What a strange winter here in the Netherlands. Almost the mildest on record until the end of January and then more than three weeks of intense cold in February. The result is that my normal plan of tidying up the garden in mid February didn’t happen. Only now are we getting through the work, but …
Its official, the last day of February marks the end of the meteorological winter and this year its a day later. Or at least that’s what my weather lady tells me on Dutch television. I always had in my head 21st March as the first day of spring, but no, that’s the vernal equinox; and …
This gardening practice is well established in Dutch gardening where native plants as well as hardy annuals form a recurring element within planting designs. As a design concept the spontaneous appearance of delicate plants throughout a border or indeed a whole garden is in line with contemporary attempts at naturalism. The perennial meadows which are …
Two words that seem to trigger instant depression for gardeners: dry and shade. Yes, of course, plants need water and light to grow, but some can do with less. In some ways dry shade can offer opportunities that more clement growing conditions might not. To start with we need to identify what sort of dry …
Early summer is an excellent time of the year to be taking cuttings of perennials. Perennial meadows use a restricted pallet of plants that are repeated across the planting area to create a bold visual impact; not ones or twos here and there, but tens or maybe even hundreds of plants are needed to fill …
Its time to think about sowing biennials for a display next year. Biennials are those plants we grow that flower in their second year from sowing after which we traditionally rip them out and replace them with summer bedding; foxgloves and forget-me-nots are perhaps the two most popular. The plant world does not always follows …
New trends in planting design call for large numbers of perennials to replace traditional lawns and fill our garden landscapes. I want to encourage you to join in, but the biggest problem for most of us is simply affording all of the hundreds of plants these schemes potentially need. One strategy I am investigating is …
Annuals are not always true to their name as many which we grow from seed each year are in fact perennial plants that originate from warmer climates than our own. True annuals are often more delicate, etherial and ephemeral elements in our gardens and I would encourage everyone to grow at least some every year …
Can you grow Annuals in a Perennial Flower Border? Read More »
In February snowdrops and hellebores are indispensable, but we must know how to use them and avoid the hype that surrounds them. It is not the plants, but the people who promote and sell them that I have a problem with. Snowdrops at their best create sheets of white nodding flowers around the dark stems …
February is the season for snowdrops and hellebores. Read More »