vi: Sage Advice following Storm Arwen late last year. Historically, the walled garden was predominantly a productive space, and one of the trees lost was a fine old Bramley Apple (Malus domestica ‘Bramley’), likely planted around a hundred years ago or more. It is only in recent times that the garden has seen a change of use, and more ornamental trees were introduced. For this reason, wellestablished trees were still in the minority in what was otherwise quite an open space; however, the effect that these few specimens had on the feel of the garden was considerable.
An exercise in patience Callum Halstead This month we’re reaching peak time for plant procurement. The Chelsea Flower Show is just weeks away and even those of us who, in fear of frost and other foul weather, may have been reluctant to get out into the garden throughout the early spring, are now emerging full of vim and renewed enthusiasm for another season of gardening. For the nurseries and garden centres, it’s boom time. Behind the scenes, teams of growers are working at maximum capacity, preparing masses of greenery to dress stands at the bigname garden shows, in the hope of securing coveted gold medals. Meanwhile, it’s also business as usual— meaning numerous busy garden designers to supply, countless orders to fulfil, and a steady stream of customers arriving on site in search of something stunning to take away with them. The people must have plants! There’s a myriad of plants that are perfect for planting at this time of year, so you’ll have to forgive me for writing about ones that you can’t have now, or at least not yet— I’ll tell you why later on. The plants in question are trees. I’ve been thinking a lot about structural planting lately, and particularly about the general lack of it in many of our own gardens. My musings on the subject were prompted by the loss of four mature trees from the walled garden at Cambo Gardens, where I work,
Trees and larger shrubs lend a sense of maturity to a planting, and this can be so even when they are still relatively young. They can be used to give privacy and shelter to an area, providing sanctuary for both you and your garden’s wildlife. They are also highly effective at creating different moods within the spaces in which they are used, depending on the variety selected and how they are positioned. For example, trees with a more rigid structure and upright habit can be used to increase formality, while those with a looser crown and spreading habit can be used to amplify feelings of relaxation. Another of the trees that we lost to Storm Arwen was a Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortusa’), possibly one of the most relaxed trees there is, with its pendulous veil or twisting stems, and its fresh, green, sickle-shaped leaves. The change in the garden following the loss of these trees was stark. The filtered light that had danced on the flowers of the woodland bulbs growing below, was replaced by direct sunlight— also nice, but lacking motion and ethereal ambience. The mood and feel of the area fell, quite literally, flat. Gone was the mystery and intrigue about what was around the next corner, as you could see everything in front of you. Gone, too, was a sizeable amount of habitat for our resident birds, insects, lichens, and mosses. These lost trees will surely be replaced— a wonderful thing about working in gardens is being able to witness and be a part of the renewal and regeneration after the drastic 27
