Lazy days relaxing in the sun, watching the bees, the hoverflies, the butterflies and the midges – the sound of distant church bells or is this just a memory of times long gone . . . . . .

Now we sit in the sun and listen to mowers, strimmers, aircraft overhead, the sirens of passing emergency vehicles and the hubbub of modern life, or if you’re smart you plug yourself into your MP3 to get away from it all.

Somewhere along the way we seem to have lost, what was it now, peace and tranquility, well in that case, the only remedy is to create our own. So dig out the deckchairs and sun loungers, dust them down for another year, place in your favourite spot, then with a long, cool drink, close your eyes and find your own imaginary peace and tranquillity.

The above reads more like an obituary to the garden, and I apologise to our younger readers who have missed so much.

Back to business – June, a month of mowing and hoeing and weeding and feeding. If you mow at least once a week without the grass box, the mowings will act as a mulch, be taken down by the worms and eventually become food for the roots. If earlier in the year you happened to notice water laying on the lawn, fork in some sharp sand now to assist drainage. Hoeing, if at all possible, do this regularly. It not only keeps down the weeding but again acts as a mulch; remember the weeds are taking the moisture from the soil which your plants are dependant upon.

If you have time, spray the roses against black spot, this is best done in the evening. Carry on deadheading, it does pay dividends and if the early flowering herbaceous plants are cut back they will have a good chance of flowering again later. The May flowering perennials can now be divided and replanted, using space to fill in the inevitable gaps that appear. Remember to water them in thoroughly. Helianthemum, Pansies & Pinks are just a few of the plants that can be propagated this month. Cuttings should be about 2” (5cm) long with the bottom leaves removed. Insert 1”(2.5cm) in a 5” (12.5cm) pot of a sandy compost and place in a shady spot in a greenhouse, cold frame or windowsill. Don’t cram too many into the pot – six to eight maximum.

Now is a good time to wander around garden centres, making notes of anything that looks especially good – you then need to drop hints for birthday, Xmas gifts, etc. – it does work and gets you a full twelve months colour in the garden if you do it regularly enough.

I have probably mentioned this before, but if you are considering buying a Wisteria, now is the time to do so, but only if it is in flower. If it is flowering now, it will do so again next year. If it isn’t, you may well have to wait another five years or so.

Whilst wandering have a look at the Campanulas and Penstemon which seem to keep on flowering for ages. Regular readers will know these are two of my favourites along with the Helleborus Orientalis for late winter and early spring blooms. Happy relaxing - don’t work too hard now!

Let’s hope that by the time you settle down to read this, the good weather will have arrived. I don’t want to wax lyrical about Spring, but I think you will agree, this is a great time of year, always full of promise. I always think that March is a 50/50 month whereby, once we are able to get back into the garden, half our time is spent tidying up after last year which automatically is preparation for the new one.

Write an article on what readers should be doing in the garden during January & February, she said – I didn’t have time to answer, the phone went dead.

Working in the garden this time of year, they must be masochists! The men in white coats will be along soon! I suppose we could all light a bonfire, put our chairs around and all sing carols – bit early in the year for that I know! Lets all sit on our chairs, be very still and the first one to freeze is out. Better still lets all go indoors, sit in front of the fire, glass in hand and talk about anything but the garden.

I sat thinking, should I remind her, even bears sleep through the winter, I know for sure I’ve never seen one in my garden at this time of year. Anyway, down to business . . . . . . . . .

We hear a lot of talk of global warming and if this really is happening we can help, in our own small way and counteract emissions by planting – especially trees.

Of course there are hundreds of spectacular trees, but substantially less for the standard, modern garden due to size restrictions. The Malus or Crab Apple has wonderful springtime flowers followed by the fruits in autumn which colour up from yellow through orange to a deep red. The Prunus or Flowering Cherry has an abundance of beautiful, delicate springtime flowers; many species having coloured foliage in spring and again in autumn. Lastly, the Sorbus or Mountain Ash also known as Rowan is a spring flowering tree with wonderful autumn colours to the leaves, and coloured fruits ranging from white yellow, pink to red. Many of these remaining on the tree long after the leaves have dropped. Ancient folklore recommends one in every garden to ward off witches!

Listed below is a selection of trees ideally suited to the smaller garden:-

•    MALUS FLORIBUNDA or JAPANESE CRAB – flowers pale blush, fruits red and yellow.
•    MALUS JOHN DOWNIE – this is the best fruiting crab apple, good for jelly. Flowers white, fruits orange/red.
•    MALUS RED JADE – Weeping tree with pink & white flowers and red fruits.
•    MALUS GOLDEN HORNET – White flowers with bright yellow fruits
•    PRUNUS ACCOLADE – Graceful habit with a profusion of pink flowers in April.
•    PRUNUS KIKU SHIDARE ZAKURA “CHEALS WEEPING” – Bronze young leaves with rose pink flowers.
•    PRUNUS SUBHIRTELLA AUTUMNALIS – Semi-double white flowers from November to March.
•    PRUNUS PANDORA – Shell pink flowers. Coloured foliage in spring and again in autumn.
•    SORBUS CASHMIRIANA – Pink flowers in May with fruits white or pink flushed retained long after leaf drop.
•    SORBUS EMBLEY – Leaves copper when young, bright red in autumn, white flowers and red fruits.
•    SORBUS JOSEPH ROCK – White flowers, yellow fruits, leaves with beautiful autumn colours remaining long after leaf fall.
•    SORBUS VILMORINII – Fern like foliage, turning to red in autumn, fruits pink, then white – a charming species.

Add a tree to a garden and the eye is immediately drawn to it. There aren’t many sights more beautiful than a tree in bloom and now is the time to plant. Most garden centres will have a good selection of container grown trees, and if you look for one 2-2.5 metres high (about 6-8 ft) this will create an instant impact and is just manageable to manoeuvre into place unaided. For those of you brave enough to visit an old fashioned nursery, you need to ask for a 6-8cm girth tree, and you will get more of a bargain if you buy bareroot or openground, meaning they have been grown in the ground ( as opposed to a pot) and more often than not, lifted directly for you! Remember you will also need a stake and tie, and then you are all set to go.

When ready to plant, lay a sheet of polythene on the ground alongside the planting hole or tree pit and put the soil onto this as you dig out. Break up the bottom of the hole and extend the sides to accept the rootball with plenty of clearance all round. Remove the container and place the tree in the hole, making sure it is at the same depth as it was previously growing, and backfill with soil, heeling in firmly all round the trunk. Bang in the stake, fix the tie, and you’re done.

If the ground is frosty you can still plant, just remove the frost crust 5-7cms (2-3”) and set to one side, plant as directed and replace frost crust on top again. We can always topdress with a fertiliser in the spring. This is the ideal job for this time of year and will give pleasure for years to come.

The men at the front door in white coats – they must have the wrong address!!
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Written by John Odell

A Brief History of the Christmas Tree . . . . . 
 

Picea Abies Excelsa, the Common Spruce or the Norway Spruce . . . . . . . . known by many names, but better to known to us throughout the Northern Hemisphere as the Christmas tree.  It has long been associated with Christianity. History or folklore refers back a thousand years or so, when, in Germany, St. Boniface converted the Germans to Christianity. Apparently a number of pagans were seen worshipping an Oak tree,  symbolic of strength, as it would have been one of the largest trees in the woodland, reaching up to the heavens. It also represents winter, and to this day the Battle of the Oak and the Holly King (representing summer) is re-enacted by pagans on the winter solstice eve, drumming in the advent of longer days and the forthcoming spring and summer months. 

So, to deter the folk from their old, pagan rituals, St. Boniface had the ancient tree felled, and shortly afterwards a young fir tree sprang up from the roots of the oak, which has since become a symbol of the Christian faith. 

When originally cut and taken indoors early in the sixteenth century, these were always hung upside down to represent the Holy Trinity. Martin Luther introduced the idea of bedecking the tree in candles as he wanted to show worshippers the effects of the wonder of stars twinkling through a forest of evergreen trees.  

It was also about this time that it was introduced into the British Isles, where we soon concocted a lethal brew from the shoots and leaves known as Spruce Beer! 

In later years, Druids or Priests of the Woods as they were known, introduced Holly and Mistletoe at Christmastime as symbols of eternal life. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees to the extent we do is attributed to Queen Victoria after Prince Albert from Coburg in Germany presented one to the Royal family in 1841 for Windsor Castle. This was greatly admired by English society and has been carried on ever since. 

Decorations for the tree would take the form of cakes, sweets, pieces of silk, feathers, pouches of sugared almonds and wisps of cotton wool in the shape of angels and snowmen. 

The glass baubles with which we adorn our trees, is another German speciality which was made popular when introduced widely in the 1880s by none other than F.W. Woolworth. Whereas the fake tree was largely popularised in the 1950s and 1960s as we became squashed into smaller houses with lower ceilings. Although first reports of fake trees come in the 1920s which were actually made from feathers! 

For those more horticulturally minded, spruces are a very diverse genus of evergreen trees ranging from Excelsa – a very large tree indeed to Picea Abies Reflexa which only reaches 0.5m after twenty five years. Both male and female strobili; fruit are produced on the same tree. The cones usually ripen in the first year and fall, intact in the autumn of the second year. 

So, for all of you intent on opting for the real thing, here are a few tips which may assist you . . . . . 

1. Purchase the tree early so that it can go in water; this will aid in retaining freshness and firm needles.  
2. As a rule, locally grown trees will be fresher and cheaper than those shipped from a distance.
3. Select a tree that is at least one foot shorter than the ceiling height in the room where you will display your tree.
4. Be sure to look at the trunk. If you can see splits in the trunk, the tree will most likely have dried to a point where it will not take up water.
5. Make sure the base of the trunk is straight and 6 to 8 inches long to allow placement in the tree stand.
   
6. Look for a tree with a healthy, green appearance and very few dead or browning needles. Avoid trees with a wilted look.
   
7. Run your hand along a branch – if needles come off in your hand, forget it!    
   
8. Bump the trunk of the tree on the ground. If green needles fall off the tree, it shows the tree is not fresh and you should source another. 
   
   

Wishing You All A Merry Christmas At Greencraft
 

Covering a multitude of sins!

December again, with the short daylight hours and so much to do and organise this month, we aren’t going to have a great deal of time for the garden. We can take stock, however, and do a re-appraisal. Let’s look at the hedge – is it as good as it should be? Or is it becoming sparse in places? 

If so find a friend who has a Jasmine growing in their garden, beg a length or two of ripe wood, about pencil thickness, and cut these into 30cm (12”) pieces, and push these about 2/3rds of their length into the ground where the gaps are. With a bit of luck they will root and flower within two years. 

We can do the same thing to cover fences and walls using the same principle, with a number of different species of deciduous shrubs. (Deciduous meaning shrubs that lose their leaves in winter as opposed to Evergreen which retain theirs.) Buddleia, the Butterfly Bush; Cornus, the Dogwood; Ribes, the Flowering Currant, Roses and Spiraea, to name just a few. It’s well worth a try and surprisingly easy. The best bit is, that with a little help from your friends, it’s free! 

Alternatively, there are some wonderful evergreen climbing shrubs, my personal favourite is Trachelospermum Jasminoides Variegata. Don’t let the name put you off. This is a truly beautiful climber with very fragrant white flowers during July and August. Leaves splashed creamy white, occasionally turning deep red in winter.  

Another for winter colour is Clematis Cirrhosa Balearica which has yellow flowers dotted purple followed by silky heads throughout the colder months. Clematis Armandii has cream flowers in the spring. Lonicera Halleana – honeysuckle, has very fragrant white flowers changing to yellow from June onwards.  

The above would need a trellis or climbing frame. If that isn’t practical, then wall shrubs are the answer. Again, all evergreen and free-standing, although they will eventually need tying back to the fence or wall for support. One of the most welcome is Coronilla Glauca Variegata. Given a sheltered spot, this is a must! It has an abundance of yellow flowers from October through to March brightening up any corner. Ceanothus A.T.Johnson would complement this beautifully with its blue flowers in early spring, then again in autumn, but again, this requires a sunny spot. 

Pyracantha Coccinea Lalandei or Firethorn is a fantastic wall shrub which will grow in shade. White flowers in June followed by orange red berries throughout autumn and winter.

Imagine these, all evergreen remember, planted to hide that unsightly area or ugly fence. If you really want to go mad, in between, just here and there, add a Climbing Rose or Clematis for extra summer colour. Then when neighbours and friends pass complimentary remarks you can tell them that on a cold winter’s afternoon, you were ‘inspired’. You don’t believe it had anything to do with that large glass of mulled wine or was it punch, when the pink elephants whispered in your ear – it was pure inspiration! 

- John Odell

Wishing You All A Merry Christmas From Greencraft!

In this present recession, and yes it most definitely is a recession, I suspect the UK will be hit the hardest out of many Western countries in the next few years, it’s time to consider how one can use the garden to save on what is one of the most expensive weekly bills we pay in this country. Yes your food bill, unlike petrol, cars, electrical goods, and many other stable and luxury items that seem to be dropping in price by the day. Food is on the rise.

However not everyone has the space to grow their own veggies, and besides how much can you really save? Well, to tell the truth quite a lot, although, and for many this should be a positive addition to my argument, you won’t be able to grow your own biscuits, crisps, sweets and ready meals. I do like my treats, but as the years pass by I feel it’s important to eat more sensibly, healthily, and besides, fresh fruit and vegetables can serve as a veritable treat after what seems like a never endng trend for convenience over health, or even good taste for that matter!

I, like many am in a difficult position when it comes to growing my own food, I have a small roof garden, with a decking area and a beautiful but quite inedible arrangement of potted plants. Living in a tall thin townhouse near the coast has its disadvantages, and one of the main ones I share with many city dwellers and townies is a distinct lack of outdoor space. As the weekly shop has mounted in both price and inconvenience over recent years, what with the over crowded roads, and monopoly of supermarket chains over good quality, fairly priced, locally produced food, I’ve taken some time out of my busy schedule to seek alternatives, and thought you might like to share my findings.

As I’ve mentioned, space is for me, at a premium, so I know I won’t be planting a field of potatoes anytime soon, however it got me thinking that perhaps that does, in some rather odd way benefit me no end. What are you wittering on about now Christina? I’ll tell you, the most expensive items in the fruit and veg department at any large supermarket are usually, and quite ironically, the smallest!

Take chilli peppers for instance, pound for pound you’ll pay far more for a mere handful of these spicy treats than you ever would for say some humble swedes or a bag of carrots. Of course I’m over simplifying the argument, there are exceptions to the rule, but for the main part it’s rather a joyous coincidence that it takes very little space to grow many of my most favourite and unsurprisingly expensive treats. Take strawberries or example, it doesn’t take much effort to cold frame a few strawberry plants for the spring, and ensure a cheap and fruitful supply of summer treats. Then there are herbs, once again a pricey item, and what’s more far more tasty when picked fresh.

Besides  the usual choices there are reams of available ‘baby varieties’ of everything from cucumbers to Chinese corn on the cob, as well as many other Chinese varieties of aubergine, spinach and lettuce. Tomatoes on the vine are said to provide more vitamins and stay ripe longer (if kept on a vine stem). For those with a little more space than a window box, perhaps a balcony or like myself a roof garden, there’s always the option of growing a few rarer varieties of courgettes, sweet potatoes and even aubergines in pots.

Do take care that you choose a sunny spot, in a south-facing area. Not only is it a treat to reach out of the kitchen window and pick a few salad leaves and herbs for an evening meal, but it actually brightens up the place no end. Make sure that with root crops like carrots you provide a deep container, as they have deep roots and won’t grow well in shallow soil. Tomatoes grow tall and need a little stability and staking as they grow.

By using a high quality soil can further improve the cropping of your plants, so sure to choose a rich mixture that has the right level of nutrients. Your local garden centre will be able to offer you a good range of suitable compost for growing your own food or even better you can create your own. There are plenty of websites, books at your local library or even ask an avid gardener at your nearest allotments (which are becoming more popular than ever) for advice. Your local council may be able to provide you a low cost compost bin as EU guidelines are ensuring that they encourage more of their local residents to do grow your own food and compost these days!

Wrap up warm, there’s work to be done!

The thought of it doesn’t make your heart miss a beat does it? More like a sinking feeling. In that case sink into your favourite armchair with your favourite tipple and imagine!

Enthusiasm for gardening at this time of year is maybe a little lacking which is understandable, but why not cast your mind back to all of those baskets, tubs and containers full of colour during last summer.

Well, why do we do them just for the summer? Come on, we can make them just as glorious with the wonderful choices now available for colour during winter and spring. Now there are no excuses as to why they can’t look just as wonderful, and give us that much needed lift on those chilly mornings.

Baskets : planted with trailing ivies, crocus, muscari, and miniature daffodils.

Containers : Ivies again with primroses, polyanthus, with perhaps a few early tulips poking through.

Tubs : planted with Erica carnea in variety (winter heather) and daffodils flowering above them, and then winter pansies everywhere as they are so cheerful.

If you have a tub or spot in the garden about 60-90cms (2’-3’) in diameter, plant it up with 50 muscari, 12 Red Emperor tulips and 5 King Alfred or Carlton daffodils. They will all flower together, on or about the 21st April providing a truly wonderful sight! Plant the daffs first, 15cms (6”) deep, then the tulips 12-15cms (5”-6”) and finally the muscari 5-7cms (2”-3”) deep.

If the garden is looking a little tired or flat at present, then let’s bring it back to life. Obviously, there are a number of things we can do, but one that won’t cost a fortune is to incorporate a feature that immediately adds interest to the garden.

The majority of us have seen the estates and manor houses of old with their very large rock gardens. Well, we won’t be attempting anything nearly as ambitious but we can achieve a charming outcrop, with a plot approximately 1500 x 1200cms (4’-5’) situated alongside a path or to one side of the patio.

Be daring – lift one or two paving slabs from the edge of the patio and incorporate it half into the paved area and half into the lawn. All one will need is five or six pieces of Kentish Ragstone in varying sizes, four eighty litre bags of compost and a few plants.  Once you have stripped the turf and the area is clean, fork over the top 15cms (6”) soil and nestle the rocks in place, there is no need to bury them. Stand back and look from two or three angles and if you are happy with them, empty the bags of compost on top leaving the rocks partially exposed.

Now comes the best part – bring it to life with the planting. There is such a wide variety on offer to you, but do try to include Campanula carpatica for its cascades of blue or white flowers. Many alpines would be ideal, with grit added to the compost, as would dianthus, sedums and some of the dwarf evergreen grasses in blue and gold. The choice is endless!  Remember too that a feature like this can be smothered in bulbs, but do choose the dwarf varieties and always plant in groups of the same genus as they look so much better.

Now a few reminders of other things we should be doing this month:-

• Overhaul and maintenance of the fence (hopefully not!)
• Service the mower, although we may still need to give the lawn another cut yet.
• Clear out the tool shed (maybe not, it’s my mess and I know where everything is!)
• Tidy the beds again, and finally sweep and rake the last of the leaves.

If you are still sitting in your armchair imagining, stay there and enjoy it!

November is not a particularly enticing time of year to venture into your garden. However, now is an ideal time to tidy up and take stock. Stand back and decide what needs moving, what needs cutting back and what blank spots you have which need some filling and cheering up.

Here are some suggestions or brightening up those dark, gloomy corners:-

• Garrya elliptica – a beautiful, evergreen wall shrub, festooned with long grey-green catkins in January and February. Works well on a shadey north or east facing wall. Jasminum nudiflorum – the Winter Jasmine, although deciduous, this beautiful shrub throws it’s bright yellow flowers onto naked stems from November through to February. Can eventually reach up to 4m or 12ft.
• Kerria Japonica is another good wall shrub tolerant of semi-shade. Deciduous, reaching up to 2m or 6ft, covered with an abundance of golden flowers in spring, although with this extremely mild autumn I have seen some confused specimens flowering mid-October, too!
• Camellia – many varieties can withstand a north wall and introduce much needed colourful blooms from as early as February. These evergreen bushes generally reach some 2m or 6ft.
• Chaenolmeles – Quince, aswell as being able to make delicious jelly from the yellow fruits, this is a delicate, deciduous shrub, originating, like the Camellia from China and Japan. Flowers range from white and pink through to orange and red dependant on the variety you choose. Different heights are also available to suit the size of your gap!
• Fatsia japonica – Castor Oil Plant, a fantastic evergreen, architectural shrub, with striking glossy, palmate leaves which give a subtropical feel to any dreary patch – reaching approximately 2m or 6ft.
• Pyracantha – Firethorn, a worthy addition to any garden. These evergreens are smothered in brightly coloured berries throughout the winter (yellows, reds and oranges available). They can reach up to 5m or 15ft, and as the name suggests are rather prickly, so a good deterrant.
• Pieris ‘Forest Flame’ – a truly beautiful, ornamental evergreen, reaching up to 3m or 9ft. Delicate Lily-of-the-valley like flowers in late spring appearing in direct contrast to the striking new foliage which opens brilliant red and then passes through pink and cream until eventually aging to green. This needs some protection offered by a wall to protect the young shoots from frost damage as opposed to the other shrubs listed here which are all more suited to shadier corners.

Another task which should be considered now is any bareroot planting. This will of course include trees, which are far cheaper if purchased bareroot or rootballed as opposed to containerised. This is also true of hedge planting. Here at Greencraft, we spend much of November planting up new hedgerows with such species as:-

Acer campestre – field maple, Carpinus betulus - hornbeam, Cornus sanguinea – common dogwood, Corylus avellana – hazel, Crataegus monogyna - hawthorn, Fagus sylvatica – beech, Ligustrum ovalifolium – privet, Prunus spinosa – blackthorn.

Any good, old-fashioned nursery should be able to supply you with a selection of the above to enable you to create your own, very cost effective native hedgerow – a simple boundary that will help to attract the local wildlife. My only word of warning is that the younger specimens seem to be very sweet tasting to rabbits and deer – if you are lucky enough to share your garden with these folk, do not fear as plastic spiral guards can be purchased to protect them. Remember whatever you are planting, water well before and afterwards to aid the roots in acclimatisation to their new soil and position. Don’t forget your bulb planting or transplanting – so much of gardening is all about preparation. What goes in the ground now should provide you with much pleasure come the springtime. If you are feeling particularly energetic, take a fork to those beds and borders as breaking up the soil now will save you much hard work and time especially in clay areas, as the frost acts to shatter the clods. If planning some new additions, add some manure or compost to enrich the soil. Once you have swept up and put all your tools away, it’s time to retire indoors with a hot toddy!