home & Garden

Look locally over the garden gate with Lucie Giselle Ponsford

June’s plant in focus is Iris Germanica... Its common name is the German Bearded Iris, which doesn’t do the plant justice!

Conjuring images of beer festivals with rosy, hairy-faced men, not unromantic granted! However, I prefer the Greek association with the genus name Iris who was the goddess of the rainbow. Now that inspires! You can see their silken flowing robes and the spectrum of colours of these resplendent towering plants in the bright light of our first summer weeks. In fact, by now Iris germanica have mostly performed their socks off in our gardens during the month of May. Shrivelling their petals inward to protect the future in seeds within; heroines indeed!

So, you may ask, why are they June’s plant in focus? Well, I am passionate about sharing the horticultural whys and wherefores of maintenance as well as pontificating about the joy of plants and 6 weeks after flowering is the time to tend to them should you wish to divide and multiply your early spring garden goddesses. A good clump of Iris germanica with its thick rhizomes baking in the sun will do well for 5 -7 years. But their flower power performance will progress to the more virile and juvenile growths that spread along their rhizomes outwards from the centre of the plant. Leaving a central clump that shrivels and dies. They are best lifted and divided now with plenty of growing season left in order to get established in their new position before our long wet cold winters. Heralding from Mediterranean Europe they prefer a well drained and sunny position. If you have a heavy clay soil plant their so rhizomes are proud of ground level, with loose sandy soils they will make their way to the soil’s surface. You can also plant on them on a mound either way make sure you get the soil around their tendril like roots to ensure they anchor themselves in order to support those long sail like leaves which you will need to cut in half now to help reduce wind rock.

They will take a few years to establish from the smaller divisions but when they do they are a marvel in the spring garden.

With love, Lucie

For information on these or any other flower join me on Facebook @mimosadesign. Email: info.mimosadesign@gmail.com Call: 07737 286784.

Now only £895*

for a fully fi tted electric garage door.

WAS £1,354 INCLUDING VAT.

Hardy Plant Specialists

 Herbaceous perennials, shrubs, climbers, trees, hedging and hardy annuals.  Set in beautiful Chiltern woodland.  UK grown and peat-free. P Plant Propagation, Willow Weaving and other workshops available

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday

10am-5pm Summer (British Summertime) 10am-4pm Winter (Greenwich Mean Time) www.stottsnursery.co.uk Ibstone Road, Stokenchurch, HP14 3XS 0 07542 718307

Garolla garage doors are expertly made to measure in our own UK factories, they’re strong and solidly built. The electric Garolla door rolls up vertically, taking up only 8 inches inside your garage, maximising valuable space. Our experienced installers will fi t your new door and they’ll take away the old one too, so there’s no mess.

Give us a call today and we’ll come and measure up FREE of charge.

CALL US TODAY ON: 01235 280 021

MOBILE: 07537 149 128

Welcome to our farm shop where we stock SPECIAL OFFERS ON

Wild Bird Feed

COMPOST

Pet Food - brands include Burns, Natures Way, Chudleys Heygates Farm Animal Feed Animal Care including, Hay, Straw, Wood Shavings for Horses, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs Snowflake, Bliss and Bedmax Animal Bedding Bulldog Gardening Tools Garden Sundries & Seeds Melcourt Farmyard Manure, Topsoil & Ornamental Barks Extensive range of Hozelock and Miracle Gro products

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:00pm Saturday, 9:00am - 4:00pm Tel No: 01865 874636

Address: Old London Road, Wheatley, OX33 1YW Website: www.wheatleyfarmshop.co.uk

Mix and Match across the whole Erin Compost Range £5.99 each or 3 for £15.00

Melcourt Peat-Free Multi-Purpose Compost £7.99 each or 2 for £15.00