Garden Centre

Friday, January 22, 2010

Front Garden Findings

We have entirely filled one skip and cleared less than one half of the front garden. I cannot express how shocked I am by this – it’s like a temperate rainforest moved in while my back was turned!

So we’re going to need another skip – at least. And the process of clearing away all the rampant ivy, winter jasmine, summer jasmine, holly seedlings (they are everywhere and extremely painful if you happen to grasp one without realising it’s in the middle of a clump of ivy) and associated detritus, I have found a rather nice skimmia that I thought had died …

Yes, I’m aware how terrible a gardener that makes me appear – but the ivy has crept over a low wall and is, in places, clumped about a foot high – and the little skimmia is lurking under what was a canopy of ivy. Now it’s been cleared around and trimmed back a bit, it gives a nice little focal point.

I wonder what else is hidden from present view in the un-tackled half of the wilderness?

Labels: front gardens, garden clearance, skimmia, winter shrubs

The All Seasons Gardener at 6:09 AM 0 Comments

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Winter Wonderland of Shrubs

Assuming that you’ve planned ahead, your garden should be looking something like mine – filled with flowers, scent and colour.

No?

Well I can probably help you – what I’ve got in bloom right now is Witch Hazel Latin name Hamamelis with it’s odd spidery yellow petals, and which will continue to flower until mid January. Because this is a heavily scented plant, I cut long flowering stems and put them in a tall vase so that their spring-like scent can cut through the dusty aromas of central heating and woolly jumpers.

Both Viburnum farreri and Viburnum tinus are in fine form: farreri has clusters of small pink flowers from December to early February which are lightly scented while tinus offers pink flower buds that become miniscule star-shaped white flowers, followed by small dark blue-black fruits which appear when the flowers go over around March – both are hardy and easy to grow. Excellent for decorating table settings.

My old favourite Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum in Latin) is a classic – the clear yellow flowers are guaranteed to appear in December and remain until March and in a vase with Witch Hazel, make a blaze of colour that looks like you flew it in from the Caribbean in a private jet.

Labels: christmas floral decorations, winter flowers, winter shrubs

The All Seasons Gardener at 9:37 AM 0 Comments

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