Crab apples are beautiful, compact trees with vibrant autumn foliage followed by clusters of buttery yellow, bright ruby red or mellow orange fruits that adorn the branches for many months. Spring brings prolific flowering with pure white, pink and red blossom, and attractive foliage, often with deep purple tones. Thriving in almost any soil and… Continue reading Crab Apple Trees: Year-Round Interest
Category: Garden Design
Drought-proof Gardening
It’s been the driest April on record in the UK and the weather continues to represent drought conditions, and my London garden is looking pretty parched. The water butt at the far end, which collects rainwater from the shed roof, is empty, so I’ve been lugging watering cans up to my raised veg beds every… Continue reading Drought-proof Gardening
It is a BEAUTIFUL Lawn…
Lawns occupy a special place in the hearts of most UK gardeners. That stretch of closely cropped grass sets off herbaceous borders, is the site of vicious games of croquet and more considerate games of bowls. Apparently they have been playing lawn bowls in Southampton since 1299. In the meantime there are references to King… Continue reading It is a BEAUTIFUL Lawn…
All About Alliums…
Alliums start flowering in mid-May and, depending on your variety, continue to do so from to the end of July with their lovely, frozen firework flowers. Alliums have become very “de jour” because their colours range from steely metallic shades to the deepest, velvety purple and because their perfect circular shape defies belief, even probability.… Continue reading All About Alliums…
Using Copper foliage in the garden
And why it is it copper anyway? Contemporary gardeners often use dark colours…look how the ‘Queen of the Night’ tulip has become ubiquitous, and the black grass Ophiopogon planiscarpens nigrescens pops up in urn plantings or as a contrast to pale paving. There is something fascinating about the pool of shade that sombre colours cast… Continue reading Using Copper foliage in the garden