GARDENER’S NOTEBOOK Everythingyouneedto knowtogetthemostfromyourplotthismonth

varietyofapple, ‘Gascoyne ’ sScarlet’ .

“Thefruit doesn ’tkeepwell,soIcutandfreezesomebuthave therestjuiced.Weusuallygetaround100bottles, ” Jennifersays.Thevegetablepatchyieldsallthe raspberriestheycaneat,alongwithcourgettes, beans,potatoesandspinach.

Jenniferplantsforyear-roundinterestbut springiswhenthegardenpeaks.Scentisavital ingredientwithseveralvarietiesofdaphne,including D.mezereumwithbrightpurple-pinkflowersonbare twigsandevergreenD.bholua,aswellaswintersweet Chimonanthuspraecox(synC.fragrans).Areasof lawnaredottedwithearly Crocustommasinianus andsnake ’ sheadfritillariesFritillariameleagris.

Beyondthemagnoliatree,underplantedwith hellebores(precededbysnowdrops),isalow-lying woodlandareawhereJenniferhasaddedtotheexisting hornbeamandashbyplantingaswampcypress, withacarpetofwhitewoodanemonesbeneath it.SeveralcamelliasgrowhereandJenniferhas afurthercollectioninpots,theirbrilliantflowers addingearlycolourtothespringgarden.

Thecouplehavealwaysembracedtheirposition besidetheriver. “FriendsquestionedhowIwouldkeep thechildrensafe,livingsoneartowater,buttheygrew uptorespectit.Theriverisacolossaladvantagemost ofthetime, ”Jennifersays. “Itdoesfloodoccasionally butfortunatelythewaterneverseemstostayuphigh forlongandthegardenrecoverssurprisinglywell. ” ThefactthatmanyofGladys ’ soriginalplantsare stillhereistestimonytothat.

Forsomeyears,thecouplehostedoutdoorplaysin thismagicalsetting. “Duringoneproduction,atrumpet solowasplayedfromourbedroomwindow, ”Jennifer recalls.SheandEdwardrubalongwellascustodians: “Heisthedestructivegardener(cuttingandpruning), andIamthecreativegardener(designingand planting).Youcan ’thaveonewithouttheother. ” THE GARDENS at Parsonage Oasts, Yalding, Kent, are open by appointment, March to October, through the National Garden Scheme. See ngs.org.uk for details. OPPOSITE, ABOVE Gravel paths give a natural feel BELOW White wood anemones by the pond THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Camellia x williamsii ‘E G Waterhouse’ ; Erodium pelargoniflorum; Veronica umbrosa; Ipheion uniflorum ABOVE RIGHT Old brick walls enclose the garden on the riverside

Tips from PARSONAGE OASTS

ONLY GROW THINGS that are happy in your soil. You will soon find out what conditions you have, and if you ask around and look in nearby gardens, you will discover what will do well for you. SHARE CUTTINGS, lift spare bulbs, collect seed. Giving these to others and receiving them yourself means you can walk round your garden thinking about your friends. SHOP AT LOCAL AND SPECIALIST NURSERIES if you can. We like Wood Cottage Nursery (woodcottagenursery.com) at Nettlestead Green, and Coolings Potted Garden Nursery (coolings.co.uk) at Bearsted. All our camellias come from specialist Trehane Nursery (trehanenursery.co.uk) in Wimborne, Dorset.

Floweringcurrants areusuallypink,so thedaintypendant whiteflowersof Ribessanguineum ‘Elkington’sWhite’ makeitanextra specialcultivar. Itsfreshgreen corrugatedleavesare slightlyfragrant. £24.99forathreelitrepot,Crocus (crocus.co.uk).It growsapproximately 2mhighby2mwide.

Gardener ’ s Gardening editor Paula McWaters shows notebook how to get the best from your plot in March

archmeansonethingtomeandthatis daffodils.Everyyear,Iaddtomycollection butsomeofmyfavouritesaretheminiatures, growninpotsorinlittleclumpstofollowon aftersnowdrops,underneathspring-floweringshrubs.There ’ s somethingsocheeringabouttheselittlebeauties:theyseem sodelicateyeteveryyeartheypushupthroughtheground, evenifit’ srockhard.Some,suchas ‘Odoratus ’ and‘Canaliculatus ’ ,aremulti-headed, packingapunchwithtinyflowersallbunchedtogether.Botharesweetlyscentedand wouldsuitterracottapotsorawindowbox.AnotherdelightfuloneforpotsisNarcissus bulbocodium,thehooppetticoatdaffodil,sonamedforitsunusual-shapedflower.The goldenyellowspeciesbulbslookspectacularenmasse–youcanseeashowstopping collectioninRHSWisley ’ sAlpinemeadow,butyoucanalsogrowthemincontainers oragravelgarden.Lookoutforpalevarietiessuchas ‘Spoirot’ and‘ArcticBells ’ .Ithink theseareevenprettierthantheyellow. FollowPaulaonInstagram@paulalifeandsoil.

Agoodread

Well-known as a celebrity gardener in Denmark (and increasingly in the UK, too, thanks to Instagram), Claus Dalby is a past master of pots. So it’ s good news that his latest book Containers in the Garden (Quarto, £22) has been translated into English, enabling us all to lap up his firing-on-all-cylinders displays, which change through the seasons. He has a brilliant eye for colour and design: this is primarily a lookbook of ideas, although there is a sprinkling of practical advice, too.

To-do list

Cutorbuyhazelsticks

from managed woodland to use as plant supports Plantupsomealpines

in a trough with drainage Liftanddividesnowdrops

to make new clumps Cutbackanygrasses

that are deciduous Sowhalf-hardyannuals

and salads in pots Plantnewevergreens

in damp weather Moveseedcompost

indoors to warm it ready for planting seeds

MinterneGardens DORSET

The tranquil woodland gardens at Minterne House, near Dorchester, Dorset, are a treat in spring. Landscaped in the 18th century, they extend for nearly 20 acres and a circular one-mile walk winds its way down through the greensand valley, via groves of azaleas and rhododendrons, leading to a series of lakes and waterfalls all connected by a stream. There are cherries, maples and magnolia trees underplanted with bulbs, and the lakes and stream are planted with bog plants and marginals including candelabra primulas. Open every day from 1 February, from 10am to 6pm; admission £6 for adults, under-12s free (01300 341370; minterne.co.uk).

SAW POINT

Three cutting faces per tooth give this handy folding pruning saw real bite. It has a 15cm blade made of hardened and tempered high-carbon steel and is easy to wield. £30.99 from Burgon & Ball (burgonandball.com).

Theessentialbench

Having your own potting bench makes preparing plants and getting seedlings ready for pricking out easy and convenient. This one, in fir wood, is painted pastel green and has a dry sink, side hooks, a drawer and several shelves. It measures 117cm wide x 45cm deep x 121cm high and costs £199.99 from Gardenesque (0330 133 1469; gardenesque.com).

Letitgrow

Fill a sunny corner with this mix of violet-blue viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare ‘Blue Bedder’) and deep orange marigolds (Calendula officinalis ‘Indian Prince’) and you’ll have bees and butterflies in abundance. Direct sow the seeds now. They should self-sow to return the next year. £2.75 for two packets of seeds, Sarah Raven (sarahraven.com).

NEED SEEDS?

Seedy Saturday is a bustling, sociable event where you can swap home-saved and unwanted seeds, buy seeds and seed potatoes, cottage plants and other gardening goodies. It’ s at Timsbury Conygre Hall in Timsbury, near Bath, North Somerset, on 12 March, 10am-2pm. Admission £1 on the door, children under 16 free. For more information, go to seedysaturday.org.uk.