When the question ‘what is your favourite winter flower’? is asked, the answer is often dominated by just a few, albeit worthy, contenders. Snowdrops, aconites and crocus generate much excitement in late winter and early spring, and rightly so as their delicate flowers remind us that winter is on the wane. There are though other flowering plants that are worth a place in the winter garden and, although they will never compete with the heavyweights, two in particular that have buckets of charm are Iris unguicularis and Helleborus niger.
Read MoreMany thousands of trees will be planted by the end of 2012 to commemorate the Queens Diamond jubilee, just as they have always been planted to mark important people and events. Despite industrialisation and global economics, the ever increasing exploitation of natural resources, and the bent towards technological progress the symbolic power of trees seems as strong as ever in our collective cultural conscience.
Read More
This time of year is often seen as a last hurrah for gardens, with brilliant displays of late flowering perennials and fiery autumn foliage, before shutting up shop until the spring. Last October though I wrote in the Link about making the most of the autumn to get ready for next year (‘Getting ahead of the game’) and in view of the results of a couple of recent surveys about our horticultural habits it seems appropriate to return to that theme.
Read MoreHere goes, I am going to go out on a limb and predict an Indian summer this year. I say that more as an optimist than as the result of any special meteorological knowledge and in the hope that come October and November we will be enjoying a sustained period of warm, sunny weather, to make up for the dismal summer.
Read MoreGeorge Bernard Shaw once said, ‘Without art, the crudeness of reality would make life unbearable’. You may or may not agree, and in the context of the garden it might be going a little far, however it is certainly true that art, in the form of sculpture, can give a garden a lift. It’s impact has been recognised throughout history and across different cultures, from Roman statuary, to Moorish fountains, to Japanese stone lanterns.
Read More