Devon Country Gardener November 2021

Devon Issue No 198 NOVEMBER 2021 FREE

www.countrygardener.co.uk

Let’s get

fruity!

It’s the perfect time to plan for more fruit in your garden PLUS:

Time to banish bonfires; The gardens of Fonthill House; Final curtain in the garden; Sensational Stourhead; Churchyard gardens; Wildlife - the big sleep; Coir - a natural growing solution; Gardening news and events throughout Devon

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Gardeners cuttings

in Devon

CUTTINGS

A LOOK AT NEWS, EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS IN YOUR AREA

Can you open your garden for the National Garden Scheme next year?

National Garden Scheme garden owners have been sharing their gardens with visitors for more than 90 years. Now the NGS is looking for more to join the ranks who raise funds for nursing and caring charities.

The combination of garden owners, volunteers and garden visitors has resulted over the years in donating a total of £55 million to beneficiaries including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Cure, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.

The last 18 months has highlighted the importance of access to nature and green spaces of all types.

RHS Rosemoor illuminations are now one of the year’s highlights

GLOW SPECTACULAR HEADS A FULL RHS ROSEMOOR PROGRAMME IN NOVEMBER

Glow, the hugely popular illuminated trails, sculptural trees and gardens heads a hectic November at RHS Garden Rosemoor.

The popular Great Torrington garden has a packed roster of exciting events for autumn and winter visitors.

The events include: WINTER SCULPTURE EXHIBITION, from Saturday 13th November to Monday 31st January An eclectic selection of sculpture on this trail, set against the backdrop of the garden in winter. The exhibition features work by local artists and those from further afield.

GLOW, Thursday 18th November to Thursday 30th December The RHS Rosemoor gardens in a whole new light: twinkling trails and colourful displays illuminate sculptural trees, winter blooms and special garden features as dusk falls. Advance booking essential.

CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR, Friday, 26th November to Sunday 28th November Discover inspiring gifts from a plethora of talented artists and makers at the return of a popular festive craft fair.

RHS Garden Rosemoor, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8PH www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor

By opening your garden, you’re not only giving people a great day out – you’re raising money to help those in need. What’s more, you are joining a community of thousands of like-minded garden owners, all passionate about great gardens.

You can decide to open once a year, although many owners find twice a year is ideal, if the garden has two seasonal highlights. Some of the dedicated garden owners like to open in spring, summer and autumn, but it would be up to you.

Look at the NGS website: https:/ngs.org.uk and under the button ‘Get Involved’ you will find a link to ‘Open Your Garden’ and your local volunteering team. Your team of county volunteer contact details can also be found in NGS county booklets and the NGS Garden Visitors Handbook.

Devon NGS looks for two volunteers Devon’s National Garden Scheme have vacancies for two volunteers to join the county team.

The first is a booklet editor whose task will be to oversee the preparation of the annually produced county NGS booklet.

The other is an area organiser for Plymouth to help in the recruitment of gardens and to support existing garden owners.

Both volunteers will become members of a friendly team that run all aspects of the National Garden Scheme in Devon.

If you would like to volunteer please contact Miranda Allhusen 01647 440296 miranda@allhusen.co.uk for further details.

Country Gardener reader offer - the new NGS Visitor’s Handbook 2022 Here’s a great discount for all garden lovers. Save £3 on the RRP of the 2022 National Garden Scheme, Garden Visitor’s Handbook (normal price £14.99). This iconic yellow book is the essential county by county guide to over 3,500 fabulous gardens, many of which are not normally open to the public. With exciting additions in Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands in 2022 this is your definitive guide to affordable days out and inspirational gardens that help support some of the UK’s best-loved nursing and health charities.

Order yours for just £11.99 (excludes postage and packing) via the National Garden Scheme website www.ngs.org.uk/shop using the code CG21.

Country Gardener works hard to ensure we have up to date and correct information when it comes to garden events and openings. However, events can be cancelled at short notice with the uncertainty surrounding Covid 19, so we urge readers to double check with venues before setting out on a visit.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

3

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CUTTINGS

Hospiscare open gardens has record breaking year

SAYING GOODBYE TO PLASTIC TREE GUARDS

Fundraisers across Devon have smashed all records with open gardens events throughout the summer.

Areas in Devon are to trial a scheme which could see the end of plastic tree guards. Private trials are already looking at alternatives such as wool or cashew nutshell resin through to strong cardboard and kraft paper. Plastic tubes provide a microclimate for young trees and protect them against animals. Areas of Devon , Somerset and the Cotswolds are being used over the next year to test the life cycle of alternative products.

The events have been raising vital funds for end-oflife care in Exeter, East and Mid Devon.

Gardens opened from April to October to raise money for Hospiscare, who provide specialist end-of-life care to patients and their families living with a terminal illness. £40,000 raised in Hospiscare open gardens

Highways England, the National Trust and Woodland Trust which together have pledged to plant 33 million trees in the next ten years, are all urgently seeking non plastic alternatives. The Woodland Trust aims to remove all plastic guards by the end of this year.

The charity’s Open Gardens’ campaign raised over £40,000.

Over 4,000 visitors enjoyed exploring the gardens, from the traditional Devon cottage gardens to grand estates. Around 18,000 cups of tea and coffee were sipped, as well as scones and cakes too numerous to count.

Tortoiseshell numbers are still declining

BUTTERFLY NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DECLINE

NT KILLERTON PLANS A FUN BUILD UP TO FESTIVITIES There’s lots of fun planned for visitors to Killerton, the National Trust house and estate at Broadclyst, in the run up to Christmas.

You can visit by day to see the traditionally decorated festive house.

Dress warmly for the weather and visit after hours for a brand new, afterdark illuminated trail through festive gardens at Killerton, with more than a million lights. Trail packs can be purchased for £2 from visitor reception between 10am to 3pm.

To book for tickets and parking visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk and follow the links to Christmas events at Killerton. There is limited capacity with timed entry. The illuminations run from Friday 26th November until Sunday 2nd January, but will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The house will be open daily from Friday 26th November until Sunday 2nd January (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day).

Devon was one of the top three suppliers of information gathered for this year’s Big Butterfly Count.

The bad news however is the count recorded the lowest numbers since the initiative began in 2012 even though more people took part.

On average people counted nine butterflies or moths which is down from 11 in 2020 and further down from 16 in 2019.

“Nature is in crisis, “says Butterfly Count chief executive Julie Williams.

“Since 1976, 76 per cent of butterflies have declined, and the downward path continues”.

Through a new strategy the Butterfly Count is pledging to half the number of threatened butterfly species and double the impact on landscape restoration and galvanize people to create new wild spaces.

Killerton House and Gardens (NT), Broadclyst, Exeter EX5 3LE

Poltimore House Christmas Fair to be held in November Historic Poltimore House near Exeter holds its popular Christmas Fair on Saturday, 21st November. The fair runs from 10.30am until 3pm, with many stalls in both the house and chapel, products ranging from high quality gifts to pocket money items.

Weather permitting you can also wander the grounds (it may be muddy in places so waterproof shoes are recommended).

Many events are being held throughout the year once more as the supporters of Poltimore House, the Poltimore House Trust, the Friends of Poltimore House, and many volunteers, work to restore the Grade II* listed mansion, its grounds and its estate.

Poltimore House & Gardens, Poltimore, Exeter EX4 0AU Box Office: 01392 248938 www.poltimore.org

DEVON’S BRANSCOMBE FORGE INSPIRES AWARD AT CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW A garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, created by the Blue Diamond Group and inspired by the National Trust’s Branscombe Forge near Axminster in Devon, has won two awards. The garden won Best Artisan Garden and a Silver Award.

The garden was built to celebrate the artisan craft of blacksmithing, inspired by the National Trust’s Branscombe Forge, which dates to the 15th century.

The garden featured a thatched roof forge and bespoke, handcrafted pieces of metal work created by the resident blacksmith at Branscombe Forge, Simon Hall who was on-site at the Forge Garden during the show demonstrating his craft. Simon Hall is an award-winning third-generation blacksmith.

Look out for the Winter issue of Devon Country Gardener at outlets from Saturday, 27th November www.countrygardener.co.uk

5

WILDLIFE

The

BIG

sleep

IT IS LATE AUTUMN, TEMPERATURES ARE STARTING TO SERIOUSLY DROP SO IT’S THE PERFECT TIME TO INVESTIGATE THE SCIENCE BEHIND HIBERNATION IN AND AROUND OUR GARDENS

You might have been taught that hibernation is a way for animals to snooze and avoid facing the cold during the winter months, but actually, hibernation is different from sleep.

While dreaming the cold months away might sound like just the vacation you need, the involuntary biological process called hibernation is critical to the survival of many animals that live in and around our gardens.

Hibernation describes an extended period of time in which an animal’s metabolism, heart rate, and breathing all slow down, while their body temperature drops precipitously, sometimes to temperatures below freezing. Animals enter hibernation to conserve their energy during times of short food supply and inhospitable weather.

Many different animals hibernate, including mammals, birds and even fish .The hibernation process might surprise you, because it’s different from what most people have been taught about it.

Hibernation isn’t the same as sleeping Many people commonly think of hibernation as a long winter sleep, but that’s just a myth. The physiological changes of hibernation are quite severe and designed to enable the animal to save energy and survive without eating for long periods of time.

During hibernation, an animal’s metabolic rate slows to as low as 2 per cent of normal levels. Their body temperatures can drop by as much as -2.9° Celsius. By contrast, human body temperatures drop only slightly during sleep.

An animal’s breathing rate slows significantly during hibernation. Some reptiles, like turtles stop breathing altogether. Heart rate is also reduced. Squirrels, for example, may slow their heart rate down to just a few beats per minute. Again, both of these processes are slower during sleep, but nowhere near as slow as they are during hibernation.

The largest distinction between hibernation vs. sleep is brain activity. During sleep, our brain waves change as we cycle through the stages of sleep. In hibernating animals, brain wave activity looks a lot like it does when they’re awake, just slower.

Animals are difficult to rouse from hibernation. They appear sleep-deprived upon waking up, and they need to catch up on deep sleep afterward. Waking up from sleep, on the other hand, is a quick process, and after a good night’s rest, sleep deprivation is minimal.

Finally, sleep differs from hibernation in that sleep is a regular, daily process for many animals (although not all). Hibernation, however, can last days, weeks, and even months.

Animals aren’t always still during hibernation Animals certainly spend a lot of their time lying still during hibernation, but that’s not all they do. Many animals will periodically get up in order to eat, go to the bathroom, or even give birth.

Some animals prepare for hibernation by building up their fat reserves ahead of time, while others store food. Animals that store food need to wake up every so often to eat and drink; otherwise, their metabolism will burn through their fat reserves to maintain a minimal body temperature.

6

Country Gardener

What kind of animals hibernate?

All our bat species hibernate

Reptiles and amphibians are cold blooded, and so if they remained active would not be able to perform their bodily functions. None of our wetland bird species hibernate, and have instead developed adaptations to deal with the cold – such as migration. Only three British mammal groups truly hibernate. All our bat species, hedgehogs and the dormouse retreat to their cosy boltholes from around October/November until March/April the following year.

What can you do to help?

• Don’t set fire to piles of leaves without first checking for small mammals burrowed under.

• In autumn, set up a designated haven in your garden to help hibernating animals. This could be a special wildlife pond, bat box or insect hotel that you know to leave there all winter. This helps lessen the risk of animals looking for hibernation spots in awkward or dangerous places for them.

• Supply a source of un-frozen water for non-hibernating birds to drink and bathe in.

• Clean out your pond before winter comes to make sure there’s no plant matter that will decay and produce noxious gases that can poison amphibians.

• Re-wild a small section of your garden to provide a shelter for hibernating insects. Logs, stones and old bricks can be piled up to make a makeshift insect hotel.

Timing is everything for the hedgehog Hedgehogs typically hibernate from October to March but this can vary depending on the temperature and food availability.

Hedgehogs eat enormous During this period, they will use amounts during the autumn up most of their fat stores which have been built up by eating as much as they can over the summer, so it is important that we correctly feed hedgehogs to get their numbers back up in the UK. Don’t worry too much if you see a hedgehog pottering around in the winter months though, they may move their hibernation locations to a more suitable site. If you see one curled up out in the open, its best to move them to a nice damp free location safe from any predator attack.

Add a nice, safe hedgehog house in your garden to help them with their hunt for suitable lodgings

If you would like a last resting place in beautiful countryside overlooking Dartmoor.

Phone 01647 24382 and speak to Julie or Martin Chatfield

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Turning a garden into a

winter oasis for you and wildlife The RSPB continues to campaign passionately for gardeners to work hard to help wildlife - more so than ever as gardens enter the winter months

To the enthusiastic gardener every space you have is a canvas. Beds and borders, patios and planters can all be filled with the perfumes and colours of the plant world, and the great news is that all that effort helps wildlife!

That’s because gardens, as well as providing a space for us to relax and rejoice in, are also potential sources of food, water, and shelter for everything from bees to hedgehogs. With UK gardens covering a whopping 400,000 hectares (one million acres), that’s an immense mosaic of potential homes for wildlife larger than the Lake District National Park, the Norfolk Broads, Exmoor, and Dartmoor put together.

This means that you have an incredible ability to help the wildlife around you - and your help is needed more than ever. Some of our most iconic species are struggling, with hedgehog numbers collapsing from 30 million in the 1950s to less than a million today.

Similarly, a devastating 44 million breeding birds have been lost from the British landscape since the mid-1960s, and two out of three insects are falling in numbers.

Small changes can make a big difference - even a bucket sunken into the ground can be a great breeding spot for frogs or newts. But it is the sum of all our actions that will turn the fortunes of wildlife around, so here are some workable, practical ideas.

Decorate your fence Fences are a blank slate for welcoming winter colour, and a way to give nature a home in your vertical spaces: •

Sweet Briar Rosa rubiginosa - this beautiful plant bursts with pink open-headed roses in late spring which are hugely popular with pollinators, as well as apple-scented foliage and abundant red hips in winter which are a hit with birds.

•

Winter jasmine Jasminum nudiflorum - a sweetsmelling scrambler with bright yellow, star-shaped flowers that bloom from January to March, a great source of food for pollinators waking early.

Add water A great way to attract birds to your garden is to provide water. Birds need water both for drinking and for cleaning their feathers, so by putting out a bird bath you will soon attract them to your garden (especially in winter when other water sources may be freezing over).

Make sure it’s in the open - the birds will feel safe, and you’ll also get a great view.

Paint your wall with plants Many plants can bring colour to walls without damaging the brickwork.

•

Climbing hydrangea Hydrangea seemannii or Hydrangea serratifolia - as well as making lovely white flowers in summer this hydrangea also produces lush vibrant green foliage in winter which is a valuable shelter for birds.

•

Common ivy Hedera helix - an evergreen that flowers from September to November and then produces fruits from January until May. It also filters out pollutants, insulates buildings, and is a favoured nesting place for robins and blackbirds.

Feed the birds Another way to attract birds to your garden is to put out food. In the winter there are often fewer natural food sources available, and birds need extra calories to stay warm. If you’re worried about squirrels nabbing all the choicest nibbles you can try putting up a squirrel-buster feeder, and if messy leftovers are a concern using ‘no mess sunflower seed’ mixes can help.

In the winter you might even get a visit from migratory birds! A flock of redwings or fieldfares, or the yellow and black stripes of a siskin, can be the highlight of any day.

Give a small tree a home All of these shrubs will do well in most gardens, and even in large pots:

Get arty

• Holly - an evergreen classic. Choose a female variety if you want to see those bright red berries, and a self-fertile variety such as Ilex aquifolium ‘JC van Tol’ will guarantee you a crop (they’re also not quite as prickly).

One fun way to help wildlife is to get arty and inspire your neighbours, guests, and family to take wildlifefriendly steps in their own outdoor space! Try making a ‘Hedgehog highway’ sign, signposting a ‘Bee Buffet’, or painting some stones to make a trail from the birdfeeder to the birdbath.

• Spindle Euonymus europaeus - in autumn bright pink lanternshaped flowers cradle a bright orange seed which birds will gobble up.

• Crab apple - varieties such as Malus x robusta Red Sentinel, burst with gorgeous red fruits all the way through to January.

www.rspb.org.uk/yourdoorstep

Malus x robusta ‘Red Sentinel’ 8

For more ideas on how to make your garden welcoming for wildlife, visit the RSPB’s Nature on Your Doorstep for inspiration and practical advice.

Country Gardener

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www.countrygardener.co.uk

02/09/2021 10:099

TREE SPECIALIST

The truth is Dutch elm disease never went away

Dead trees in our hedgerows MARK HINSLEY REFLECTS ON HOW HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF WHEN IT COMES TO DISEASES WHICH ARE STILL KILLING TREES AND CHANGING OUR LANDSCAPES If you drive around the countryside this autumn, you may be notice quite large numbers of dead trees standing in the hedgerows.

You could be forgiven for thinking you are witnessing the impact of ash dieback, but you are not, it is our old ‘friend’ Dutch elm disease.

I am occasionally asked, “Will the elm ever come back again?”.

The truth is it never went away.

Much is made these days about global trading and how it can spread plant diseases, and human ones for that matter, but it is not a new phenomenon. I was lucky enough to visit the Arnold Arboretum in Boston Massachusetts 20 odd years ago and I asked them if they had any elms.

“No”, they replied, “they all died in the elm disease outbreak which came from Europe in the 1920s”.

Dutch elm disease, ‘Dutch’ because it was first identified by a Dutch scientist, Marie Beatrice Schwartz, is caused by fungi of the Ophiostorma genus.

However, it becomes a real problem when it is linked to surges in the population of elm bark beetles, such as Scolytus scolytus, which carry it from tree to tree. It is known that the beetles which carry the disease arrived in the USA, again on imported timber, before the fungus.

The first North American Dutch elm disease epidemic began when Ophiostorma ulmi was introduced in the 1920s by furniture makers who imported European elm logs to make veneer for cabinets and tables. Survivors of that outbreak were wiped out when the more aggressive pathogen Ophiostorma novo-ulmi arrived later. By 1973 Dutch elm disease had worked its way across to the West Coast. To date, over 40 million North American elm trees have died and the disease is still a problem on that continent.

Ophiostorma novo-ulmi and Scolytus scolytus made the return trip back across the Atlantic into Southampton Docks in the bark of imported timber in the late 1960s.

As sometimes happens when diseases cross back and forth to different continents, the disease which left Europe, probably from France as a background disease which took out a few trees here and there, returned as a raging monster which killed all in its path.

A very large part of my early days in arboriculture in the 10

mid-1970s were spent working as a tree surgeon in Surrey dismantling dead elms in gardens and on roadsides.

We lament the loss of those great old elms, so often the trees in the paintings of John Constable, but the country folk didn’t like them. This was because of their reputation for unexpectedly dropping branches on still days. “He will wait for me under the elm” says a French proverb, meaning he will not be there because nobody waits under an elm!

‘Elm hateth Man and waiteth‘ is an English saying. Elm wood was used for coffins and ammunition boxes, which increased its association with death. Due to high concentrations of saltpetre in the timber, elm will not burn until it is thoroughly dry;

‘Elmwood burns like churchyard mould E’en the very flames are cold’ Dutch elm is a vascular wilt disease, it kills the top but not the roots. Elm regenerates from its root system and continues to do so. Unfortunately, once it attains a trunk diameter of about 200mm it becomes recognisable to the small elm bark beetle, Scolytus multistratus, and the cycle of infection, death and regeneration begins again.

“Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it”, said Winston Churchill – enter ash dieback disease, brought to our shores by global trading.

Mark Hinsley is from Arboriculture Consultants Ltd www.treeadvice.info

Country Gardener

CGOCT

www.countrygardener.co.uk

11

‘Nature has been liberal to Fonthill’ wrote William Beckford, the early nineteenth century incumbent of the Fonthill Estate, to the romantic Landscape Architect, Humphry Repton, spurning his offer to redesign the vast grounds.

Following

nature’s time clock Emma Harris-Curtis-Monahan meets Erwin Kraan, head gardener at Fonthill House to share the secrets of his horticultural flair

The more restrained grandeur of today’s incarnation of Fonthill House, created by architect Trenwith Wills in 1972, also has its horticultural roots firmly in the bucolic landscape of south west Wiltshire.

The environs of Cranborne Chase, the soft undulations of the landscape and the natural springs all entice horticultural creativity.

What is more, the current Lord Margadale’s compellingly practical, nature-oriented, yet unsentimental approach to management of both his gardens and landscape is refreshing, ‘We know if we manage the trees they will do better’ he smiles warmly.

Since 2003, when he took the family home over from his mother, he has been instrumental in developing a dynamic and captivating ‘garden of rooms’, such as Lawrence Johnston of Hidcote, contemporary of the current Lord Margadale’s grandarents, and originator of that style of gardening, would approve.

It is Erwin Kraan who the family trust with the nurturing of these extraordinary gardens, so steeped in nature and artistic expression that only a true plantsman and nature lover of 30 years horticultural training and practice would be an appropriate guardian.

Talented and focused on the needs of wildlife and ecological balance, Erwin’s Dutch heritage led him, via South Africa and Ripley Castle Gardens, to Fonthill in 2018. “My parents valued the environment highly”, he says “they taught me how to value nature. In the Netherlands the horticultural focus is on propagation and growing, there are few estates with wonderful gardens to nurture, like this…”; he moves his arm expansively, as if to gather all his horticultural endeavours in one gesture.

“This garden is special” ventures Erwin as he expounds on the cornucopia of plants to which he tends. Indeed, it was the Hon. Margaret Smith, the current Lord Margadale’s grandmother, who influenced the original gardens’ design in the 1930s when the old house, on which this current home stands, was occupied. Wonderful modern women horticulturalists have followed her, commissioned by the family they have been instrumental in evolving the gardens to their current design. For example, Tania Compton, the exuberant virtuosa of the music of horticulture, is whom Erwin consults on much of the design. Her flair is everywhere at Fonthill.

‑

“I find that nature has its natural time clock and I must follow it in the garden” Head gardener Erwin Kraan “My parents taught me how to value nature” 12

Country Gardener

As we step into the west facing ‘Drawing Room Garden’, as it is called, the eye is drawn down a straight lawn path that bisects three consecutive garden rooms, all designed by Compton. Yet, first one has to linger, encircled and entranced as we are by herbaceous borders, seemingly designed by the creative eyes of a painter on a green canvas. Here all is the amaranthine of purple asters, sculptural thalictrum and rosy Japanese anemones.

To the south lies a mesmeric view, complete with distant pearl-like sheep basking in the sunshine in a pastoral scene reminiscent of Repton. The dips in the yew hedges give glimpses of what lies beyond and we venture westward in to the Cornus Garden. The eight cherry-hued Cornus Kausa chinensis, the Chinese dogwood, are at their radiant September best.

The alien fruits; those bright, mini globes that fascinate all young children, abound and Erwin cannot resist playing with one as we chat. “They are underplanted with lily of the valley, so common in France’”says Erwin,..

A beautiful dry cardoon Cynara cardunculus (thistle)

In the Fountain Garden William Pye’s bronze is breath-taking. Compton has designed a simple circle within a square and, within that a further orbit of yew in which the pond frames the sculpture from beneath.

From his Italian/Portuguese inspired ‘Tavola’ collection, (the word meaning ‘a laid table’), the stature of the structure is exciting. William Beckford, owner of an earlier version of Fonthill, and creator of the famous gardens of Monserrate in Sintra, Portugal, might have approved of the seemingly still reflection of the horizontal, twinkling water.

Due to the feature being fed from the bottom, the water spouts proffer cascades without disturbing the silken mirror above, evoking a peace that is surprising, given the size of the bronze.

By now the striking designs of Tania Compton are evident. “We talk all the time’” says Erwin. Early in her career Compton was given ‘a fairly free hand’ to move the garden forward from the 1930s design and the garden has evolved, but used history too. Erwin says, “she designed the dahlia bed and takes some of them for her dyes…’”

The dahlia flowers are exquisite in that early autumnal afternoon September light. Indeed, the dahlia bed encompasses every characteristic beknown to the genus; cactus, ball and waterlily are all present in this kaleidoscopic array.

To ensure they thrive, Erwin lifts them every three years and ensures the ground is heavily mulched with his rich compost that benefits from the by-products of Fonthill Stud.

Erwin explains plans for a new meadow. “I have already sown yellow rattle seed collected last year to combat the more vigorous weeds, the slope ensures the fertility is low, we already have a carpet of crocus in the spring”. Then he explains how the sweet scent of Narcissus topolino covers the bank, followed by primrose and eventually wild annuals and perennials,.

“This summer was extraordinary for wild flowers and our early spotted orchids were amazing, along with the English bluebells.”

The new meadow is of great importance to Erwin and there are beehives at the borders.

“We have indigenous black English bees now, after our swarm died”.

He explains, “I find that nature has its natural time

Amethyst blue of a Delphinium Elatum

An amaranthine display of nestling asters, anemones and dahlias

clock and I must follow it in the garden”. Such a philosophy clearly works; “I wait for the wildflower perennials, then when they are ready, I gather their seed for the new meadow”, he adds.

As we traverse the north slope a sense of the dramatic is obvious, the rambling planting contrasting with the formal garden rooms beneath resembles some vast operatic amphitheatre that uses the house and gardens as a stage below to observe.

The acidic green sand nurtures an array of different rhododendron, camellia and acers. Paths overhung with ferns climb up and away, lined with mature trees and an air of mystery. Marie-Louise Agius was a natural choice of garden designer to enhance what was already here. Now Trustee responsible for the development of her family home’s arboretum, Exbury, world famous for its rhododendrons and azaleas, Erwin explains how Agius’ horticultural insights are best seen both in the displays of spring and autumn on the slope. Lord Margadale smiles, “I got her just before her first Chelsea success”.

William Pye’s bronze ‘Tavola’ fountain

“This is the post where I have been happiest in my career; I love it here”. I can see why, there is such variety, passion and artistry in his work. Moss strewn stone steps invite us down to the shady foot of a vast wall, past a gothic arch that appears to lead to an underground tunnel. We turn at the bottom, blinking, dazzled by the daylight, to the sparkling green of the other side of what will be the meadow.

We discover errant sheep have snuck through the gate and, evoking Humphry Repton yet again, we guide them back to fulfil their photogenic role in the distance on the opposing slope.

Fonthill House gardens, nestling as they do within the wider natural landscape, delight and excite in their exuberance, creativity and contrasts; one never knows what one will discover.

One of the dahlias from the newly planted dahlia bed

Fonthill Gardens opens three times a year for charity:

20th March 2022 NATIONAL GARDENS SCHEME 12pm - 5pm 8th May 2022 FOR A LOCAL CHARITY 12pm - 5pm 12th June 2022 FOR A NATIONAL CHARITY 12pm - 5pm The Fonthill Estate Fonthill Bishop, Salisbury, Wiltshire www.fonthill.co.uk www.countrygardener.co.uk

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TIME TO PLANT

Why the next weeks are still perfect for planting Autumn runs a close second to spring as an ideal planting time but when it comes to trees it is by far the best time to get things in the ground in general and trees specifically make a quick and easy change to any landscape. Despite the cold weather lurking around the corner, autumn provides ample opportunity for plants to grow roots and get off to a good start in their new home.

You can plant up to six weeks before your ground freezes. Once the ground is frozen, root growth will cease almost entirely until spring, and that six-week window gives the plant time to get established enough to withstand any low temperatures. The date that your ground becomes unsuitable will vary from year to year, of course, and some areas won’t have frozen ground at all. If you’re unsure, mid-November is a safe planting deadline for nearly everyone.

If you still have plants in their nursery pots, get them in the ground before winter, no matter how late it is. The plants will be much happier and better protected in the ground than in their thin plastic pots, so even if it’s getting quite late in the season, just plant them where you can. You can always move them come spring if you change your mind.

Provide supplemental water when needed. Autumn weather can be quite cool and rainy, but that doesn’t mean that new plantings should be ignored, particularly if weather has been dry and/or windy. Water all plants thoroughly after planting and continue to water them as needed until the ground freezes.

Mulch- just as you pile on blankets and quilts when the temperatures dip, mulch acts as insulation for plants. Mulch also creates the ideal environment for vigorous root growth, which helps new plantings get off to a good start. While even established plants benefit from a nice layer of mulch, newly planted specimens especially appreciate the protection it offers from the challenges of winter.

Know what to expect. You won’t see much top growth emerge on fall-planted shrubs, but this is a good thing: any new growth that the plant produces now will be too soft to survive the impending cold anyway. Autumn planting is all about giving the plant a chance to put on root growth, which continues until temperatures average about 48°F. Plantings will be raring to go come spring thanks to the roots they create in autum.

Mycorrhizal fungi and its remarkable ability to get your autumn plants established Mycorrhizal fungi is a planting essential this autumn thanks to its incredible abilities to create a secondary root system, supporting plants and trees throughout their lifetime, helping them to grow stronger and healthier.

Trees are the lungs of the planet, store carbon, stabilise soils and support a vast amount of wildlife both above and below the ground. Below ground one of the most important fungi that help the tree grow are mycorrhizal fungi.

These fungi naturally colonise any new tree in a couple of years, but why not give them a helping hand by planting the tree with rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi? The friendly fungi will colonise the tree in a matter of weeks leading to better establishment, earlier growth and a happier healthier tree.

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Quality evergreen hedges at Perrie Hale Evergreen hedges are a great way to introduce structure to your garden, as well as provide a backdrop for showier plants such as perennials and grasses.

They also provide good cover and nesting sites for birds and small mammals so they are wildlife friendly too. Depending on your clipping regime, they can also flower, Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) for example has very pretty racemes of flowers loved by bees and butterflies followed by purple berries loved by birds. Other evergreen options include common laurel, eleagnus, holly, lawson’s cypress, yew, thuja or griselinia.

Perrie Hale Nursery is a long-standing family business in Devon, orders can be placed online. Collection from the nursery or contact them to see if they can arrange local delivery.

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15

Make your garden more FRUITFUL It may be just in a few patio containers or some fan trained apples against a wall or in a large expansive orchard but perhaps it’s time for us all to be growing more fruit.

There is no mystery in growing lots of fruit in your garden whether you have a large space to play with or just want to grow everything in containers.

So however large or small, a few well-chosen fruit trees and bushes will embellish your garden dramatically and it is certainly true we could all do with growing more fruit.

The prospect of growing fruit trees can be daunting – pollination groups, complicated pruning involving spurs and tips, countless tricky pests – but choose your variety wisely and you can sidestep many of the scarier aspects of fruit cultivation.

So, this autumn might be the time to plant more fruit trees, more varieties and try some new things. Stick to fruit that’s low-maintenance and importantly, self-fertile, so you don’t need pollination partners to guarantee a crop It’s perfectly possible for a beginner to successfully grow a good crop of apples, pears, plums, cherries, figs, apricots, peaches, nectarines, raspberries, grapes, kiwi berries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, gooseberries, and strawberries in a small space.

The sweeter the fruit tastes, the more sun it needs.

Therefore grapes, kiwi berries, strawberries, figs, apricots, nectarines, peaches, greengages and cherries are ideal for suntraps.

Grapes and kiwi berries can ramble over archways, strawberries can nestle in pots or vertical plant pouches, and the remaining trees on the list are excellent candidates for fan-training.

Tarter fruits such as currants, gooseberries, raspberries and morello cherries are happy in shadier sites. These can all be fan trained against walls or fences too.

Whenever you choose any tree or bush, opt for a compact variety if space is an issue.

Some varieties such as blackcurrant ‘Ben Sarek’ and raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’ are naturally petite, making them ideal for pot culture.

Others, like apples, pears, cherries and plums can be bought on dwarfing rootstocks which also keep trees to a manageable size.

16

Where to plant your fruit trees When choosing a location, it’s important to think about the amount of sunlight; how exposed the area is; the soil type and how dry or wet it is and the size and shape of the tree when it is fully grown. Two key factors are whether the soil around the position of the tree drains properly as no fruit will tolerate a waterlogged position.

Also remember that strong winds can quickly destroy blossom in spring and decimate your crop. So, if you are planting on a calm, quite day, try and anticipate if when the wind gets up it falls in the path of your tree.

HOW TO PROTECT AND LOOK AFTER YOUR FRUIT TREES Newly planted trees should have a guard to protect the trunk from rabbits, cats and dogs. It’s also important to water the tree during dry spells throughout the growing season (April to midSeptember). Do not forget that any vegetation surrounding the stem of the tree will rob most of the applied water, which was meant for the tree.

Therefore, within a circle of a radius of 60 cm, make sure that grass and weeds are totally removed.

This does not apply only in the first year. Keep this up for at least three years.

When to plant fruit trees Once you have chosen a fruit tree, it is important to consider the best time of year to plant.

Generally, this is between late October and March. Bare-root trees can only be planted when they are dormant. This means from November to the end of February. It is best to wait for a mild spell when no bad weather is forecast. Do not try to plant bare-root trees once the new season’s leaf buds have started to emerge.

There are two periods when you should not plant a new fruit tree. Don’t plant during the summer, and don’t plant in winter when the ground is frozen.

Growing fruit is rewarding and relatively trouble free. Whatever fruit you decide to grow, this month is a brilliant time to plant for trees and shrubs can be established without check when they are dormant. They will grow away rapidly during the spring and bring the promise of a fruit filled harvest.

Country Gardener

Favourite fruits for small gardens With a bit of careful selection and advice, it is entirely possible to fit several trees into a small space.

Some ideal choices would be:

Plum: ‘Victoria’, the best known plum in Britain, grafted onto a VVA1 stock to make a perfect patio tree.

Cherry: ‘Sylvia’ a self-fertile variety that will produce sweet cherries on a small tree if grown in a container.

Apples: ‘Golden Delicious’, a versatile variety that will grow in a pot or can be trained, will grow to two metres if left to grow on its own, but will stay much more compact otherwise .

Pear: ‘Doyenne du Comice’ is a flavoursome fruit that is easy to grow, partially self-fertile.

CREATE AN ORCHARD IN POTS Many of today’s compact fruit cultivars and modern rootstocks produce smaller bushes and trees and are geared towards growing in containers.

Choose rootstocks and varieties specifically recommended for growing in pots and place your pots in the best possible spot - fruits thrive in sunshine.

‘Victoria’ plums

Larger orchards One of the bigger issues in larger orchards in maintaining the health and shape of trees to ensure maximum crops. There are lots of ways to shape fruit trees depending on the priorities of the grower and the space available, but pruning is not just about pretty forms. Pruning can help trees to fight off infections by allowing for good ventilation and should encourage your trees to produce more fruit. The opencentred bush tree is most popular as it is relatively straightforward to prune, low enough to be accessible for fruit harvest and encourages trees to develop habitat features such as hollows when they are older.

If you have a smaller space, trained forms such as cordons, espaliers, or fan-shaped trees are perfect and you can even plant your trees in containers if you don’t have open ground.

Glorious ‘Golden Delicious’

Fruit trees, shrubs and plants grown in pots will need watering and feeding more regularly than those planted in the ground. The larger the container the better, however tempting it is to grow a broad range in lots of little pots.

Other issues in larger orchards come with pollinating issues.

Most apples, pears and some cherries, plums and gages are not self-fertile but need a pollinator, i.e. a different cultivar of the same kind of fruit.

For cross pollination choose a cultivar from within the same pollination group (flowering period) or from the adjoining groups, where flowering periods overlap.

TIME FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT Gardeners are becoming more adventurous. A penchant for the unusual and different has led to renewed interest in peripheral fruits and in a lot of cases this appreciation is justified - as they have a lot to offer.

The quince is a great example, tasting like a cross between apple and pear.

Asian pear

Quince trees don’t stand up well to late frosts but they should do very well if they get sun and some shelter.

Once you have grown your quinces , they are brilliant turned into jams, jellies (as an accompaniment to meat, especially game) or for baking tarts and crumbles.

Quince

Container options include: Cherries bear masses of blossom in spring, plus summer fruits and often vivid leaf colour in autumn. Sweet varieties need sun, while sour varieties, such as Morello cherries, tolerate more shade.

Varieties: ‘Gisela 5’ for sweet cherries, ‘Colt’ for sour.

Gooseberries are productive, so you’ll get plenty of fruit in a small space. They grow best in a sunny, sheltered spot, although they will bear some fruits in shade. Leave space around the pot as gooseberries need good air flow.

Varieties: ‘Greenfinch’, ‘Invicta’

Strawberries are perfect for pots.

Plant in late summer or early autumn and give them a sunny position. Make sure the crown is level with the surface of the compost.

Varieties: ‘Florence’, ‘Pegasus’, ‘Aromel’

Figs are perfect for containers as they fruit better when their growth is restricted.

Give them a warm, sunny spot and keep well-watered. Not all figs are fully hardy in the UK, so make sure you choose a hardy variety.

An Asian Pear arose as a cross between an apple and a pear tree and resembles a pear tree more, certainly its glossy green oval foliage and domed umbels of hawthorn-scented flowers recall those of a pear.

Varieties: ‘Brown Turkey’

Medlars (Mespilus germanica) has been a cottage garden favourite for centuries.

This small, tree can be planted as an ornamental tree and its ideal for smaller gardens.

easy to provide in a pot (choose a peat-free ericaceous mix). They also have pretty fruits and flowers, and attractive autumn leaves.

A distant relative of the blueberry, and requiring ericaceous soil, the lingonberry arrived with a blaze of publicity arising from its super-health properties, as the berries are packed full of antioxidants and vitamins. It is also ideal for pots. www.countrygardener.co.uk

Blueberries need acidic soil, which is

Varieties: ‘Ozarkblue’, ‘Duke’

17

A paradise in Wiltshire - the great landscape garden at Stourhead

The Temple of Apollo at Stourhead

Vivienne Lewis reviews a lavish new book on the scenic wonders of Stourhead, which also traces the generations of a family dynasty The magnificent garden at Stourhead is world famous and has attracted thousands of visitors a year since it was given to the National Trust in 1946. A new book gives a full account of this marvellous landscape garden and how it was created, then cultivated by generations of one family.

We have to thank the Hoare banking dynasty for Stourhead. Designed and created by Henry Hoare, known as Henry the Magnificent, in the 18th century, his successors continued to add to the landscape which is probably at its best, and most photographed, in the autumn when the jewel colours frame the 18-acre lake and its classical temples.

Historian Dudley Dodd’s book, Stourhead: Henry Hoare’s Paradise Revisited, is no coffee table book, although it is perfectly adorned with amazing photographs by the award-winning Marianne Majerus, one of Europe’s finest photographers. This is a scholarly work, written by a historian who has worked for the National Trust, written guidebooks of its houses in the South West, contributed articles to scholarly periodicals and previously published The Letters of Henry Hoare 1760-1781.

Dudley Dodds’ book is meticulously researched and there is a wealth of records, maps, family portraits and a family tree (very useful with so many generations and similar names), coloured plates of paintings, prized furniture, and historic interiors, with detailed footnotes, pages of appendices including one on visitors’ descriptions of Stourhead in various historical eras, and another on the numerous and often rare plantings over the centuries by the Hoare family, and an extensive bibliography.

But it isn’t a dry historical tome. It’s a story of a family with its varied characters, a family who built a great 18

work of art, a jewel of the English Landscape Garden, a type of garden design that has been called our country’s greatest contribution to art, but who through events and especially the effects of the wars of the 20th century were forced to give it up.

The estate was owned by the Stourton family for centuries; they were on the wrong side of history for most of the 17th century, being Royalists and Catholics, and the 13th Baron Stourton followed King James 11 into exile in France in 1785. A banker, Henry Hoare, known as ‘Good’ Henry Hoare (1659-1724/5) acquired the estate in 1717. The medieval house was pulled down and replaced by a splendid, fashionable Palladian villa.

His son Henry Hoare II ‘The Magnificent’ (1705-85) was a connoisseur of the arts who bought paintings, created the huge lake that dominates Stourhead by flooding the valley, and placed the marvellous garden buildings around it, including the world famous Pantheon which is seen in so many photos. There were other adornments including a Turkish tent, a Chinese alcove and items which Dodd calls ‘fairground surprises’, later pulled down.

Stourhead was already known as a famous garden by the 1760s. From the classical style of buildings by a lake in a landscape that resembled an Italian painting and scenery as seen by young English men on the fashionable Grand Tour of the time, successive heirs put their mark on Stourhead.

Henry’s grandson Sir Richard Colt Hoare introduced a Gothic element to the landscape garden and added a local Gothic element by crenelating buildings in the nearby village. He also added the two pavilions that flank the mansion to house the superb library he built up, and to house all the paintings he bought.

Country Gardener

A black sheep, fire and death in the First World War As in any family history that’s recorded over a long period – in this case, centuries, there are good eras and worse ones, failures and even tragedies. So it was with the Hoare family. There’s usually a black sheep in any family – and for the Hoares, it was the 5th Baronet, who was dismissed from the family banking firm and whose gambling forced the sale of the superb library and the best paintings in the 1880s.

In 1902 a disastrous fire gutted the main part of the house, which was rebuilt by an architect who proved inadequate and another was brought in to rectify his failings which had caused major problems with the building.

Then the only son and heir to Stourhead, Captain Henry Colt Arthur Hoare, died during the First World War from war wounds at the age of 29 on 20th December 1917 in a hospital at Alexandria, his parents being informed on Christmas Eve. As happened in other landed families, such as at Castle Drogo in Devon where the son and heir also died in the war, the decline of the estate set in.

Beset by death duties in 1919, by rising income tax which reached 99 per cent during the Second World War, and with a national scheme brought forward by the National Trust that allowed the gift of an important house and its land but allowing the owner to continue living at the property, Sir Henry Hoare gave Stourhead to the National Trust in 1946. Both he and his wife died within hours of each other in March of the following year.

The world famous Pantheon at Stourhead, overlooking the lake

The Temple of Flora

The great landscape garden Dudley Dodd goes into a detailed account of the evolution of Stourhead’s wonderful garden, with separate chapters on its development under successive members of the Hoare dynasty, from 1742 with the first landscape garden, then the creation of the lake and the Pantheon between 1754 and 1762, the changes in the later 18th century, the Regency garden, how it developed in the Victorian and Edwardian eras and into the 20th century.

Details of all the plantings over the generations can be found in an appendix. Stourhead, like many of the great estates of the Victorian era, received introductions by the plant hunters from their exploits in the Americas including Douglas fir, Thuja plicata (Western red cedar), Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle), and Wellingtonia. Later, acers and many flowering shrubs including azaleas and rhododendrons were planted Apart from the ideally placed and much photographed Pantheon, the 18th century garden buildings range from the Temple of Apollo high up on a woody path, to the mysterious Grotto by the lake

with its statues of a nymph and the River God. In the Victorian era the Rock Arch was built and the garden could be visited by members of the public, advertised in local papers, but access was more limited from the 1890s to booked visits and some charity days.

Dodd says that ‘On the eve of the Second World war, Stourhead had never been more colourful in season and more horticulturally diverse.’ After the war, the Hoare family’s ties with the garden and the house ended and its life with the National Trust began.

Going through such a comprehensive account, Dudley Dodd gives the background and context that is needed to fully enjoy this amazing landscape garden, and brings Stourhead’s story alive.

STOURHEAD: HENRY HOARE’S PARADISE REVISITED by Dudley Dodd Published by Head of Zeus, £40 hardback.

Photographs by Marianne Majerus; foreword by James Stourton.

The cascade at Stourhead was inspired by the one at Hestercombe

Connection with Hestercombe The great country estates did not exist as islands unconnected with others, not influenced by friends and the current fashions. This happened at Stourhead especially in the early decades of the Hoare’s ownership, when Henry Hoare II and the owner of Hestercombe near Taunton, Copleston Warre Bampfylde (1720-91) were friends. The cascade at Stourhead that was built from 1765-6 was inspired by the one built in the combe behind the house at Hestercombe.

Copleston Warre Bampfylde, a constant visitor to Stourhead

That Bampfylde was a constant visitor to Stourhead we know from the watercolours he painted of the grounds, some of which can be found in Dudley Dodd’s book. They are among the best visual records of Stourhead at the time. In the house at Stourhead there is a piece of needlework made by Mary, Bampfylde’s wife, and high up in the combe at Hestercombe there is ‘The Friendship Urn’ of 1786, dedicated by Bampfylde to Henry Hoare II and to another mutual friend, Sir Charles KemyesTynte of Halswell, Goathurst. www.countrygardener.co.uk

19

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

GARDEN

advice

A very seasonal list of more queries and problems from our ever bulging postbag and list of emails from Country Gardener readers. If you have any horticultural problems you would like our help on write to Country Gardener, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD or email editorial@countrygardener.co.uk

Is this the right time to try and remove my rampant bamboo? The bamboo was in the garden when we bought the house four years ago but it’s frankly out of control.

Simon Ellis Southsea Many species of bamboo sold in nurseries can escape their original ornamental purpose and become a nuisance in a garden. Getting rid of bamboo however can be done using a few simple garden tools and some hard work.

First separate the bamboo you want to kill. Bamboo culms, or stalks, are connected underground by rhizomes that grow quickly and close to the surface Removing bamboo needs a strategy and hard work of the ground. By cutting through the rhizomes, you can separate and contain bamboo. The easiest method for cutting through rhizomes is to slice them using the tip of a heavy shovel.

If you want to get rid of an entire grove of bamboo, you’ll want to work from the outer edges inward. Separate the outer ring of bamboo first so that the bamboo gets contained in one area.

Now mow down the culms. Now that the rhizomes are cut, shear back the culms as close to the ground as possible.

Finally, dig out the rhizomes. Use a shovel to dig out the rhizomes and discard them. It’s best to dig out the rhizomes the same day you cut down the culms; bamboo grows so quickly that waiting even a day or two will mean having new culms to cut down before you can get to work on the rhizomes Keep mowing and digging until you don’t see more shoots.

How can I safely overwinter fuchsias? I have lost some in recent years even though the winters have not been harsh.

Tender fuchsias will only tolerate a small amount of frost

Anna Greenham Wellington Tender fuchsias in containers can sometimes be overwintered simply by placing the container in a position protected from winds and the worst of the frosts. Tender fuchsias will stand a small amount of frost with no significant damage but it’s safest to prepare the plant before the first frost if you are concerned. With a clean pair of secateurs remove the fleshy foliage and flowers. You want to end up with a prepared plant where the stems are within the width of the pot, the crossing stems are removed and all diseased stems are cut away.

Then just place them in compost which is slightly moist but certainly not wet through or dry. The clearer the compost surface the less risk there will be of fungal infections developing in the winter.

Then find a cool dry spot for them out of the wind. A cool greenhouse is perfect.

I’ve been determined to make lots of compost for my new allotment and installed a large bin for kitchen waste which I admit has been the main ingredient.

All I have so far is black sludge which is nowhere near what I expect from quality compost. What am I doing wrong?

Kate Turner Barnstaple This is usually due to the mixture being too wet as most organic waste has a high-water content. Your pile should only have around 40 to 50 per cent moisture content for proper decomposition and just adding in kitchen waste could see the moisture content as high as 90 per cent. The solution is quite straightforward. You need to add in more ‘browns’ which is dry material, cardboard, paper, straw, leaves and so on. You should see a difference very quickly. As you add in the carbon stronger element to the pile you should also try and turn the pile so that air gets into it.

How do I care for a lovely edgeworthia plant I have been given?

Kate Ashbrook Taunton

Edgeworthia are deciduous or evergreen shrubs with simplistic leaves and cinnamon-coloured branches that hold an abundance of rounded, silky clusters of sweet and fragrant flowers from late winter to early spring. They need to be in moist, well-drained humus rich and loam based soil within an acidic, alkaline or neutral PH balance. You may need to improve the soil conditions with organic matter to increase fertility levels –compost, manure, shredded bark or straw. They will thrive in a position of full sun but will alternatively tolerate an area which receives part shade.

Edgeworthia will flourish in full sun

What has happened to my carrots this year? This is how they came out of the ground. Not even sure if they are edible?

Malcolm Tressler Didcot The main reason for deformed, mangled carrots is poor soil composition and improper cultivation. Carrots must expend energy to grow through rocky and compacted soil and will frequently split and become deformed. The soil should also be relatively loose, not compacted. Mangled carrots may also be caused by activities of root knot nematodes, or Phytoplasma aster, a disease introduced by leaf hoppers and among the list of common carrot problems. The disease can survive the winter in weeds and then transfer to other plant hosts. When carrot roots develop excess furry roots on the main root and the foliage turns yellow, pull the plants. This disease will spread.

It’s best to avoid planting in that area for at least a season unless you solarise and sterilise the soil.

Long tapered carrots need sandy, loose soil to grow to a full length and good straight shape. If you have garden soil which is less than ideal you can buy stubby rooted types.

Mangled deformed carrots are not as uncommon as many would hope 20

And yes, these carrots are usually edible, although the core may become woody and slightly bitter.

Country Gardener

My greenhouse peppers are suddenly full of holes and no pests in sight. This is the first time it has happened and is bewildering.

Keith Marshall Frome Holes formed like this are typically worms, caterpillars and grubs. Two of the main culprits that leave holes in green peppers are the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and fall armyworm. They can also disappear quickly, so it is not obvious what is causing the damage,

Holes in peppers are a common problem

Whisk together a tablespoon of soapy water, a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and a gallon of warm soft water (tap water is preferred) in a bucket. After it’s mixed, spray and apply it in an even coat to the entire plant and coat the underside of the leaves where pests like to hide.

g Gardenin r e in a t n Co dshaw hris Bear C y b t h g Tau

Why is my lacetop hydrangea deteriorating?

It seems to be happening very fast.

Sarah Anderson Cheltenham Any sort of deterioration in hydrangeas is most likely the result of decay at the root system beneath the soil surface.

Lacetop hydrangeas can suffer Phytophthora root rot with root disease problems is most seen in potted hydrangeas, but poor soil drainage contributes to the occurrence of root rot in ground plants as well. Root rot is caused by a fungus that thrives in overly moist conditions. Overwatering hydrangea gives the fungus ample opportunity to overtake the root system and disrupt the biological functioning of the plant. Roots of the plant become brown and brittle or mushy rather than firm, springy and lighter in colour. Removing a small amount of topsoil will reveal the root system for inspection, but be careful not to damage the roots, as infected roots are susceptible to breakage.

A few of my roses seem to be dying from the bottom up. In other words, they are very woody with no leaves or flowers low down and I’d like, if possible, to encourage a fuller shrub much lower down but don’t know if the plants are too far gone for this.

Jim Davies Basingstoke It should be possible to encourage lower growth. You need to remove all the unwanted wood which is either dead or diseased. Once you have done this, step back and have a look at what you have left. The objective is the shape and the promotion of low growth. Stagger your pruning by taking about 30 per cent of the branches down to around a third of the plant’s height then prune another third down to a third of the plant’s height. Once this is done train out as many of the branches horizontally to promote more flowers. Be patient. It may take a couple of years.

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Getting roses to fill in lower down to the ground may take years www.countrygardener.co.uk

21

GIFT SPECIAL

Christmas gifts

WITH THE GARDENER IN MIND Just as no two gardens are the same, neither are any two gardeners -so the task of finding them the perfect Christmas gift can be tricky.

It is almost guaranteed that all of us have gardeners amongst our family and friends. So, when it comes to the often stressful and demanding task of finding suitable Christmas presents again this year why not use their pastime as a theme for finding a present.

Seasons Green gifts tick all the boxes With Christmas approaching, it’s time to start writing lists, pounding the streets and googling gifts. We are all looking for the same thing: a present that shows we care. If you are stuck for ideas, it’s worth thinking about the provenance of the item.

To help steer you onto the right path we’ve several ideas to think about.

Last-minute flower deliveries shouldn’t be ignored as having fresh flowers around on Christmas day is always special. There are also several specialist websites delivering high quality houseplants with detailed instructions about how to care for them.

There’s a wide range of personalised items on the market, for that extra special touch, and indulgent luxury garden products. Personalised garden gloves, garden tool belts, aprons , trowels- even plant pots with your name on them.

There are ideas for wildlife gardeners and small gifts to save on space, as well as an inspiring selection of gardening books, from coffee-table art to practical guides to help gardeners get growing.

All are gardens could do with more wildlife themes so nest box kits, bird baths and feeders fantastic wooden insect hotels- and hedgehog houses all have a common theme of helping nature.

Membership to the National Trust is available in gift form at www.nationaltrust.org.uk with options for families, individuals and young people.

An RHS gift membership pack is another ideal present. For 12 months it means access to more that 200 stunning gardens including the famous RHS gardens at Wisley, Rosemoor, Hyde Hall, Harlow Carr and now Bridgewater near Manchester.

The choice is clearly huge but we’ve some more details on a few very specific ideas.

Start with the maker - consider hand-made goods or art, or those designed and made in the UK; think about fair trade gifts, or sustainable items which benefit the environment. Then consider the retailer - supporting small, independent shops helps keep our high-streets alive, especially important post-covid. If you can tick some of those boxes then you are half way there. Seasons Green www.seasonsgreen.co.uk is a favourite places to find something unique. Inspired by plants, gardens and the English countryside, it’s full of gifts and art, and there’s even a gift-wrap service so you can order online and have your gift sent direct to the recipient.

Wire Anchors for Concrete Fence Posts

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22

Country Gardener

SPROUT MINI GREENHOUSES - COMPACT SAFE AND STRONG If you know someone in your life who never has enough space for their growing, or doesn’t have a garden, the Sprout range of mini greenhouses is perfect for them. Made in four differing sizes, the sleek, automated mini greenhouses are designed to fit any space; whether it’s tucked into a bursting green utopia or nestled onto an apartment balcony.

Made in Wales, these mini greenhouses can water ventilate, heat and light your plants automatically. Access Harvst’s app for customisation and use the grow diary to track your growing progress... the only problem is you may end up wanting one yourself.

The smallest model (S6) is comparable to an under-counter dishwasher whilst the largest (S24) is similar in size to a tall double fridge. Sprout starts at £249, and you can shop the range at online.

harvst.co.uk/mini-greenhouses

Rivelin Glen helping to decorate garden and home

Cold feet? Try camel wool socks Pure camel wool is often an expensive item and needs careful hand washing, but cozycamels.co.uk have managed to source a camel wool mix sock that is as warm as pure camel wool but can be hot machine washed. They are also available in a variety of colours.

Alongside designing and manufacturing wire anchors for concrete posts and teaming these with Gripple Trellising system Rivelin Glen Products have lots of practical gardening accessories and ornaments for around the home, garden and greenhouse. These items have been sourced for their designs to help decorate garden and home to make eye-catching displays and features.

The camels are the two humped Bactrian camels who live in the plains and deserts of Mongolia, Russia and China where the temperature can drop to minus 40 degrees and they have a winter coat, with hollow, insulating hairs, that can withstand those extremes.

Most of the items can be used both in the garden and inside the home. Rivelin Glen Products offer great gift ideas for your green fingered friends and family and friends.

In Spring, when they moult naturally, the camels are combed, and the wool is then graded and spun. The fine inner wool is used to make warm, practical, soft garments.

Free delivery for all items for a minimum order of £10.

There’s a 10 per-cent discount on gifts using code CG10.

These affordably luxurious socks are available online at cozycamels.co.uk

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Cornishwear Cornishwear Cornish

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Christmas gifts for everyone

We are delighted to introduce some of our new range - Bees and Butterflies Backdoorshoes® are lightweight, waterproof, durable and ideal for slipping off/ on when you need to go outside. Available in sizes UK 3-14 and we have over 30 designs online. We also have a range of Wellies and Chelsea Boots, something for everyone on your list and why not treat yourself too!

To see our full range visit www.backdoorshoes.co.uk or talk to us on 01202 232357 www.countrygardener.co.uk

23

GIFT SPECIAL

TRADITIONAL CORNISH SMOCKS A PERFECT PRESENT FOR ANY AGE Based on the traditional Cornish smock, Cornishwear smocks are made in West Cornwall in various fabrics and in a fantastic range of colours.

They are perfect for gardening, dog walking, outdoor activities or just wearing every day.

With the very useful three pockets and comfortable fit, you will wonder what you ever did without one. They make a perfect present for any age. The smocks come in five standard sizes, but Conishwear are able to make bespoke smocks to order, including for men.

An ideal back door shoe solution Backdoorshoes were created to solve the problem of how to make quick trips into the garden without having to bother with boots or fiddle with laces – and without getting soggy socks. They slip on and off easily, and are waterproof, lightweight, durable and comfortable. They are made from a vegan-friendly foam EVA formula that won’t crack or perish, with removable washable insoles.

The cotton twill smocks are the perfect weight for gardening, the waxed cotton smocks are a timeless design made for the great outdoors, the linen/cotton mix is ideal for layering up and the fleece smocks are warm and cosy.

The array of designs continues to expand, with Butterflies and Bees joining the women’s range, in sizes 3 to 8, and Pebbles added recently to the men’s Chunky Tread range, which comes in sizes 8 to 14.

Also added to their range - ultra lightweight ankle and wellies. There really is something for everyone!

For more information, visit www.backdoorshoes.co.uk – and view the entertaining videos for more reasons why every back door needs a pair of Backdoorshoes.

You can see the full range at www.cornishwwear.com Conishwear, Lamorna, Penzance TR19 6XL Tel: 01736 732236

Gift Shop & Gallery Inspired by Plants, Flowers & the English Countryside

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Gardeners love practical presents. For those who are concerned about the significant issues with using peat in our gardens then here’s a gift with a difference. Coirproducts specialise in a wide and exciting range of coir products which are all made from a natural fibre which is 100 percent biodegradable and is a fibrous material found between the inner shell of the coconut and the outer coating of it. Coirproducts are aware what a great Christmas gift this would be for the discerning gardener and are introducing special Christmas packs which will include a selection of their vast range of coir-based products.Included in the packs are the in-demand Coir Pots, multi-use Coco Peat, and innovative Coir Coins compressed coir coins packed together tightly into pellets.

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Coir products for the discerning gardener

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JOBS FOR THE MONTH

GARDENING JOBS

for November 1

Turn compost heaps

2

It is important to try and turn your compost heap once in the winter. It’s hard work but makes a worthwhile difference as it speeds up decomposition.

It only needs to be done once and is a way of introducing oxygen to the heap. This feeds the bacteria, which promotes further decomposition. It’s also a good opportunity to break up any lumps you find and mix the ingredients. The easiest way to do it is to dig out the whole heap with a fork and move it into an empty neighbouring bin.

3 4

November is often a chilly month when winter feels very much just around the corner. Frosts have done their work and most plants are resting.

There’s still plenty to do if you fancy getting a bit of fresh air. Everything you do now will set the garden in good stead for the coming spring.

Sow broad beans in deep soil

A must do job is to sow broad beans in deep module trays, with the aim of seedlings being about five cm high by the new year. This small size makes them more weather hardy than larger plants. The reason for the deep module tray is that broad beans quickly put out a long root. Sow in a greenhouse until mid-November and then the plants can go out before or even after Christmas. Sowing them in autumn rather than February means you should have an earlier crop. If the winter is very hard and the autumn-sown plants fail, you can always sow more in February. Remember not to sow too many seeds, as broad beans plants are multistemmed and give lots of pods.

Mulch autumn’s bare soil As you clear summer crops on the vegetable patch, increase the bed’s fertility for veg by mulching with organic matter, such as garden compost or spent mushroom compost. Apply a five cm-deep layer and leave the worms to drag it into the soil.

Plant garlic – a key job this month

Garlic likes a period of cold so November is the perfect time to plant it for a heavy crop next year.

This easy-grow crop needs a cold winter period in the soil for the individual cloves to develop clusters that will turn into bumper bulbs come next summer.

Autumn planted garlic is always bigger and better than that planted in the spring.

Garlic will grow in the poorest of soils as long as it is free draining. If you have heavy clay soil, plant into small pots and then re-plant into the garden in the spring. Plant directly into soil.

Using a cane or spring, mark out a planting row, then push individual cloves into the soil, so the tips are five cms below the surface and space them 15-20cm apart.

Cloves can rot off in waterlogged clay soil over winter, but don’t let this stop you. If you have clay soil, plant cloves in small pots, filled with good quality compost.

5

Put away the lawn mower

By November, the weather should be cold enough for the lawn not to need regular cutting, although it usually needs an occasional tidyup during winter. Clean the underside by scraping off dried clippings and make sure the collecting bag is empty. If it’s a petrol mower, drain off the fuel, as unleaded petrol doesn’t store well.

6

Hard wood cuttings – the time is right

The period between early November and the end of the year is the best time to take hard-wood cuttings. As soon as the leaves have fallen, take cuttings at pencil length and pencil thickness. Make a clean cut immediately below a bud and a sloping cut above to tell top from bottom.

Plunge to half their depth in compost or a trench in open ground if you don’t have a frame. Vines, cornus, willow, buddleia and fig will be rooted by spring and ready for potting by mid-summer.

www.countrygardener.co.uk

25

JOBS FOR THE MONTH

7

8

Learn to leave the garden a little wild

If you want to improve the texture and soil conditions for future vegetable crops then green manure is an increasingly popular option which can be grown over winter and then cut down and dug in during spring. They also keep weeds at bay over the winter. The popularity of green manure has meant there is a wide choice on the market, most are very easy to grow and it’s not too late to sow in November if the local weather conditions are still favourable.

If you are tidy-minded, it might go against the grain to leave the perennials standing, but in a month’s time you will find that certain plants have made fine winter skeletons and can be left until February or March. Fennel and miscanthus, verbena and teasel make good hibernacula for beneficial insects and their seed keeps the birds going in the cold periods as well as providing winter interest. It really does make a great deal of difference to the garden.

9

With bulbs in mind • Plant the last of your autumn bulbs, for example tulips. Don’t forget to put some in pots as well as in the garden.

• Plant Paperwhite narcissi for Christmas (by the middle of the month).

• Continue to plant indoor hyacinths such as Hyacinth ‘White Pearl’ to stagger flowering.

• Check forcing bulbs for roots and shoots. When they are approximately three cms growth, bring them in to a cool windowsill.

• Check stored summer bulbs for any signs of rot.

11

10

A few quick ideas for the month

If you have plenty in the garden, you can force some rhubarb inside. Lift a crown of rhubarb, divide it in half and leave it exposed until you’ve had a couple of good frosts. Then bring it inside into a warm cellar or laundry room to plant into spent compost in an old compost bag. Water and place an upturned container or bin over the top to exclude all light. The stems should be ready in four weeks.

November is an important pruning month • • •

•

•

•

26

Sow green manure to improve spring soil

Prune your roses. Cut off most of the year’s growth and take out large woody stems.

Cut peonies back to promote healthy growth next spring.

Divide perennials that flower before midsummer’s day, such as oriental poppies, peonies and lupins, as well as spring-flowering hellebores, pulmonarias and Solomon’s seal. Dig up, divide and replant straight away. Perennials that flower after midsummer are best divided in the spring – that’s a good general rule.

Check any newly planted shrubs or trees, as if there’s been a frost this can sometimes lift them from soil. Deadhead pansies/ violas/primulas regularly to keep the flowers coming.

Tie in long, loose shoots of climbers to prevent them being damaged in high winds.

Clear and dispose of any diseased rose leaves – don’t add them to the compost heap. Some roses hang on to their leaves. If these are diseased, try to pick them off. It helps to reduce blackspot next season.

Country Gardener

If you have no more space for a fruit tree in the ground, plant one in a pot. Use a 37-litre filled with John Innes No 3, mixed with about a third of tree or shrub compost and some slow-release fertiliser, with plenty of crocks in the bottom.

Protect any precious ceramic pots by bringing them under cover. In frosty conditions, small cracks soon become large cracks. Make sure any pots left outside are raised on pot feet or bricks so that water can drain out.

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11/10/2021 16:06 27

TIME TO PLANT

‘Age is no barrier to a career in care’ Employees are now trawling the 50 plus market for those looking to move into a new challenge as a care worker Are you a people person? Are you at your happiest when looking after others? If you’re a caring person, and you really want to make a difference to someone’s life, then becoming a care worker could be the perfect career move for you.

workforce has a vital part to play in helping us deliver our relationship-led homecare.”

The main role of a care worker is to provide support to a person in need of care, improving their lives by attending to their specific needs, and assisting them with their daily tasks.

The route for more information is either through existing care homes or through NHS supported schemes.

The profile of care workers continues to change, and more employers are now looking towards the 50-plus age group for people who do not want to join early retirement but who want a new challenge and significantly have the patience and personality to work with older people.

www.england.nhs.uk

Care workers support individuals who need care due to factors such as age, disability and/ or illness. They help people of all ages; from elderly people who struggle with mobility, to children with learning difficulties who struggle to communicate.

Examples of careers in social care are personal carers, care home managers, occupational therapists, and bereavement support coordinators.

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The role can be carried out in a range of care settings including care homes, schools, hospitals and private housing.

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According to the Government’s Fuller Working Lives strategy, the attitudes and policies of employers towards older workers are key to their health and wellbeing.

The family-run company has been operating for over 30 years and, with its services rated ‘Good’ by the CQC, is an ideal place to begin or continue your care career.

Martin Jones, managing director of Home Instead Senior Care understands that many older people are simply ‘not ready’ to give up work in later life and believes they bring maturity, experience and diversity to the workplace.

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28

Country Gardener

The final curtain Discover how to stage an end of season plant performance in your garden in the form of evergreens, foliage, berries, and seed heads with designer and plant specialist Carol Smith.

When flowers fade, leaves drop and early morning dew covers the ground, it’s as if plants know the vibrant, colourful main summer performance is drawing to its close; the last month of autumn, the final act of November has arrived.

A time to reflect on the pandemic difficulties, which to a certain point have been offset by more enjoyable times of the past year in our greenspace, enjoyed by so many more people than previous years.

Thoughts of shorter days, cooler temperatures, and a dull looking garden create a sense of dread for winter to come, even the hot chocolate is a poor substitute for warmth and colour!

From a practical perspective, the reduction in heat and stage lighting – the sun, triggers a slowdown of growth, flower, and leaf production recognisable as autumn foliage colour and falling leaves, a signal to us that winter is on its way, the natural cycle of nature that is beyond our control.

Let’s keep our spirits up and stay with the good news to discover how the garden can keep us interested and engaged when its bouquet of many flowers is not available.

Striking colour combinations of plants in full summer costume deliver the wow factor and are a delight to behold; be assured the end of season performance can deliver the same level of impact. To ease the passage into winter we can bring late autumn/winter colour to the garden in the form of evergreens, foliage, berries, and seed heads rather than flowers. When backlit by low sun and pale watery blue skies there is a myriad of plants which are at their best and will www.countrygardener.co.uk

provide a wonderful glowing finale to the garden year before it slips into its winter slumber.

The autumnal November finale wants to take a final bow with a mellow glow, a soft tranquillity in the garden, stillness that speaks of winter rest yet excites with small quantities of high impact. More subtle plant qualities that are at their best at this time of year, rather than the full-on dramatic theatre of summer draw our attention to choosing plants for specific characteristics blended with a restrained colour palette of russets, rich reds, golds, terracotta, all softened with creamy buffs and beiges that will ensure you have a memorable finale.

So, what are these plant qualities? Think of them as planting design tools and three of the finest are form, colour and texture, key to designing a successful planting scheme that provides seasonal interest. The first act is about Form, which without its support act of colour in the shape of stems – Cornus family, foliage, and berries – some shrubs and small trees, although colourful can look a little static.

A second act of late colour found in bulbs such as Hesperanthus, Nerine bowdenii, Colchicum (autumn crocus), bark – three of the best are Prunus serrula, Acer davidii and Betula ‘Jacquemontii’ which positively glows in the dark! Supported by a final act of movement and texture with stunning grasses it is sure to create an unforgettable finale and receive a standing ovation when brought together as a final performance.

Let’s take a deeper look.

29

FORM Great examples are commonly seen in the strong shapes of evergreen conifers, not leylandii! Their striking presence in a border, like a lead actor, cannot be ignored or missed. Varieties such as Thuja occidentalis ‘Danica’ provide a strong ball shape, Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ a jewel green architectural cone shape, for a shining golden mound shape you can’t beat Pinus mugo ‘Wintergold’; all bring prominent architectural shape, foliage colour and sometimes cones.

Evergreen shrubs such as Viburnum tinus, gold and green variegated Eleagnus ebbingei ‘Limelight’, the deep wine red of Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’– variegated Pittosporums are also available, all play a major role.

A little time, a good ‘evergreens’ book and you can discover the wide variety of foliage colour, berries, and shape available to us, as if that’s not enough to choose from, grasses also play a key role in this final act.

Some are tall and fan shaped such as golden gleaming Molinia ‘Karl Foester’, evergreen Stipa gigantea, short and fan shaped wispy Stipa tenuissima or medium height upright, column shaped calamagrostis which will not be flattened by the strongest winds. Bring in a chorus of stately seed heads of eryngium, fennel and globe artichoke will add an intriguing feature, feed birds and wildlife– some produce a delicate white fluff, and all look enchanting when covered with hoar frost.

COLOUR Small ornamental trees such as Crataegus, Sorbus, Prunus and Amelanchier may be holding onto a few bonfire-coloured leaves by November but shrubs that produce berries such as the lilac beads of Callicarpa, bright red berries of Nandina domestica and orange or yellow Pyracantha will continue to provide colour right through to January/February unless the birds eat them all!

Late autumn perennials helenium and rudbeckia will flower until the first frosts then display dark, olive shaped seed heads which create silhouettes against creamy grasses or lime green stems of Cornus ‘Flaviramea’, bright orange stems of Cornus ‘Winter Beauty’ and coral red stems of Cornus siberica will offer a splash of glowing colour especially when planted in groups until cut back in January/ February.

I mentioned the word ‘static’ earlier which when applied to a garden describes a lack of movement which imparts a sense of heaviness in the garden. The movement of swaying grasses will completely transform this and be absolutely mesmerising to watch. The final element I want to mention is:

TEXTURE A quality that shows itself in many different guises depending on which plant group we are looking at. So, bark and foliage when exploring trees and shrubs, needle, and scale like when exploring conifers, delicate fluffy seed heads when exploring grasses.

There is still time to improve your November garden, plants are readily available in garden centres and it’s still warm enough to plant newly purchased specimens. Notebook and camera in hand, now is the ideal time of year to take a walk around and evaluate how your garden could be improved on a basis of ‘what’s missing’?

Is it lacking in autumn foliage colour and berries, evergreen architectural shape and form, late colourful autumn flowering bulbs? How does it feel? A still heavy sense could be transformed to light and airy with some grasses.

Introduce a plant group of one plant for each element, a strong architectural conifer with an evergreen shrub and colourful berries, a perennial with rich brown seed heads, a golden grass and your appealing late autumn/early winter garden can be born. Just one small late autumn/early winter group could become the part of the garden that appeals for many different reasons and raises your spirits when you need it most.

Take an inspirational visit to a garden such as Knoll Gardens, at Wimborne, whose large drifts of golden grasses, punctuated by sprays of rich brown seed heads held aloft against a backcloth of glowing autumn foliage and berries will be just the impetus you need to create a garden encore that raises the curtain time and time again!

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“Notebook and camera in hand, now is the ideal time of year to walk around and evaluate how your garden could be improved on a basis of ‘what’s missing’?”

COMPETITION

WIN A PAIR OF LADIES MONTANA ALL WEATHER GARDEN ANKLE BOOTS

In our October issue of Country Gardener we offered readers the chance to win a pair of rather special garden and all weather boots from the award winning manufacturer Leon Boots Ltd. It was hugely popular so in a follow up competition this month we are offering readers the chance to win a pair of special ladies boots from the Leon range. They are Ladies Montana boots in a choice of colours for the winner of navy and green, in sizes UK 3 to UK 8. The boots are a revolutionary alternative to heavy rubber of PVC footwear and are light, upright and very durable. They retail at £34.99p. Garden ankle boots are now hugely popular with gardeners and are manufactured using an EVA polymer that makes them resistant to splitting or cracking.

LBC Boots are lighter by up to 65 per cent than other rain boots available on the market.

Avon Mill Café • Garden Centre • Shops In the beautiful Avon Valley.

Loddiswell • Kingsbridge • Devon • TQ7 4DD avonmill.com 01548 550338

All you must do is answer this question:

HOW MUCH LIGHTER ARE LEON BOOTS FROM OTHER RAIN BOOTS ON THE MARKET? Send your answer to us at: Leon Boots Montana Competition, Mount House, Halse, Taunton, Somerset TA4 3AD. Entries close on Friday, 26th November and the winners will be included in our earliest possible edition.

THE WINNERS OF OUR AEROBIN COMPETITION IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE WERE: Pauline Keith, Dorchester; Allan Porter, Southampton; Maureen Culshaw, Bournemouth; Marl Ellison, Cheltenham and Warren Fisher from Bridport.

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GOD’S ACRE? Over six out of ten churches in Britain have grounds they say could be used better as gardens and there’s a new desire to use all this outside space better. An awardwinning Chelsea Flower Show garden is just one of several new initiatives in our cemeteries

Sarah Eberle’s Psalm 23 Garden for Bible Society at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which won a gold medal will also become part of the campaign to see more done in churchyards.

Over 65 per cent of churches in this country have grounds that could be used for gardening. One in four of churches surveyed recently said they were keen to use their outdoor space better but needed advice about what to do.

The Bible Society has now published an easy-to-use guide on how to create such a community garden and puts emphasis on churchyard land.

A national campaign is now set to offer help and support to clear overgrown, untidy churchyards, invest in wildlife surveys, establish more welcoming gardening themes to encourage visitors into burial grounds and involve schools and communities in ‘gardens within the churchyard’ projects.

The desire to improve the look of church cemeteries is an ongoing theme which has moved in recent years from just tidying projects to schemes to use the gardening space better with creating planting – and the encouragement of wildlife.

It all means that churchyards throughout the country are set to be a focal point for communities to put more emphasis on gardening and the preservation of wildlife in these pieces of land.

Churchyards are important for their habitats and as refuges for wildlife and plant life. Most churches have some green space. And in some urban areas they are the only green ‘breathing’ space available for both wildlife and people.

One estimate suggests estimate that 10,000 of 16,000 churches have churchyards. That’s the area of a small national park. It’s a precious resource which can make a huge difference to the biodiversity of the UK. 32

“I am absolutely over the moon,” said Sarah. “I really love the garden. Setting out to create tranquillity in a show site in the middle of London where you can actually impart that sort of emotional response to a garden is always the biggest challenge.”

The award-winning garden is set to spearhead a campaign to see the creation of community gardens around the country, as we emerge from the pandemic.

The first Psalm 23-inspired community garden was created during lockdown in Tadley in Hampshire.

Caring for God’s Acre is a conservation charity which provides advice and support to community groups and individuals to help with the management and interpretation of churchyards, cemeteries and burial grounds, including green burial grounds.

It says: “Cemeteries grounds are not nature reserves but places of burial and remembrance, and management decisions need to consider the views and expectations of the local community.

“People want to be able to use the site, visit graves, read memorial inscriptions and feel that the management and use is appropriate and respectful.

Most churchyards and an increasing number of cemeteries are managed by volunteers, be it the Country Gardener

local congregation or a Friends group and Caring for God’s Acre supports encourages and inform these volunteers.”

A national scheme to create community gardens using the world’s most famous Bible verses has enlisted the help of an award-winning Berkshire church that prides itself on its idyllic outside space.

St James’ Church in Finchampstead, near Reading, won The Church Times’ Green Church Award for its churchyard in 2017. The church’s rector, Canon Julie Ramsbottom, says: “I think churches should think hard about maximising the use of their surroundings. It’s so important as a message to both the church and community, that the church doesn’t just take place inside the building.

Church is more outside than inside.”

Julie and churchwarden, Ed Sampson, feature in a video shot by the Bible Society to promote community gardens. At the centre of the Bible Society’s campaign was the development of The Psalm 23 Garden at Chelsea Flower Show, bringing the famous text of ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ to life.

“I want to engage people’s emotions,’ says Sarah about The Psalm 23 Garden. ‘It will stop people in their tracks and make them look. The psalm is quite clear in its description of landscape,” she adds.

According to Christian Research, 65 per cent of churches have grounds that could be used for gardening. One in four of churches surveyed said that they were keen to use their outdoor space, but needed advice about what to do.

“Anyone who gardens knows that it increases your sense of wellbeing,” says Hazel Southam, spokeswoman for Bible Society. “But gardening together on a shared project is particularly special.

Why see cemeteries as spaces for nature?

•

They’ve been there a long time. Most churchyards and cemeteries date from well before the widespread losses to our natural heritage occurred, and so are arks for species and habitats going back through the centuries. Some burial sites may have been founded on older pre-Christian sacred sites whilst many younger burial grounds such as the Victorian cemeteries have been in existence for over 100 years.

•

The management of burial grounds hasn’t changed over time. Apart from grave digging, burial grounds are undisturbed, timeless sanctuaries where plant and animal populations have increased.

•

They occur in every town, city and rural parish. Once you start to view burial grounds as wildlife havens it’s exciting to think how many there are and how they link with other green spaces and corridors. The exact number of burial grounds is not known but is in the order of 20,000.

•

They are accessible. Not only are they widespread, but they also have full public access, insurance and some facilities. This makes them great for visits, events, volunteering and as places for learning, usually within walking distance.

Two churchyards of great beauty ST MARY THE VIRGIN, THROWLEIGH, OKEHAMPTON

The role of graveside gardening Graveyards and cemeteries are spaces for burial and mourning, but they can also be spaces for life, community, and healing. This is where grave gardening comes into play, which is the art of creating a garden at the location of your loved one’s grave.

In Victorian times, garden style, or rural style, cemeteries became popular as both a way to deal with overcrowded cemeteries, and as a way to create natural spaces within urban centers to attract visitors.

Before public parks existed in urban areas, these early cemeteries acted as both burial grounds and relaxing destinations where people would take picnics around the gravestones, and were designed with landscapes full of trees, shrubbery, and flowers growing amongst the tombstones.

If you want to start your own garden at a loved one’s grave, check the cemetery’s policies or by-laws. These policies will vary wildly, so it is important to know before you start what you can and cannot plant at a gravesite. When choosing what to plant, remember to choose plants that are not invasive, and can survive in the conditions found at the gravesite.

Churchyard visitors A recent survey based on visitors to churchyards established how important wildlife was to them.

A total of 95 per cent of respondents confirmed they noticed the wildlife in their churchyards, with wildflowers being the wildlife which most caught people’s eye, followed by birds, butterflies and trees.

The most popular reason given for visiting a churchyard is for religious reasons. A third of visitors stated they visited churchyards to ‘a peaceful moment ’and ‘to enjoy nature’, one in eight visited churchyards to see the grave of a loved one and ten per cent for contemplation or prayer.

Find out what wildlife lives in your churchyard More communities are being urged to take a first step to research wildlife in their local churchyard and consider what more can be done to develop areas as a garden. If any churchyard’s natural heritage is under threat, then you might consider getting a professional survey done. But if you just want to understand your area better, then try these basic steps: • Choose a day between March and September when plants are in flower and habitats are at their most active • Start with a sketch map of the churchyard and mark it with basic features like buildings, paths, walls, in-use burial areas and compost heaps

Set in a Dartmoor village the churchyard has areas of wildflowers, ox eye daises, yellow rattle, betony, mallow, some orchids and devils bit scabious in the late summer.

Butterflies include marbled white, small pearl bordered fritillary and the day flying Chimney Sweeper moth, indicator of old pasture.

It won the Council for the Preservation of Rural England’s ‘Best churchyard in Devon’ competition. It was also designated a ‘County Wildlife Site’ in 2020, the first so far in Devon.

St Mary the Virgin, Throwleigh, Okehampton EX20 2HU

ST JUST IN ROSELAND

• Record the trees, their type, circumference, estimated height and spread of their branches • Outline the broad areas of habitat (e.g. areas of scrub, regularly cut grassland, shady areas and biodiverse areas) • Take photographs and record where the photograph was taken, the direction and the date • Record the birds, animals and insects you can see and where you saw them The Beautiful Burial Ground Project is putting burial grounds across England and Wales on the map by revealing their hidden heritage and importance to biodiversity. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund it supports people to learn about, research and survey the species in, and history of, their local burial grounds. Started in May 2018 it is currently running through to December 2022. One of its functions is to raise the importance of gardening, plants and flowers in cemeteries.

It also encouraging people to send in a list of species they see cemeteries – so far it has received over 75,000 records.

www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk www.countrygardener.co.uk

Described by John Betjeman as ‘to many people the most beautiful churchyard on earth’, the gardens of St Just in Roseland, Cornwall have delighted many visitors over many years. The churchyard is open daily, and the St Just in Roseland Church and Garden Fund has been launched to support the upkeep of the gardens and churchyard.

St Just in Roseland, Truro TR2 5JD 33

COIR - THE NATURAL GROWING SOLUTION FOR GARDENERS Coir products are derived from coconut husks and now in their many forms offer a great peat-free alternative for the ecologically-aware gardener There was a time when coconuts were harvested only for their scrumptious flesh and delicious juice inside. The rest was considered a waste product.

Thankfully for an ever-growing number of discerning gardeners, the natural fibre extracted from the husk of the coconut, found between the hard inner shell and the outer coating has now made a real impact as a plausible and increasingly popular alternative to peat-based products.

Coir (pronounced Coy-er) ticks several boxes as being 100 per cent biodegradable and natural, and therefore the basis of an increasing number of products which cause minimal harm to the environment.

Its arrival on the market with a range of coir-based products is tempting gardeners to work more with this natural product.

CoirProducts is the first company in the UK and Northern Ireland to offer the wide range of coir-based products. Updates to the ways coir can be used in the garden are continuously being made, creating a variety of products easily available to anyone who needs them.

All the CoirProducts are ethically produced and sourced, helping a garden to be healthy and eco-friendly. The collection includes items such as: Coir Pots - much in demand now and an ideal way to grow plants without having to put them through any transplanting shock- they can just be placed in the soil and the roots penetrate through the pot and grow through it. The pots are available in a range of sizes.

Coco Peat - a multi-use growing medium.

Coir mulch is a renewable resource, unlike peat moss, which comes from nonrenewable, diminishing peat bogs.

CoirCoins - compressed coco peat pellets perfect for sowing and seeding.

Coir goes by many names. You may find it labelled as coir-peat, coco-peat, coir fibre pith, coir dust, and other similar-sounding names. It is made from the pith found between the coconut fibres. The coir pith gets washed, heat-treated, sieved to remove large particles, and graded. Very often it is compressed into blocks or bricks, which need to be soaked before using. You may also find growbags or bales of coir. Its impact in the gardening market is now substantial and is becoming more accessible and affordable.

Coir Bricks - solid bricks of coconut fibre which expands through soaking in water to produce high quality fibre.

Coir Mulch Mats - which can be used for weed control, or as pot toppers.

Coir is native to most of the Asia pacific region, especially India and Sri Lanka where coconut is produced in large quantities and exported through the world. Recently the global annual production of coir has been estimated at 650,000 and is becoming a product much in demand.

It has several advantages over peat.

Water retention - Coir mulch holds 30 percent more water than peat. It absorbs water easily and drains well. This is an important benefit in drought-plagued areas, as use of mulch may reduce water use in the garden by as much as 50 percent.

Soil amendment - Coir is versatile in improving difficult soil. For example, coir mulch helps sandy soil retain nutrients and moisture. As an amendment for clay-based soil, coir improves soil quality, preventing compaction and allowing freer movement of moisture and nutrients.

Soil pH - Coir has a near-neutral pH level of 5.5 to 6.8, unlike peat, which is highly acidic with a pH of 3.5 to 4.5. This is an ideal pH for most plants.

And coir has been adapted to offer, Coir Discs, Growbags, Growcubes, Coir Sheets, and Coir Netting to name a few more, CoirProducts has all the essentials to get your garden flourishing.

Working within a competitive industry, as a company, CoirProducts is not merely profit-driven, but takes pride in helping communities and sharing knowledge.

For example, CoirProducts supports Chestnut Tree House, a children’s hospice charity that supports over 300 children and young adults in Sussex, by contributing a portion of every purchase towards them. Back at the factory, corporate social responsibility programmes focus on helping local children, and the work also supports the cottage industry, contributing towards rural economic development.

Shop online now at www.coirproducts.co.uk or email hello@coirproducts.co.uk to get your coir-based products. www.coirproducts.co.uk

One end product is a high quality multi-use growing medium

Natural fibres are extracted from between a coconut’s hard inner shell and outer coating 34

Country Gardener

READERS LETTERS

Have your say...

If you have any views, ideas, gardening tips a or just want to get something off your chest on gardening matters then write to us at Country Gardener Magazine, Mount House, Halse, Taunton Somerset TA4 3AD or email us at alan@countrygardener.co.uk

How lockdown inspired my grandchildren to garden

Banana peel has saved my roses This summer for the first time I have been feeding my roses with banana peels and the effect has been dramatic. They have been looking a bit tired recently. I ‘ve applied about half a dozen to the rose beds, chopped up so they decompose quicker, and I buried them and them backfilled them into the soil. They seemed to act as a perfect rose fertiliser and for the first time in years my roses have been aphid free. I understand what happens is the bananas are a great source of calcium and magnesium among other things. So, it’s going to be a regular theme for me from now on.

Alice Bond Crewkerne

There are many good news stories to come out of Covid and lockdown. One involved my two grandchildren Benny and Annemarie aged 11 and 14 who became very keen gardeners last year when lockdown meant the schools were closed and they were looking for something new. They took up gardening to try and help their parents cope with what had become an increasingly overgrown plot.

The whole idea of planting and growing things suddenly took hold of their imagination and they both worked sorting out flower beds and started growing their own vegetables. Lockdown was a tough time for all of us, but it is nice that there has been the odd happy story to celebrate. Their interest in gardening continues and now looks like being a long love affair- much as it has been with their grandmother.

This summer they grew so many more vegetables successfully and even seem to enjoy me rambling on about the flowers I love.

Eileen Davies

Truro

LOO ROLLS AND THE PATH TO SUCCESSFUL PARSNIPS

A joyous day at RHS Rosemoor How lucky people are who live close to the RHS garden at Rosemoor. We visited it in early August on one of the few warm sunny days in the month and were wowed by the whole experience. Helpful staff and volunteers were the first thing that struck us and then borders which took our breath away. The garden is a delight and a real testament to everyone involved in the society’s work. We look forward to many future visits.

Susan and Michael Davenport Bridgwater

Until recently we have struggled to grow parsnips successfully finding germination when sown outside very erratic. We have tried germinating the seed in damp kitchen roll but found that the tap root broke when potting on.

Last year we sowed them directly into compost filled loo rolls and had an almost 100 per cent success rates with germination. When the tap root reached the bottom of the rolls we planted them out, roll and all. They produced the best and strongest parsnips we have every grown. We will try next year with salsify.

Nettle leaf giant hyssop will attract bees in masses I enjoyed your article about bumblebees in your September issue and thought I should write to you to let your readers know that if they want to see bumbles flourish in their garden they need to plant Agastache urticifolia which is a species of flowering plant in the mint family which most people know by the common name nettle-leaf giant hyssop. It has fragrant, green leaves and short spikes of soft purple-blue flowers that bloom profusely in summer. We have a small area of the plant in the corner of the garden. I can’t remember how it got there but every summer it is bursting with bees, not just a few of them. It seems to be their favourite of all plants and is lovely for us to see.

Kim Hattersly Porlock

Rose cuttings in potatoes When I grow rose cuttings, I stick them in large potatoes then push both into the ground. The potatoes keep the cuttings moist while the roots develop. It works wonderfully.

Hanna Holland Westbury

Jane Ellis Plymouth MUSK STRAWBERRIES A DELIGHT We have had a success this summer growing delicious musk strawberries (Fragaria moschata). It’s a fast-growing strawberry variety and I am amazed more gardeners don’t try it. It can be found growing wild in parts of Europe but is not readily available in cultivation: one wonders why not. It is fast growing and is the most delicious taste I’ve ever experienced from a strawberry - fast growing and they make very good ground-cover plants. They have large pale green downy leaves and the good news is that they produced fruit in the first year. Absolutely delicious.

Angela Price Taunton

LET’S CALL DANDELIONS WILDFLOWERS NOT WEEDS Am I the only gardener who gets upset when they see dandelions continually referred to as weeds in all the gardening magazines? Dandelions are one of the most useful wildflowers for honeybees and bumblebees. This summer we left an area down at the bottom of the garden and let the dandelions grow and it was heaven for the bees. So not weeds, wildflowers when we talk about dandelions. Please!

Val Johnson Torquay

www.countrygardener.co.uk

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ACROSS 7. Herb also known as costmary or mint geranium (7) 8. Where a gardening wonder of the world was situated (7) 10. Seaside attraction as found in Brighton and Cromer (4) 11. Genus of plants and shrubs including the fig and rubber plant (5) 12. Tropical vegetable closely related to taro (4) 13. Fraxinus excelsior whose wood was burned to ward off spirits (3,4) 14 & 1. English garden expert and TV presenter born in 1945 (5,5) 18. Genus of flowering plants that include bergamot and bee balm (7) 20. Coastal edible vegetable also called scurvy grass (7) 22. Fruit that comes before verbena and grass (5) 23. Scientific name of fumitory or earth smoke (7) 27. A small bunch of flowers (4) 29. Invasive grass also called drooping brome (5) 30. Famous biblical garden (4) 31. Genus of New Zealand plants sometimes called vegetable sheep (7) 32. Spanish artist who painted ‘The Flower Girl’ (7)

DOWN 1. See 14 2. Genus of plants that includes the sweet flag (6) 3. Indian spice produced from the roots of a type of fennel (9) 4. Any of several species of plants belonging to the aster family (5)

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5. Central London location that includes a spectacular rose garden (4,4) 6. Plant of the cabbage family formerly grown for its blue dye (4) 9. West African fruit of the soapberry family (5) 15. Leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper (4) 16. A brassica, especially cabbage or kale (4) 17. Genus of plants commonly called mouse-ear chickweed (9) 19. Perennial North American plant also known as dogbane or Indian hemp (8) 21. Genus to which the field dock belongs (5) 24. Candytuft belongs to this genus (6) 25. Strong, pungent and unpleasant (5) 26. Famous author (1866-1946) who wrote an essay ‘The language of flowers’ (5) 28. New Zealand yams or South American root vegetables (4) Answers from previous issue, October 2021: R

J

E U G E N B

K

B U S Y S

D I

R A

G

G

G

B O N E S E T T

W

I N U L A

R

A

T U N A

L T B N R A L K A N E T R U N C H

O

L

S K

I M M I

R A

T

D

F R E E S

O I

A

R O S S E R M A N N A B A R I L L A T C H A Y

A

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I

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A D P L A Z U T H R O W E R U G L I E S T A

N

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37

READERS STORY

It is time to banish bonfires from our gardens Country Gardener reader Rob Dixon says bonfires belong in our past, polluting and damaging wildlife and our environment When I was growing up, bonfires were what everyone did with the plant waste in their gardens. As kids we enjoyed the excitement of the flames and the smoke. It was sort of an event.

I have memories of huge smoke belching bonfires at the end of the garden and piles of ashes smouldering for days and days. I can also just remember the days when local farmers used to burn the stubble in the fields at the end of the harvest.

However, these days I have a golden rule-nothing absolutely nothing in my garden gets burned. Nothing.

A log pile is crying out to be a living home for wildlife

What might he have said?

“There’s no law against it , you know”.

That is true. There are no UK statutes that specifically prohibit bonfires although it’s good to read now that a record number of councils have local byelaws which prohibit them particularly in built-up areas.

In our Devon village it seems to me the most selfish act is to have a bonfire in a garden where the smoke is guaranteed to affect and upset a neighbour because in the heart of the village our homes and gardens are very close to each other.

Our village newsletter has tried time and again to discourage them by pointing out the upset and nuisance they cause but to no avail. It is a polite request appealing to their sense of community.

Some of us have tried to point out that bonfires can cause nuisance to other people and animals by making asthma, bronchitis or other respiratory conditions worse. They can affect visibility for drivers on nearby roads. Fires are dangerous things anywhere and can spread to nearby fences or buildings. This seems key to me as one of the rules of lighting a bonfire these days is to set it ablaze and then fail to keep an eye on it!

I have several reasons for this. The first is that all that woody material and leaves are crying out to become a living habitat pile. It is where the wren’s nest and the slowworms and wood lice hide.

There are better ways of dealing with waste that don’t affect air quality:

The second is I just do not know what I might be destroying as the flames go up. And I just don’t mean the hedgehogs which might be hibernating within. It’s the beetles and woodlice and all the other detritivores that will be hiding among it- creatures which are such valuable members of the garden wildlife community. I cannot imagine any bonfire not destroying wildlife in one form or another.

Most councils have a green waste scheme so there’s no reason left to burn.

Finally, all that burning releases carbon straight into the atmosphere. It is clear and obvious pollution. In an era when there is now so much appreciation of the perils of climate change for all of us, we can’t just go on pumping more greenhouse gases willy -nilly into the air just for the sake of being tidy in the garden.

I would challenge anyone to let me know what the positives there are from having a bonfire. Come on tell me a single positive?

‘It tidy’s up the garden? ‘Really, is that the best you have to offer?

At the end of August there was a huge bonfire just off the much-used lane in our village.

It belched out burning garden waste with dense smoke, an offensive odour and ash deposits which were carried for hundreds of yards. It was almost out of control, and I would guess could have been seen for miles.

It was also sadly the most glorious late summer afternoon.

I was ready to make an approach to the gardener who was piling more and more on the fire. He was shovelling large quantities of leaves which annoyed me even more when you think how they could and should be turned into priceless leaf mould.

My wife told me to calm down and not challenge him. I was so angry it might have come to blows, she so wisely predicted.

Time Off

Kate Lewis timeoff@countrygardener.co.uk

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If you don’t want or can’t be bothered to compost it yourself then at least let the local authority do it -they can also collect garden waste, other waste and bulky items or you can take it to your local tip or recycling centre.

‘It seems to me to be the most selfish act to have a bonfire’

So why wouldn’t you want to avoid burning when the air quality is often poor.

And do you know what I also remember from childhood?

The irritated coughs from neighbours as they ran to get their washing in away from the wretched smoke. I don’t wish that on anyone. It belongs to another era surely, doesn’t it?

Cath Pettyfer - Devon cath.pettyfer@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01837 82660

Lisa Cawkill - Dorset & Hampshire lisa@countrygardener.co.uk Tel: 01945 450784

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