2 minute read
Garden Jottings from The Garden Enclosure
The Garden Enclosure Jottings
Autumn is approaching, bringing with it the risk of storms and gales, which can play havoc in a garden as gusty winds smash pots, snap supports, scatter debris and destroy old fences, but out of destruction comes opportunity! Pots can be replaced – this time choose wide bases for more stability and use a heavy loam-based compost such as John Innes for added weight and improved growing conditions.
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Check stakes for rot and try to be more tidy around your plot during autumn, and as for the collapsed fence, it’s decision time – do you replace it with a new one or plant a natural hedge instead?
Hedges are a simple and cost-effective answer to defining boundaries. If they are grown well they are able to contain (or exclude) animals and people, reduce wind speeds and provide food and habitat for countless species of wildlife – all with a positive carbon footprint!
A hedge is simply a row of plants either of the same type or a mixture of several species. A traditional hedge would have been made up of native trees with one type being dominant, usually hawthorn or blackthorn, intermixed with others such as hazel, dogwood, field maple, dog rose, spindle and guelder rose, depending on local availability.
This type of hedge is best planted ‘bare root’ (dug from the field and transplanted while the plants are dormant during the colder months, November to the end of March). Most varieties will be available to order now, or container-grown choices are available all year round. Autumn planting gives plants the longest chance of getting their roots down into the soil to help them get established, before the dryness of possible summer heatwaves means constant watering.
As the need for hedges to enclose fields and settlements has diminished, the demand for more ornamental hedging has developed. Evergreen choices might be required to create privacy, hide objects, or form a backdrop to more elaborate planting. Laurel and Thuja plicata are fast-growing and therefore create screening relatively quickly, but they require more ongoing maintenance to keep them in check, as opposed to Portuguese laurel, yew or holly, which are all fine choices for more modest spaces.
You can use almost any woody shrubs to create a hedge, but if you wish to deter intruders try pyracantha or berberis, and if allowed to reach a reasonable size these will also provide great protection for nesting birds. A nice straight clipped hedge adds formality to a space, or why not let your imagination run free and go wavy, or get truly creative and indulge in a spot of topiary?!
Cheers,Ken,
The Garden Enclosure, Banham - making gardening a breeze!
INDEPENDENT GARDEN CENTRE & GIFT SHOP 01953 888043 www.gardenenclosure.co.uk
