Happy Birthday to a great man of horticulture

Tonight there is a party in Cornwall, a party for a great guy!

Many of us have come across the horticultural charity Perennial and are aware of the great work that they do (if you don't know, please click here); a lot of their work is funded through special events. Anyone who has been to an event in Cornwall raising money for Perennial will almost have certainly met George Kestell....

George's work for Perennial is fantastic- he will happily tell anyone about the work of this valuable charity and raise it's profile among horticulturists and the public alike, and he works tirelessly to raise as much money as possible.

George is very well known on the Cornish horticultural scene, and is popular on the local BBC radio gardening programme. He also lectures at Duchy College in Cornwall, as well as giving lively talks to garden clubs; his enthusiasm for his subject is infectious, and hopefully some of that enthusiasm will rub off onto others.

It's George's birthday (but I'd better not say which one), and I would like to take this opportunity to wish this great man many happy returns!

(left: George evangelising about Perennial's excellent work)

Winter interest: RHS Rosemoor

Keeping a garden looking at it's best all year round can be quite a challenge, but with careful planting it is possible to keep interest in the garden for 356 days of the year. Choosing what to grow and where to plant it can be daunting, so for inspiration I visited the RHS Garden at Rosemoor, Devon, in the first few days of 2013.

Rosemoor's Winter Garden

Rosemoor's Winter Garden is a fine example of what can be done to keep interest all year round. Careful planting means that this area is far from dull at any time, but in the cold and dark days of winter this area really comes into it's own. Every plant here contributes colour and/or shape to the scene, while careful planting gives the area a sense of being open and light- very important when the winter light isn't very strong. Evergreens provide structure and bulk, while the coloured stems of dogwoods (Cornus cvs.) and willows splash colour, and the branches of deciduous trees add an ethereal touch. Some of the trees, white stemmed Betula jacquemontii and the russet 'Paperbark Maple' Acer griseum, also provide interest thanks to their colourful bark. These are trees to be cherished in a garden- beautiful in summer, awesome in winter.

The border near Rosemoor's visitor centre is packed with evergreens to provide winter interest

Plants of different heights provide added interest; in the picture below we can see how the bulky mound of Viburnum davidii (bottom right corner) works well with the mass of low (and here sadly chlorotic-looking) Pachysandra, which in turn enhances the scale of the Camellia behind. Even though all three (usually) have dark green leaves, the different heights of the plants create an interesting grouping. Note also how the planting on the left is made up of good blocks of planting, helping to create more impact- you can get away with one plant tucked in amongst others during the riot of summer colour, but structure and mass are vital for winter impact. 

Winter colour

Although winter is mainly the domain of the shrubs, a few well chosen herbaceous plants add to the winter interest. Sadly neglected for too long, Bergenias ('Elephant's Ears) are making a welcome return to popularity. These bold herbaceous plants are known for their big thick and waxy leaves, green in summer and then usually turning deep red for winter. These leaves hold up well during bad weather, only really being affected by the very worst weather that nature can throw at them. At Rosemoor there is a very good planting that uses a mass of Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' (which this year looks slightly sorry for itself after the appallingly wet 'summer' of 2012) and a carpet of yellow-variegated Acorus 'Ogon'. The genus Acorus is rather interesting; previously classed as a member of the Arum family, it is now believed that these are the survivors of an ancient race of grasses!

Bergenia 'Bressingham Ruby' and Acorus 'Ogon'

Winter interest isn't limited to a carefully chosen palette of special plants, it can also come from the remains of summer and autumn. Unless destroyed by vicious storms, the stems of perennials and grasses can proved structure and subtle colour in the garden during winter. In the Square Garden (below) the RHS gardeners have left the stems of Miscanthus, Eupatorium and dozens of other herbaceous plants standing- these stems seem to glow in the winter sun and, providing they are cleared away in time for the new shoots to grow in spring, they create interest in an area of the garden that would otherwise be bare at this time of year.

The Square Garden in winter

Of course bare ground isn't a bad thing; in the same way that a large lawn gives you space to appreciate the impact of large borders, so bare space around certain trees and shrubs helps them to stand out. Keeping the trunk of the beautiful Betula costata below clear allows the trunk to be appreciated, while a low carpet of an ivy enhances and compliments the interesting leaves of Ilex aquifolium 'Lichtenthalii'. The newfound space left by dormant perennials (those that have disappeared naturally or are deemed to be not structural enough to stay for winter) is often itself a real asset in the winter garden.

Betula costata

Ilex aquifolium 'Lichtenthalii'

The Heroes of Winter

Whether or not you're into the hundreds of Snowdrops loved by so-called Galanthophiles (I occasionally dabble in this world, but would certainly not profess to expertise) I defy anyone to object to snowdrops. Those pure white (occasionally yellow, but again Galanthophilia) flowers are a real pleasure and joy during winter. Either grown with winter season shrubs (as with the red stemmed Cornus below) or carpeting space left bare by perennials or annuals, snowdrops are a delight. Tough and charming, and everyone should grow at least some! I'll dabble in the murky world of 'when to divide your snowdrops' in another post.

Galanthus atkinsii with Cornus alba 'Sanguinea'

Evergreen ferns add a lot of interest thanks to their structure and texture; being spoiled in the South West, I would recommend Blechnum chilense (below), but this can be tricky to grow in some areas. A tougher fern that is very much worth growing is Polystichum munitum, but certainly the chunky fronds of Blechnum chilense is my winter hero.

Blechnum chilense

An excellent choice for a wall is Garrya elliptica, and in particular the cultivar 'James Roof' which has especially long catkins. If you visit RHS Rosemoor in the winter the long catkins greet you by the main entrance, and certainly seem to generate interest among visitors. A superb shrub and pretty tough although it often has spots on the leaves, and these are caused by the imaginatively named 'Garry Leaf Spot' (there is no cure, but on a happy plant it is barely noticeable).

Garrya elliptica 'James Roof'

Scent is an important part of the winter garden, and queen among the scented shrubs is Daphne 'Jacqueline Postill'. Although a fairly large shrub, this bold evergreen bares small flowers with an exquisite scent in January- this crisp scent carries well in the garden. Providing you have the all-important soil type for a Daphne (slightly acidic, not too nutrient rich so don't feed it too much, and uniformly moist but not waterlogged) your plant will thrive. Received wisdom is that Daphnes do not like being moved, but I moved a 10ft+ Daphne 'Jacqueline Postill' last winter, in far from ideal conditions, and the plant has recovered from it's shock and is flowering it's heart out 12 months later!

Daphne bholua 'Jacqueline Postill'

Mahonias are a very underused shrub. OK, they're big and most are prickly, but in winter the deliciously scented yellow flowers are sublime. Given that not every bee species hibernates the Mahonias provide solidly reliable sources of nectar for bees when it's warm enough for them to fly. Mahonia x media 'Charity' is well known and nice enough, but M. x media 'Buckland' (below) is a nicer cultivar, as is M. x media 'Winter Sun' (a paler lemon yellow flower).

Mahonia x media 'Buckland'

Mahonias share a trait with another fabulous winter flowering shrub, the Witch Hazels (Hamamelis) – in both cases the yellow flowered cultivars are known for their scent, while red flowered cultivars are all but scent free. Having said this I don't doubt that there is some serious breeding work going on somewhere to rectify this, and even now there may be new cultivars on the market that combine red flowers with excellent scent... if you know any please get in touch! While the scent of the yellow flowered Hamamelis is a real treat during winter, the rich spice red flowers of Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' (below) are well worth compromising scent for.

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane'

You can't garden for winter scent without using at least one superb winter flowering Viburnum, and arguably best of these is V. x bodnantense. There are two cultivars that I would recommend, the well known and ever popular V. x bodnantense 'Dawn', and the equally good although less well known V. x bodnantense 'Charles Lamont' (below). Either or both are fantastic shrubs and deserve to be grown in any garden. Oh, and the corrugated leaves are interesting in spring and summer, and then there is usually very good autumn colour from both too!

Viburnum x bodnantense 'Charles Lamont'

Another Viburnum worth growing is the evergreen Viburnum davidii. Making a handsome low mound of large leaves, this Viburnum is an important structural plant for the garden. Sadly the flowers are of no great consequence, and the shiny black fruits are only borne on female plants (and plants of known sex seem scarce for some reason!), but the bold foliage makes up for these shortcomings.

Viburnum davidii

This is by no means a comprehensive list of good plants for winter interest, instead these are some of the plants used to great effect at Rosemoor. I haven't included the willows and dogwoods grown for their stem colour- these could easily warrant a blog entry of their own!

The RHS Garden at Rosemoor is a real gem and is well worth visiting at any time of the year. Originally set around an old Devon farmhouse, the garden has grown and developed since the garden was given to the RHS in 1988. Now it boasts a series of gardens set around themes, as well as large borders and an arboretum. Let's not forget the Winter Garden! Visit the Rosemoor pages on the RHS website here.

A few words about my chopper (ladies need not avert their gaze)

In the same way that gardeners exchange notes about plants that perform well, there is also a friendly exchange of information about good tools. Gardeners love a good gadget or trick, whether it's a domestic size rotavator to help dig the vegetable bed, or something as simple as keeping your ball of string in a tin can (just punch a hole in the side for the string to stick out and it won't get tangled up).

A few years ago I bought a sinister looking thing from my local farm and smallholding store. Made by Morris of Dunsford (Devon), this goes by various names according to local modifications- it's best known as a slasher.

This is essentially a chunky grass hook on a pole and is effective in clearing scrub (brambles, nettles, thin saplings etc). It is light and easy to use, as well as turning heads when you're seen with it! Why would anyone in their right mind choose an old fashioned tool over a modern brush-cutter?

• Cost- a petrol brush-cutter will cost you £100+, but you can buy a brand new slasher for less than £50.
• Weight- a petrol brush-cutter is heavy and needs harnesses for safe and comfortable use, whereas this tool can be carried and used with only one hand.
• Other bits and bobs- a petrol brush-cutter needs fuel, oil and a mountain of safety kit to operate safely, but all the slasher needs is a sharpening stone (which is small and easily portable) and possibly an occasional squirt of WD-40 to protect the blade.

Safety
Any tool you use has an element of danger in it- just ask anyone who's hit their hand when using a hammer! Safe operation is key, but operating powered tools does carry more risk than hand tools; although your chances of having an accident aren't much greater there is a greater chance of having a serious accident with a powered tool. Hit a stone with a petrol brush-cutter and the stone will fire off and possibly hit something (or will damage the blades), but hit a stone with a slasher and you'll just hear a 'dink' of metal on stone.
 

To operate a petrol brush-cutter you must wear face protection, as well as ear defenders, heavy duty gloves, harnesses etc. You can use a slasher with none of these safeguards, and merrily wage war on heavy duty weeds while listening to the birds singing, holding a conversation... 

Do not wear gloves when using a slasher! You must have a good grip on the handle while you're slashing at weeds and gloves won't give you enough grip- instead use your bare hands, and when you buy your slasher your must first take a piece of coarse sandpaper and roughen the handle.

Efficiency
This is a tricky one to look at when comparing the two tools. On the one hand your slasher will need sharpening while you're using it (very good opportunity to take stock of progress etc), but then a petrol brush-cutter will need to cool down and be refuelled from time to time. In terms of actually making progress a brush-cutter will make faster progress on a patch where the stems aren't too tangled up, and on an area where you don't have to work around plants/obstacles or on uneven ground, but where the scrub is established and the conditions underfoot are less than ideal, the slasher has the advantage; you can reach in under the brambles to hack their stems near ground level and then wrap the stems around the slasher and pull them out, all the time keeping your hands away from the thorns thanks to the long pole. If you have a pitchfork with you then this will help even more- you can wrap more brambles around it, as well as rake up prickly debris.

Which is better?
Well probably the slasher, for the following reasons:

• Price (you'll need to cover a lot of ground before a petrol brush-cutter pays for itself)
• Easy of use- both in terms of weight and manoeuvrability, and portability
• Better for the environment- as well as not causing a noise nuisance, the slasher is a long lasting metal head on a wooden pole; if the pole breaks, fit another one. If a brush-cutter breaks down and can't be fixed economically it will have to be scrapped. Also the slasher does not need to burn fossil fuels to operate. 

In conclusion 
Buy this tool. For all but the biggest clearance jobs this tool will serve you well. It's enjoyable to use, and being able clear an area without the noise of an engine or being weighted down with safety kit is liberating. I'll be honest, it looks good too; either in the potting shed or out at work, you will admire this tool for it's rustic good looks and it's ability to get the job done with no fuss. Now, I'm off to find more brambles!

Forever autumn

"The summer sun is fading as the year grows old, and darker days are drawing near. The winter winds will be much colder, now you're not here...." Jeff Wayne, Forever Autumn (from The War of The Worlds), sung by Justin Hayward.

Autumn brings really mixed feelings- the days are definitely shorter and winter's 'dead' season is on it's way, but the autumn colours are so strong in that peculiar lazy light that we get at the end of the year. Autumn is known for it's golds, russets, ambers and reds, but don't think that this is the only group of colours to enjoy- make sure you add pinks, whites and reds to your garden in autumn too!

Camellias are well known for their bold and garish displays in spring, bringing shocking pinks, hot reds and crisp whites into the garden after the greys and browns of winter, but the autumn flowering species and varieties are still all to often overlooked.

The best known of the autumn Camellias are the varieties of Camellia sasanqua, and 'Narumigata' is a very fine choice, being fairly easy going and very happy to flower. Gardeners less than content growing the 'common' varieties can delight themselves with any of the 70-or-so varieties of Camellia sasanqua in cultivation in the UK (certainly as listed by the RHS Plantfinder).

Camellia sasanqua 'Narumigata

C. sasanqua 'Baronesa de Sautelinho'

The crisp white flowers of the sasanqua 'Baronesa de Sautelinho' are a delight; not very big, but each one is perfectly formed. 'Hugh Evans' has a large, more open pink flower.

Camellia sasanqua 'Hugh Evans'

Camellia sasanqua 'Cotton Candy'

Camellia sasanqua 'Cotton Candy' is a superb variety, similar to 'Hugh Evans' but certainly a more sought after variety- the flowers are sublime. C. sasanqua 'Rosea Plena' is unusual for it's double flowers and is well worth growing- a nod to the showy varieties seen in spring.

Camellia sasanqua 'Rosea Plena'

In recent years a new series of Camellias has been introduced from Australia, the 'Paradise Series'. Bred by the Paradise Plants Wholesale Nursery, these varieties have been selected to be either smaller growing (so suitable for smaller gardens) or larger and more vigorous to form screens and hedges (Camellia sasanqua hedges are popular in Australia but are largely untried in the UK, where growing habits can be quite different). Here are just a few Paradise Series Camellias:

'Paradise Glow'- vigorous upright variety

'Paradise Hilda'- vigorous upright variety

'Paradise Joan'- vigorous upright, early to flower/long season

'Paradise Vanessa'- vigorous upright variety

Camellia x vernalis is not as well known. A complex hybrid between C. sasanqua and C. japonica, this small group of autumn/winter flowering varieties contains one of the most eagerly sought of the late-season varieties, C. x vernalis 'Yuletide'.

Camellia x vernalis 'Yuletide'- one to seek!

With flowers of rich red and a boss of golden yellow stamens and backed by dark green leaves, 'Yuletide' certainly has a festive colour scheme. Seemingly no more difficult to grow than Camellia sasanqua varieties, and in a sheltered spot you might even see flowers at Christmas! 

The autumn flowering Camellias all benefit from a site in the garden where sunshine can ripen their wood before winter. Apart from that, site your Camellia out of morning sun in cold areas (early morning sun can damage frosted flowers and flower buds), and somewhere where you can enjoy their scent without having to wade through mud. There is some evidence that young plants of the autumn flowering Camellias don't appreciate too much feeding, so unless your soil is very poor it is probably wise to withhold fertiliser when planting. 

Oh, and just when you were confident about classifying autumn flowering Camellias as C. sasanqua or x vernalis varieties, here's Camellia 'November Pink', and autumn flowering variety of the almost exclusively spring flowering Camellia x williamsii varieties!

The odd one out- Camellia x williamsii 'November Pink'

Want to see more Camellia varieties? These pictures have all been graciously loaned by Jim's Camellias (so please don't steal them!). Click on the link to admire the diversity of Camellia blooms in cultivation, and maybe see a must-have variety. With so many different forms in a range of colours there is surely a Camellia for everyone...? Maybe you're convinced already and want to buy some new varieties for your garden... try here.

Rest in peace, dear friend

I was digging and splitting a huge Leucanthemum for my neighbour this afternoon. The whole thing must have been a good 4ft in diameter, and had been in for some time. The fact is that it did not want to move.

I didn't want to have to walk back to my van and get my heavy drain cutting spade and I thought I'd be OK using a combination of fork, spade and hard graft to get the monstrous thing out... until I heard a loud crack.

So my good trusty garden fork has fallen to the mighty Leucanthemum. I know that wooden handles are not the best for heavy work, but I will admit that I much prefer the feel of them, so I will replace this fork with another of the same type, but bearing in mind that the next one will also not be indestructible.

However all is not lost- I found that the metal end of the fork makes an excellent extra large hand fork for loosening soil under weeds, so at least there is a new life to come for my trusty border fork!

Great Expectations

I work in a nursery in fairly rural location... picture the scene; I get a call to help a lady with an enquiry. The lady is looking for a climber for a north facing wall. Already the lady has found the evergreen climbing Hydrangea seemanii (which would be one of my suggestions) so this looks straightforward. It is then that the customer announces that the north wall is on a house 800m above sea level in the south west of France!

Initially I was quite taken aback- why ask for this kind of advice in a small nursery in a different country?! After a few seconds contemplation the realisation kicked in that this customer was waiting for an answer.

Somehow I managed not to look flustered at this unusual enquiry, and quite rightly so as this enquiry was actually no different from any other that I might answer during the course of the day. Every garden is different, and the growing conditions can vary even on opposite sides of a wall or fence, so asking questions is an important part of making sure that the advice you give to customers is the best possible. There are, however, difficulties when a gardener doesn't actually know what their conditions are... especially when the garden is in a different country! Still, advice was given, and the customer left happy.

All in a day's work.

Money money money, definitely not funny...

Working in the horticultural industry brings many rewards while at the same time can bring misery and uncertainty for those who work in it's various areas. Working with an enormous range of plants and in the open air is fantastic, even in the depths of winter when it's freezing cold or p*ss*ing it down. Likewise you get to enjoy working with a wide range of people from different walks of life, and indulge your areas of interest, whether it be the most complicated end of natural sciences or just the simple day-to-day logistics of running a garden or nursery/garden centre. Each day brings it's own rewards.

Horticulture also has it's downside; wages are poor and everywhere you turn you are looked upon as someone who has gone into horticulture because you are too stupid to do anything else. Once you get into horticulture you realise that it is challenging and requires great skill, but try explaining that to someone on the outside who sees manual work as degrading....

The impression of horticulture must be changed, and to do that we must all make every effort to show off our skills- maybe then we will be taken seriously?

The issue of wages is a more difficult one. Much like the food in supermarkets people do feel that plants have no real value. A cutting from a plant hasn't cost anything, a big bag of compost costs just a few pounds, so why should plants be more than a few pounds to buy? This has bred a 'bargain basement' culture in horticulture, where products and services have to be offered and rock-bottom prices to grab the customer's attention. You can offer plants at low cost by cutting production costs and growing more solidly reliable plants (which are less likely to suffer losses during the production cycle). By cutting back on costs nurseries will offer a smaller and smaller range of plants at ever poorer quality until they go out of business. This would be a disaster to the consumer, who would lose out on the enormous range of quality plants available in UK nurseries.

One of the biggest costs in horticulture is the people looking after the plants. These people are needed to care for plants at every point from young 'liner' plant up to saleable size, to make sure that each plant is given sufficient water and feed, as well as suitable trimming and weeding to make each plant the best quality possible. Nonetheless skilled workers are finding horticulture less and less viable financially each year. If horticultural staff moved on and worked in other industries for the better wages the horticulture industry would collapse very quickly, putting hobby gardeners and anyone who values our nation's parks and public gardens at great disadvantage.

For anyone in horticulture who gets into serious financial trouble there is help from the charity Perennial. Perennial provides free and confidential help for gardeners to sort out their finances, avoid getting into debt and generally get into a better position so they can practice their vocation to the best of their abilities. All this work needs support, and it is with this in mind that one man is undertaking a rather unusual challenge.

Phil Voice, founder of the Landscape Juice Network, is driving from deepest France to John O'Groats... on a ride-on lawnmower! Phil is hoping that the 1,250 mile trip will raise £10,000 for Perennial, so that it can continue to do it's valued work, especially needed during these times of financial uncertainty. Please donate any money that you can spare- let's help Phil reach (or even exceed) his target! For more information: https://www.justgiving.com/Mowerthon

Wages must improve. The Government recently released the results of a study that said that in order to have a reasonable quality of life each person should earn around £20,000 a year. In horticulture people who earn £15,000 a year consider themselves lucky. The cost of living is going up, horticultural wages will probably stay the same.

So what can you do to help? Buy plants! Visit gardens! I'm not saying that you need to set a spending target, or you must spend money you really don't have, but if you do have a space in the garden then please do buy a plant. At least if you buy a hardy tree, shrub or perennial you can be assured of two things; that you are buying a plant that will last, and you are investing in the future of a very worthwhile industry.