Before & After with England's Gardens

Before: At this garden in Patcham, England's Gardens renewed a flower bed which needed some work. We planted some new plants freshly bought from the garden centre, weeded and cleared leaves from the bed, before adding some rich compost to the border. Now it looks as good as new...







After: ...And here are the results...

Popular posts from this blog

Slate of the Art Gardening

Image
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.
Read more

The Telegraph's Top 10 Spring Flowering Shrubs

Image
Cercis chinensis 'Avondale' - Chinese Redbud Courtesy of The Telegraph Cercis chinensis 'Avondale’ , a form of the Chinese redbud, makes a large shrub or small tree, with masses of purple-pink pea flowers on the bare shoots in late March and April. The leaves then unfurl; they are very big, heart-shaped, pale green in colour and turn yellow in autumn. This plant is hardy, happiest in full sun or partial shade, and likes a fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Halesia carolina is one of the choicest of all spring shrubs (or small trees), having adorable, nodding, pure white snowdrop flowers in late spring, once the plant has a few years on the clock. These are ¾in long, and hang in clusters of three or five on short stalks. These flowers turn into 2in-long, pear-shaped fruit with four wings and a tail. When fully ripe, these are brown, chiming well with the leaves, which yellow in autumn. Halesias like a sheltered spot in sun or part shade in neutral or acid soil. Chaenomel...
Read more