows the prepared seed bed drills ready for the seeds to go in.

In the seed bed
Radish - large german salad “Ostergruss Rosa”
Turnip - small “snowball”
Beetroot - Pablo F1 hybrid
Carrot - ingot
Broccoli - sprouting summer purple

The weather forecast for this week is unpredictable with cold snaps so I’ve put a fleece over the seed bed to give it a head start.

Round the edge
Potato - Maris piper

On 3 cane wigwams:
Sugar snap pea - delikett
Runner bean - polestar
Pea - Alderman
Complimented by sweet peas

In between the wigwam
Fennel

Next month I’ll set up a few pots with salad leaves, peppers and tomatoes. The pot of chives is already going strong, but the parsley and coriander will need re-sown.

Elsewhere in the garden, the fruits are springing back to life. The raspberry canes, strawberries and blueberry are all sprouting. The rhubarbs are sporting a few early stalks.

During the coming months I’ll report back on how everything is progressing. Lets hope the weather is better this year and we get a better harvest.

Plants for winter interest

2009-03-23T15:39:00.008+00:00

Getting colour and structure all year round in the garden is a hard task. But plants and shrubs often overlooked during summer, when they are dwarfed by their showier cousins, are essential in winter and early spring.

When picking and placing your plants you need to look out for three things:
1. Structure
2. Colour
3. Interest

This becomes even more important over winter and early spring when you don’t have the sheer impact of colourful flowers to fall back on. Getting the right mix takes constant refinement. Not to mention discipline. It’s difficult to overlook all the striking summer plants and pick plants for winter. When you are picking any plants think about the area you plan to put them in.
What else is there? What will it look like over winter?
Do you need plants to provide height or spread?
How will the size, leaf shape and colour contrast with the other plants?

Start with a few plants to give a backbone to your garden. Trees are a great starting point as they give height and shape, but pick carefully as many are too big for the typical modern garden.

Here’s my favourite trees:

Cherry trees (prunus) - comes in very different shapes and sizes and pink and white blossom looks wonderful in spring.

Willow - my favourite is the contorted golden curls but willows come in all sizes. Choose a bush or smaller species depending on space. Kilmarnock willows are popular for small gardens.

Acers/Japanese maples - with spectacular colour and feathery leaves these are a real show stopper in summer but choose one with red stems and you get a bit of winter interest too.

Magnolia - great for white or pink spring flowers. Although magnolias are really slow growing some varieties do become large trees.

Fruit trees - extend the season into the late autumn and go for an apple, pear or plum tree.

Next pick a few architectural statement plants such as flaxes, bamboos or fatsia japonicas that look great all year round. These plants are easy to use because they look the same year round. With bronze, red and green sword like leaves flaxes are great for height and colour. Graceful rustling bamboos and stipa grasses bring height and movement. While the leathery and glossy lobed statement leaves of the fatsia (see photo) bring a bold colour to the winter garden. Don’t forget they can also be used to create an amazing focal point when planted in large modern pots.

For added architectural impact leave grass heads (see photo) and the dried spires from last summers flowers to wave in the winter sky. Allium seedheads are also great fun and add interest (see photo). Our beech hedge also looks fantastic over winter with crisp copper leaves hanging on tight.

Next pick some bushy shrubs to give body and fill the middle layer of the garden out. Go for a mix of evergreen, those that have winter berries and those that have strong coloured stems.

My favourite winter shrubs:

Daphne - evergreen with tiny winter flowers

Dogwood (cornus) - striking bare red stems

Photina - evergreen with bright red new growth in winter (see photo)

Callicarpa - bare stem with clusters of pink berries in winter

Forsythia - tall bare stems with bright yellow winter flowers (see photo)

Camellia, & Azaleas- shiny leaves with big spring flower heads

Rosemary, thyme and bay - all year round scent and fresh herbs for cooking

Lastly for the front of the beds choose some early flowering bulbs and smaller plants to bring some early cheer. Try:

Pieris - great flame coloured new leaves

Ajuga - low creeping plant that’s a vivid dark purple all year round

Hellebores - pretty white cup flowers

Cyclamen, Snowdrops, crocus and anemones - cheery early flowering bulbs

Plant your vegetables now

2009-03-23T15:27:00.007+00:00

When you have selected your seeds, you can start the planting up process. Most seeds will start indoors or in a greenhouse in seed trays but some can go straight out into the garden from late March/April.

Planting Guide: What to do in March & April

Sow in trays (indoors)
Leeks, chard
Cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies
Courgettes, squashes
sweet corn, aubergines

Plant out
Chitted potatoes
Onion sets
Rhubarb crowns

sow directly in seedbed
Beetroot, carrots, parsnips,
Turnips, radishes
Brocolli, cabbage, kale
Beans & peas

How to sow a seed tray
Garden centres sell a wide range of options for planting seeds but the cell trays with propagator plastic hood are the most versatile and minimise damage to the roots.
Sowing a seed tray is easy, simply:

Mix up some good quality seedling compost with a few handfuls of vermiculite
Fill each of the cells ¾ full with good quality seedling compost
Bang the tray a few times to get it all to settle and sprinkle a couple of seeds in each cell.
Sprinkle over some of the compost mix, water gently and put the plastic lid on.
Leave in a warm place (indoors or a greenhouse) watering regularly as they sprout.
After a few weeks harden them off outside (in a mini greenhouse) before you plant them into the garden or large pots

How to plant potatoes
Potatoes are best grown from “seed” potatoes, which look just like normal spuds but re treated to be virus free. Buy them in the garden centre and let them grow eyes and shoots before planting outside from late March.

Dig over the potato bed and rake it flat
Dig a trench about 15cm deep and lay the seed potatoes in it about 30cm apart.
Cover over with soil and put a marker in at either end of the row.
Alternatively you can plant them halfway down a 30cm deep large container

How to prepare a seedbed
Some vegetables like peas, carrots and lettuce are hardy enough to be planted directly in-situ. The basics are the same for all of them.

Dig over the area where you want to plant and if it hasn’t had any manure recently consider digging through some fertiliser.
Rake it flat and with a cane or rake handle draw a line in the ground. Put markers at either end.
Sprinkle the seeds into the small channel you’ve just made and gently cover them over with the soil.

For peas and beans:

Prepare the soil as normal and consider making a cane wigwam so the peas and beans have something to grow up.
Take a cane and push it into the ground to make 5cm deep holes around the base of the wigwam.
Drop the pea or bean seed into the hole and cover over.

If you want to crop peas, salad leaves or carrots all season then don’t plant all your seeds at once. Planting a small amount every 2 weeks during late March to May will mean a constant supply of fresh vegetables.

That’s it for now. Follow what's in my veg patch and just sit back and wait for your veggies to grow.

Hellebores fill the gap

2009-03-22T13:36:00.006+00:00

I have several hellebores in the garden and they are great at filling that gap between winter and spring when nothing much is growing. I'd urge everyone to have a few. There are over 20 different hellebores, and most have lovely bell-shaped flowers.

The most famous hellebore is the Christmas rose, a lovely white and delicate nodding open flower that's so welcome over December/January.

Some are evergreen so give year round structure to garden. They are all hardy and survive the Scottish winter just fine.

European natives they have a colourful history surrounded in fokelore with connections to witchcraft for summoning demons, as a medicine in Greek mythology and by Hippocrates and a hellebore overdose is said to have killed Alexander the Great. They are poisonous so don't try eating them!

These photos show the hellebores in my garden this weekend.

Trees in bud, grey wagtails and comma butterfly

2009-03-22T12:00:00.007+00:00

WOW! What a glorious weekend. The sun is high in the cloudless blue sky. You could be forgiven for thinking it was summer. Yesterday I saw the first butterfly of the year - a comma butterfly basking and supping on the newly opened primula.

The squirrels are running up and down the bank wrestling in all the crisp brown leaves. A family of grey wagtails, lovely small yellow breasted birds have just arrived in the garden. They dash around really quickly and walk up and down the side of the river so it took a while to photograph it.

The trees look beautiful in full bud so here's a selection of photos taken this weekend in my garden.