I saw this tree today at Nyman's Gardens, Handcross, Sussex and thought it was beautiful. H/T to University of Arkansas for information on this wonderful plant.
'The Chinese dogwood comes into bloom in mid-May and lasting until early June. It is a 20-foot tall, twiggy, round-headed tree that is small enough to be accommodated in even the most crowded garden. Its flowers appear three weeks after those of the native dogwood.
The blooms are pointed on the end instead of bobbed off like our native dogwood, giving the appearance of white four-pointed stars against the dense green background foliage. The individual petals -- actually modified leaves called bracts -- are usually 2- to 2 1/2 inches long and about one-third as wide. They begin as a beautiful light green and gradually change to bright white as the flowers open.
In the autumn, the Chinese dogwood produces round ping-pong size clusters of red fruit on drooping peduncles that add another dimension of beauty to the tree. Autumn color is usually excellent, in shades of red to scarlet, and persists for two to three weeks.
On old trees, the bark takes on a wonderful flaking characteristic which, while not as beautiful as some of the crape myrtle selections, is still very attractive. The Chinese dogwood was introduced into cultivation in 1907 by the Arnold Arboretum’s great plant collector, E. H. Wilson (1876-1930).
The best known selection of the Chinese dogwood is a cultivar called "Milky Way," which was introduced by Wayside Gardens when they were still located in Mentor, Ohio. Wayside’s nurserymen grew an assortment of seedlings from as many seed sources as possible and selected 15 trees that produced large bracts and had a precocious flowering habit. This block of trees became the source of scion wood when the tree was introduced in the late 1960's. Because 15 trees were selected instead of one, there will sometimes be variation between trees grown under the name "Milky Way."
The Chinese dogwood is easier to grow than our native dogwood, but it still does best when given a reasonably fertile soil and good drainage. While I have seen it used in the middle of parking lot islands in full sun, it is better sited where it gets some afternoon shade.
It should be watered during dry periods, but otherwise requires no special care. It is not as susceptible to the dogwood borer and, so far at least, has shown good resistance to both dogwood powdery mildew and dogwood anthracnose that have plagued our native trees.
Chinese dogwoods can sometimes be slow to flower. If grown from seed, it is not unusual for trees to take seven to 10 years to reach maturity and become old enough to bloom. Even budded trees, which in theory at least should always bloom, are shy to bloom their first few years. The best way to set good flowering is to avoid over-fertilizing while keeping the plant well watered during the early part of the growing season. Then, after mid July cut back on watering and allow the plant to experience the joys of summer. This more stressful summer experience usually promotes good flower bud set in the autumn.'
People say that Buddleja is the best plant for getting wildlife and butterflies into your garden. I recently took a trip over to my parents house and they showed me the Everlasting Wallflower, latin name, Vanessa cardui.
Tens of painted lady butterflies are now swarming into my parents garden, because they absolutely adore this plant. If you like butterflies in your garden, get it!
Great article from Garden Forum on pruning Clematis.
Pruning is one garden job that confuses many gardeners. And pruning clematis/how to prune clematis is certainly one area that has heads scratching all over the world.
You don't have to prune clematis. Pruning can be restricted to: 1) the plants are out-growing their allotted space; 2) the flowers are produced too high up to enjoy.
Pruning in the latter case can even be avoided by retraining and tying shoots lower down on the support - say just above ground level. These shoots produce their flowers much lower down.
Training shoots horizontally not only keeps the flowers within eye level, but provides better coverage of the support, and the reduced flow of sap encourages even more flowers.
Clematis can be divided into three groups when it comes to the subject of pruning, depending on when they flower.
Group 1
Early-flowering species clematis (such as Clematis montana, C. macropetala and C. alpina),
These plants flower on growth produced the previous year and, if needed, are just given a light pruning to remove spent flowers immediately after flowering.
Old, woody plants can be pruned very hard - down to a couple of feet if necessary, preferably to just above some strong, healthy growth - after flowering to remove lots of the old, non-flowering growth. Plants may take a year or so to fully recover and start flowering properly again. Old plants may not recover.
Group 2
Large-flowered hybrids that start flowering in May/June.
These cultivars can be cut back fairly hard - say to between 90cm to 1.2m (3-4ft) high - to just above a fat pair of buds/single bud; the former is better.
Start pruning at the top of the plant and work your way down.
Pruning is carried out at the end of February/early March.
Group 3
These can be cut back very hard - say to 23-45cm (9-18in) high - again just above a pair of buds/single bud - removing nearly all of the previous year's growth.
Start pruning at the bottom of the plant.
Pruning is carried out at the end of February/early March.
Even though some years can encourage a lot of early growth on clematis, don't be tempted to prune Group 2 and Group 3 cultivars any earlier, as frosts can still kill this early growth leaving none to grow away on hard-pruned plants.
If you want to retain some tall growth on plants to retain cover of the supporting structure, you could cut down just half the shoots as described above. This will give slightly earlier but higher flowers on the un-pruned growth. The pruned shoots will flower a little later and produce flowers lower down the plant. This gives a better and slightly longer display.
Aftercare
As with any plants, pruning should be followed by a good feed with a granular fertiliser. Rose food is excellent for this.
I've seen this shrub around Brighton and it has really grown on me. Not literally, of course. It is called Ribes sanguineum, known as Red Flowering Current. Looks great at this time of year and sweet fragrance. Here is the Wikipedia info...
'It is a deciduous shrub growing to 4m tall. The bark is dark brownish-grey with prominent paler brown lenticels. The leaves are 2-7 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with five lobes; when young in spring, they have a strong resinous scent. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the leaves emerge, on racemes 3-7 cm long of 5-30 flowers; each flower is 5-10 mm diameter, with five red or pink petals. The fruit is dark purple oval berry 1 cm long, edible but with an insipid taste.
It is a very popular garden shrub, grown for its brightly colored and scented flowers in early spring. Numerous cultivars have been selected with flowers ranging from white to dark red. It was introduced into cultivation by David Douglas.
Named cultivars include:
* 'King Edward VII', with red flowers * 'Pulborough Scarlet', also with red flowers * 'White Icicle', with white flowers'
Absolutely brilliant article from Inhabitat website. Clickhere for the full story. There is something vaguely Franciscan about this idea and is the kind of thing that would have me hatching all kinds of pipe dreams of getting a band of brothers together to go around doing gardening works of mercy for Brighton. It's the kind of action that says, "We are going to go around doing good under the cover of darkness and there's nothing you or the council can do about it!"
Regardless of whether you are an urban, suburban, or rural dweller, there is inevitably a patch of neglected turf in your neighborhood that might need a bit of TLC and greening. If you see hidden gardening potential between sidewalk cracks when others see decay and abandon, well then, you might be a budding guerrilla gardener and not even know it! The guerrila gardening phenomenon is currently sweeping the globe as folks are finding innovative ways to come together for the optimization of neglected land and paved surface area. It’s a turf war for some, or a poetic gesture for others, but either way, citizens are rolling up there sleeves to create gardens in the most unlikely spaces and places.
The term ‘guerrilla gardening‘ might scare off some, but the practice has a long history of both radical and community-building tactics. Liz Christy and the Green Guerrillas transformed an abandoned lot in NYC’s Bowery during the 1970’s and as the BBC recently reported, guerrilla gardeners are ’sowing the seeds of resistance’ in South London. Many ‘resistance gardeners’ consider themselves to be vandals of sorts but with plants or seeds as weapons, often operating covertly at night in empty lots or on public property that otherwise remains unkept or barren.
An organized, team-driven planting project aka a ‘cell mission’ might occur along a roadside median or stretch of row houses. A simple spoon with compost might also do the trick for the lone individual who wants to create an island of green near a naked telephone pole or lamp post. Seed bombs might also be tossed over chainlink fences, ala a serious eco-recipe that Christy and company originally concocted.
The Guerilla Gardening website has a friendly though subversive sort of tone, as it has gone from tracking the activities of “illicit cultivation around London” to being a “growing arsenal for anyone who is interested in waging war against the neglect of public space.” It’s troop digs are warm and inviting and ultimately about reclamation, beautification, and even growing food in public spaces (a political act in and of itself as we re-educate ourselves about viable land use). The lighter side of the guerilla gardening campaign would probably be community gardens or grassroots gardening, which also brings folks together (during daylight hours) for neighborhood improvement and local food security. Whether as collective green graffiti or as an attempt to reclaim the neighborhood and make improvements for all, guerrilla gardening is a form of eco-activism that is catching on despite its controversial methods.
Somebody would like me to help her lay down some slate-chippings in her front garden and it has to be said that they do make for an ideal, low maintenance garden, which you can then plant up with potted plants and have grasses or other plants sprouting up from the chippings, creating a lovely effect. Stipa tenuissima and blue grasses in particular go well with it. I think this image actually makes for a nice, visually striking garden. Lavender and Rosemary would go well with this effect too. So much potential!
This is a nice effect with Hostas, a Phoenix Palm, Juniper communis, Crocosmia and ferns. The constrast of the greens and the plum chippings is really pretty. Slates come in plum, green, grey, blue, black but I think the grey, green, plum look is the nicest type.
The Telegraph have compiled a list of the 25 best Spring plants in a top 100 for all seasons. Here it is:
1 Pulmonaria 'Diana Clare' Long, silvered leaves with an apple-green cast flatter deep violet flowers, making this pulmonaria perhaps the best of all. Part shade (30cm/2ft).
2 Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum' Graceful wiry stems with two-tone yellow flowers above heart-shaped, shiny green leaves. A toughie. Part shade (30cm/2ft).
3 Erysimum 'Bowles' Mauve'
In flower from spring until late autumn, this bushy wallflower produces sprays of purple flowers above grey-green foliage. Sun and good drainage (75cm/2.5ft).
4 Dryopteris wallichiana
Black bristly hairs contrast against bright green fronds when this handsome upright fern unfurls its croziers in late April. Good soil, shade (1.2 m/4ft).
5 Scilla siberica 'Spring Beauty' Easy, deep blue, diminutive bulb to drift through paler spring bulbs, whether miniature narcissi or erythroniums. Semi-shade (15cm/6in).
6 Cyclamen coum
Jaunty swept-back flower with a magenta nose. Grow in full sun or under trees and allow to self-seed. Good drainage (10cm/4in).
7 Clematis macropetala Let it scramble over a wall and, given time, it produces ragged, soft-petalled flowers with cool green middles. Good drainage (3m/10ft).
8 Viburnum x burkwoodii 'Park Farm Hybrid' Early spicy, sweet fragrance as deep pink buds open to apple-white flowers that show up well against the shiny green leaves. Easy (3m/10ft).
9 Crocus chrysanthus 'Blue Pearl'
For early spring sparkle, this delicate silver-blue crocus shimmers in spring sunshine and complements yellows, oranges and purples. Full sun (7cm/3in).
10 Narcissus 'Jetfire' This vivid yellow-petalled cyclamineus hybrid develops a bright orange trumpet, so it makes a great impact. Easy anywhere (24cm/9in).
11 Narcissus 'Ice Wings' White narcissi flower later than yellows and are often scented. This double-headed, ivory-white triandrus hybrid is superb with blue muscari. Easy (30cm/1ft).
12 Crocus vernus 'Pickwick' Capable of pushing through the lawn, this large-flowered crocus has lilac petals finely feathered in purple. Full sun (12cm/5in).
13 Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata'
Easy daphne with lily-scented pink flowers and yellow-rimmed green leaves. Wide rather than tall. Warm shelter (2m/7ft).
14 Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost' Heart-shaped silvered leaves dramatically edged and veined in green, finished off with dainty blue flowers. Good soil, part shade (50cm/20in).
15 Tulipa 'Spring Green'
This colour-washed green and white tulip softens deep shade and mixes brilliantly with green foliage. Shade (30cm/12in).
16 Erythronium 'Pagoda' Pallid, yellow Tiffany lamps and mottled foliage make this a woodland essential. Divide after flowering to encourage more. Leaf-litter, humus-rich soil (50cm/20in).
17 Viola cornuta 'Alba' A cushion of watercress-green foliage topped by wispy pansy flowers from May. Superb under roses. Shade (22cm/9in).
18 Anemone nemorosa 'Vestal' This pristine white anemone has a neat, double centre and long-lasting flowers that spread. Woodland shade (15cm/6in).
19 Dicentra 'Bacchanal'
Delicate, apple-green ferny foliage topped by claret-red bleeding hearts on long stems. More persistent than many. Part shade (30cm/1ft).
20 Euphorbia polychroma A mound of acid yellow flowers throughout spring. Brightens up a dark corner or shows off vibrant tulips. Easy anywhere (38cm/15in).
21 Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel'
The slender, rose-pink petals splay outwards to form a star. Frost resistant, but site away from morning sun. Moist soil (5m/16ft).
22 Polystichum setiferum 'Grandiceps' These elaborate polystichums look almost mossy in spring and this form has upright crested fronds. Shade but not too dry (38cm/15in).
23 Euphorbia griffithii 'Dixter'
Asparagus-like spears develop into warm orange heads, even in deep shade, and the stems and leaf veins share the same tone. Good soil (90cm/3ft).
24 Vinca difformis Wide-eyed, white periwinkle flowers with a hint of steel-blue, for early ground cover in an awkward spot. Accommodating (60cm/2ft).
25 Muscari armeniacum 'Valerie Finnis' A baby-blue grape hyacinth with cool green overtones. Densely packed flowers on short stalks. Easy anywhere (20cm/8in).
Courtesy of Gardening Data, clickhere for Website.
Using turf is the quickest way to get a lawn, but it needs careful preparation and care while it settles down. In southern UK, turves are best laid in late winter/early spring when the ground has not dried out and the growing season is approaching. They can be laid later in spring through to late summer but they will need more attention to ensure that they do not dry out. Laying them in late autumn and early winter is best avoided as the grass will be dormant and the turves can become waterlogged by winter rain. In more northern areas, the best times are early spring to mid summer.
Turves should ideally be laid within 24 hours of delivery, any delay over 48 hours increases the risk of the grass turning yellow or the turf drying out before being laid - 3 days should be considered the absolute maximum in ideal conditions (not too dry, hot or sunny). Don't arrange for the turves to be delivered until the site is completely prepared and you are ready to lay them.
Types of turf
Turf is usually supplied in rolled up length, 3 foot by 1 foot by 1.5 to 2 inches, they can be heavy to handle especially during wet weather. Meadow grass turf, is what it says, turf cut from an ordinary meadow. It is the cheapest type to purchase but will contain mixed grass types and weeds. It is quite hard wearing so is suitable if children or pets are going to use it. Seeded turf is a much better quality, it comprises a known type of grass suitable for lawns, it should not contain any weeds. Try to buy turves from sources using personal recommendations or after inspecting them - look for moist soil and a good colour of the soil and grass. You will only have a good quality lawn if you use good quality turves.
Planning the lawn
Before you start laying turf, give some thought as to what you want, as the lawn will be with you for years to come. Do you want a square lawn or a shaped one? Do you want flower beds in the lawn? Sometimes it is worth putting down a full lawn and cutting flower beds into it later when you have lived with it for a year or two.
A lawn need not be flat but you'll probably want to avoid very steep slopes. If you need to flatten an area, remember not to mix top soil and sub soil. Although it may seem a lot more work, the proper way is to remove the top soil from all the area to be levelled, then flatten the surface by redistributing the sub soil, and then replace the top soil over the whole area. Try to build up as much ground as you level down, this will mean that you won't have much soil to dispose of. If the ground is levelled up by more that about a foot (30 cm), leave it to settle for a year before laying turf.
Preparing the site
The lawn area needs to be well drained. If the area suffers from water retention, it may be necessary to lay a soak away or drainage pipes. If a lawn is to be laid around a newly built house, you can expect the builders to have buried some building waste and also to have mixed top and soil soils. If there is any builders sand left, do not dig it in - you need 'sharp sand' to condition soil not 'builders sand'. Start by removing all large stones, blocks and any obviously non-organic rubbish from the surface.
If you are replacing an existing lawn, dig off the existing grass to about two inches. A lawn grows best on well drained medium loam, if your soil is like this, your preparation can be minimal, but if the soil is clay or sandy, you'll need to do more work. With heavy clay soils, you should add sharp sand, well decomposed manure, garden compost or rotted leaves. This will improve drainage under the lawn.
With sandy soils, you should add well decomposed manure or rotted leaves. This will improve moisture retention under the lawn. The top soil needs to be prepared to give a fine, workable soil to a depth of 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12 cm) - if you are adding organic material, you should aim for a minimum depth of 6 inches (15 cm). If the area of the lawn is fairly small, it can be prepared by hand using a spade. For larger areas it is worth using a rotavator - borrowing or hiring one if necessary.
When starting to prepare the soil, it needs to be not too dry and not too wet. Start by digging or rotavating the whole area to the required depth, breaking down any large clumps of soil and remove any stones or rubbish that you see. When digging, work backwards so you don't tread down the soil you've just broken up.
Having turned over the whole area, add half of anything you need to dig in, and dig over or rotavate the whole area again. Add the other material to be dug in, and again go over the whole area. Rake over the area to level it (again removing any stones/rubbish which appears). Tread down the entire area - starting are one corner, walk slowly across the area placing one foot in front of the other, when you reach the other end, turn around and repeat until the whole area has been trod down (if the area is large, get help from your family and friends - I've not heard of a 'lawn walking party' but there's no reason not to have one!). The first time you do this, you'll probably find some humps and dips, remove these by giving the surface a light racking and repeat the treading down.
When you are happy that you have a flat surface, it is time to get the turves delivered, think about where to stack them as you only want to move them once yet have them handy for when you lay them. If the weather is very hot, dry or sunny, try to find a place which is shaded but not too far from the new lawn. Also decide where you are going to start laying the turves, if one side is against a wall or path, start there. If a corner of the area is formed by walls or paths, start in that corner. It's better if the last turves are laid along 'flexible' edges rather than fixed edges such as walls or paths.
Laying the lawn
When the turves have arrived and you are ready to lay them, give the whole area a dressing of general purpose fertiliser (such as one handful per square yard of Growmore), and rack it in to the top surface. Use a garden line to mark out a straight edge to lay your first row of turves, don't rely on the straight edge of a wall or path - the chances are it won't be straight.
Do not walk or run a wheelbarrow directly on newly laid turves, use planks on top of the turves to run the wheelbarrow, walk and kneel on (they will also have the effect of firming down the turves). Lay the first turf along the line and upto the start point of the first row. Continue to lay the turves along the line, end to end. Align each new one to the line and butt it upto the end of the previous one until the first row is complete, don't trim off the end to it's required length until the whole lawn has been laid. If it looks as if the required end edge will mean that the last piece of turf will be very small (less than 18 inches (45 cm)), use two large cut pieces for the last two turves rather than a full turf plus a small one.
If you notice any humps or dips in the turves as you lay them, remove or add soil as appropriate. Start the second row by cutting a turf to half length and lay one half against the first turf of the first row. Butt it up against the start line and also the first row. This will give staggered turf joints and give a better lawn. Lay the rest of the second row using full turves, butt each turf firmly up against both adjacent turves. Adjust the two turves in the same manner as used on the first row to ensure that the last turf is not too small. As you go along, fill in any gaps between turves with a mixture of soil and sharp sand. Repeat for the remaining rows, starting off each alternatively using full or half turves.
When you come to the second from last row, check the required width. If it is less than two turf widths, you will need to trim one row of turves lengthways. Cut and lay these trimmed turves along the second to last row and then use full width turves for the final row.
When all the turves have been laid, pass a garden roller over it, once long the turves and once at right-angles. You may need to trim some of the edges:
* If you need a straight edge, run a string line along the edge and use a half-moon edging tool to cut the turves as necessary. * If you need curved edges, a hose-pipe laid on the turves can be used to form any curve required. Again you can use a half-moon edging tool to cut turf or you could use a sharp knife.
After care
If the turves are laid in hot weather, they will need to be watered - preferably using a sprinkler to give a gentle watering. For the first season, watering should be carried out during hot, dry periods. Any problems should be visible by the grass losing its colour. Keep playing children and pets off the lawn for the first season, turves are transplanted plants and need time to recover their full strength. Newly laid turves should not be mown until it starts to grow, and even then, the mowers should be set high for the first couple of cuts, and then reduced over the following three or four cuts.
I have just completed a mulching project for a family living in Westdene. Together we decided to mulch the sides of the garden to create a distinctive border on either side. It does look an improvement, but in total we used 24 bags of 125L bark chippings! Well, it was heavy work I can tell you and my joints are aching today, but the family are pleased with it. A good thing about it is the weed membrane and chippings cover any stones or sharp objects which children might find should they wander over to the borders, so it is decorative and safer for children. I hope to post a picture of the end result in a day or two. Don't these Ericas (Heather) look lovely.
Welcome to England's Gardens, a blogsite for a small gardening business, providing garden services to Brighton & Hove and beyond. I charge £10 an hour for gardening services, reductions for OAPs. As well as being an online record of gardening work I have carried out, it is an online horticultural magazine for those interested in gardening. Hope you enjoy it!
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