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!

After a fifteen year "sabbatical" in my educational studies I had decided it was about time I bit the bullet, and for once and for all, completely formalise my training in my chosen career. I could use the excuse that I’ve been so busy handling the marketing side of Greencraft and the general hustle and bustle of working in the landscaping industry. In all honesty I suppose I was dreading the idea of being sandwiched between a few dozen bright-eyed, bushy tailed, peachy keen students with nothing to worry them but a few student loans and where to find the nearest pub. Fortunately my fears were eventually laid to rest, as I found out sometime later, the class was filled with a diverse mix of all ages and backgrounds, stemming from a plethora of careers and with as many different goals for the future.

I eventually took the plunge after being invited to give a talk at a local horticultural college, in a lecture theatre to a row of nervous looking raw recruits, all competing for a handful of openings at Greencraft Ltd. I remember that decisive moment well, the moment when I decided I wanted to further my education. Perhaps it was in those few seconds silence, amongst the hushed tones of the audience, I shuffling my papers as they, the students, all with such exuberant hope in there eyes sat waiting with expectation. Whatever the trigger, I suddenly found myself overcome with a wave of nostalgia and some perturberance, as I reeled back to my own college days.

The major difference being I had originally snapped up a degree in  English and American Literature at Canterbury, which I dare say on the surface sounds rather sumptuous. Although in truth that particular university’s campus had been designed by a former prison architect, someone who had years of experience in creating confusing and disorientating honeycombs of corridors and small windows. Whilst this friendly little college proffered a clean and pleasant environment, which came as a refreshing and rather unexpected surprise. I came to the conclusion there and then that modern education was for me. At the end of the talk I stepped up to a departmental head and enquired as to what it would take to become a fully qualified landscape architect, which it has since been revealed to me to be a lot of patience, diligence and cold hard cash! A brief introduction to a group of first year students bounding with enthusiasm and beaming smiles sealed the deal once and for all.

Shortly after, following a few weeks of rather over-officious form filling I was accepted at the University of Greenwich on a conversion course on a part-time basis which will encompass a total of three and a half years. I and my partner both agreed that in this present slump in the economy, this was indeed the time to invest in myself and my future through the honourable means of higher education. By which time I hope to fulfil a lifelong dream of becoming a professional landscape architect, earning, one hopes an eventual greater respect and understanding from both planning departments and construction companies through my own vision of the natural aesthetic.

We as a culture are finally offering landscape architecture the recognition it most rightly deserves, having followed the lead set by pioneers in horticulture, the corporate sector and government in Europe, the British bureaucracy and public tastes have finally given way and are at long last commissioning inspiring spaces. Only time will tell as to how the recession has affected plans for the most ambitious of projects, such as the Olympic development consortium, suffice to say it can only improve from now on.

My first round of education in so many years started with a bang or rather a crash course in technical drawing, three of the most intensive days of my life, this particular module normally being taught over a whole term. The effectiveness of this and my learning capacity has yet to be put into practice, however I daresay I will keep you fully posted on all the highs and lows of this brief foray into this most exacting of the design arts, as our first Hard Materials Technical Drawing assignment is due in before Christmas and I’m not sure I can recall the correct way to annotate a bench.

The next shock to my system was the Design & Communication element of the course, which involves an intensive three hour illustrative arts binge every Wednesday evening. In some sense it rings of an occupational therapy, after a long day of lectures, design workshops and multiple choice test, we can immerse ourselves in the finer aspects of this most practical and applicable of the visual arts.

More surprises would soon follow as I was suitably shell shocked by my rude awakening in to "life drawing", bearing in mind I had been denied the luxury of taking an Art ‘O’ Level at school by my mother. Although she did have a point as I would habitually convince friends and family members alike with the slightest ability to complete my art homework for me; so to say I was "rusty," was an understatement!

Within weeks I had made steady progress, I had freed up my hand, wrist, arm and mind, evolving a more sweeping and assured line, gradually transforming my deformed "potato people" into slightly less chaotic, more confidently expressed semblances of the human form. Next came weeks of colour theory, which to some degree I embraced as colour theory. Returning to the full spectrum of natures distinctive tones and hues certainly was a refreshing change, I felt my confidence growing,  I took to new techniques and processes with an increasing aplomb, mixing paints and mediums I at long last felt the rush of creativity I had so long been missing in my life.

However there is no opportunity to rest on one’s proverbial laurels when it comes to our hectic timetable,  and before long I was set another seemingly impossible task, I am about to commence my foray into the world of film. Although it has provided me with the perfect opportunity for some retail opportunity, a new camera should in some sense help me slip more comfortably into my new role of writer, actor, editor, cameraman and director. I’ve got to make a film!

I must make a small confession, I was tempted, if only for the briefest moment, to coerce  my partner who as it happens is an artist into completing my "homework" for me .  However he has made it as clear as day that he doesn’t want to be a landscape architect, all my feminine wiles have failed, the fluttering of eyelashes, pretty pleases and playful tantrums just won’t cut it with the veteran of my emotional ploys, Paul answered my request with a calm but firm and most definitely resounding "No!"

We at Greencraft Ltd. have had a great deal of experience with the design, construction and planting of both commercial and residential roof gardens over the years. Sometimes referred to as "living roofs" or "green roofing" to name just two, many more clients seem to be considering utilising wasted space more effectively, be it above their own corporate HQ’s, office blocks, as well as a variety of residential developments both new and old.

I was recently working on a proposal, gathering the technical information, designing the structure and layout with the aid of my trusty CAD application, checking and re-checking a whole gamut of technical specifications that would ensure a successful planning application - when I began to think more deeply about the continuous surge in popularity for "living roofs", and thought I’d share my thoughts as to why I believe we will see a near revolution in the city’s rooftops over the next decade or so.

First of all there’s the sudden global decline in property prices, a disturbing trend that is affecting us all in this current recession, yes it is a recession, something that many "experts" believe stems from far deeper problems than a mere "credit crunch". As the financial industry licks its wounds, other industries are suffering, and the knock-on effect has begun to change the thinking of many powerful CEO’s, be they from the construction sector, retail corporations, even local government is due for a historical shakedown. In fact I doubt there are many of us unaffected by the economic collapse, and so we are all forced to take stock and analyse our assets for their true worth.

From young couples searching for a low-risk option to "bed down" and stick with their current home yet start a family, all the way to large corporations looking for ways to maintain a harmonious relationship with their employees, roof gardens have provided a novel solution to many complex and intrinsic problems regarding our personal environment, and hence our own and our companies’ well being. If one cannot afford to move, then redevelopment is usually the best and most viable option. Yet not all of us have the space or finance to dive headlong into a major reconstruction project. Living gardens are, relatively speaking, an extremely economic way of simultaneously increasing the value of a property, and at the same time improving the local environment.

Which brings me to my second point, inadvertently the looming economic crisis has forced many of us to consider something that until now has taken second place to the overriding necessity for making profit. There are ironically downsides in a buoyant economy, time is always of the essence, and with the past availability of credit, it was always viewed far easier to relocate, or develop a project from scratch, rather than redevelop what we have around us. The ecology, our climate, the lack of greenery in the cities around the world were seen as something more of a moral argument than a financial necessity. Now however things have changed, and I for one would say in the long term, for the better.

It may sound crazy to associate financial disaster with an environmental boom, with less available budget you would expect most people to excuse themselves from their personal and corporate environmental obligations, but in fact the truth is quite the opposite. We are learning to recycle, to buy less, and to use what we have around us. I remember hearing a rather shocking report a few months back about the amount of food wastage in the UK, how many of us ritually threw uneaten vegetables and fruit, dairy products, bread and fresh meat in the bin. It was blamed upon the deals offered by many of the supermarket chains, ironically at one point it was cheaper to buy more and dispose of what you didn’t need. Most of that food is now mulching in landfill sites across the nation, creating untapped methane, and creating a general eyesore and accumulative ecological time bomb for us all. Though now I’d guess more of us are watching the pennies, perhaps growing more of our own food, and most definitely throwing far less away.

The combination of financial and environmental benefits in creating more green space are exponential. Besides improving each of our own "personal environments", increasing property value, and in the case of commercial living roofs, improving the quality of life for our respective workforces, we are collectively improving the earth’s environment as a whole. Green roofs are far more than merely "pretty", they are a sink  for pollution. New outdoor spaces enhance bio-diversity and literally generate cleaner air as well as provide a natural sound barrier from the continuous barrage of noise of city life. They can absorb heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding, and provide a cooling-effect for the summer, whats’ more they provide an "open living space", somewhere to potentially capture the sun’s energy throughout the year. I’ve helped work on green roofs that provide families with an opportunity to grow their own organic food in the heart of the city, whilst other more ambitious projects have provided a vital communal space for office workers in need of more sunlight, S.A.D (Sunlight Affective Disorder) is a known contributor to employee abstention, something that corporations can most definitely not afford in the current financial climate.

Many clients we have worked with, here at Greencraft Ltd., have been surprised at the low costs, relatively simple construction techniques, and wonderful benefits installing a roof garden can offer. Many of our projects have been completed in a relatively brief period, and with the right expertise can be "up and running" providing a green space so sorely needed in many polluted cities, without the intrinsic complications that can arise from most forms of development. Ironically repairing a roof can cost as much if not more than developing a green or living roof.

Roofgarden Design:- over the years we have sourced the best of the best, be it suppliers, products, techniques or materials, and  even if I do say so myself, I think we’ve built some of the best in London, and I’m glad! I know we shouldn’t have personal favourites when it comes to different landscaping projects, but roof gardens have always filled me with a sense of satisfaction beyond the notions of quality, service, and a job well done. I honestly think every time we create a new green and living space amongst the bare and drab grey roofs of London and major peripheral towns, we are actually helping the environment in some small way.

We make a point of showing as many ecological options for our clients, capturing grey water means you’ll never need to drain resources from the mains, and of course with the application of solar and wind technology (however small), the financial as well as environmental benefits exceed the greatest expectations of many of Greencraft’s customers.

If you’d like to see an example of our work, take a look at this roof garden we developed for William Verry Construction as part of the Thames Gateway Project.

– Christina Odell.

We at Greencraft can lead you through every stage of a roof garden development, from advice and design, to project management and construction, we’ll even make sure your planning application will be approved. But what’s most important, together we can hopefully make a little difference to this world and ensure in some small way, that the environment will be able to one day breathe a sigh of relief. Look up to the sky, the rooftops are the answer!

Our Day With The Celebs At The Dartford Bridge Project (Queen Elizabeth II Bridge)

Sat 18^th October 2008 was a very special day for Greencraft Ltd…

As a local landscaping company imagine our delight when we became involved in some remediation works to a brand new cutting edge housing scheme which is part of the Thames Gateway Development, Dartford Bridge, Kent built by Taylor Wimpey.  

Heralded as a new wave in housing, inspired more by European new builds which emphasise community and public transport over cars and privacy, Dartford Bridge stands out from the rest by its clever use of public spaces introducing Pocket Parks around which houses are built, thus allowing parents to watch over children, rather than being paranoid of letting them out of sight.  

We had originally tendered for the softscape contract but lost out as we were fractionally too expensive. It seems this cost saving exercise had not really paid off as when the designer, Wayne Hemingway revisited site to inspect his vision, he had been disappointed with the overall landscape appearance and requested some bulking up. 

So together with our major supplier, Palmstead Nurseries of Ashford and the new residents of the project we all set to digging and planting in order to bolster up the scheme. 

Wayne became the chef for the day supplying a delicious barbecue, incidentally built by Greencraft, as we had won the hard landscape portion of the works, whilst his partner Geraldine directed us with ideas as to where we should enhance the planting. 

Luckily, the weather was on our side and we enjoyed a glorious Indian Summer afternoon in shorts and t-shirts with our hands in the earth. What could be more rewarding! 

For me the highlight of the day was chatting to another happy volunteer enrolled by Nick of Palmstead Nurseries Ltd the highly respected designer Andy Sturgeon. It was great for me and Tom to swap anecdotes with Andy and get some plant design tips, too. 

Andy’s top tip for any fans out there – apparently ericas are due are revival soon – watch this space!!! 

We look forward to working together with Andy on his Future Gardens Project next May. – www.futuregardens.org

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!

You may or may not have heard about ‘Guerilla Gardening’, a relatively recent cultural phenomenon in the world of horticulture, and especially for Britain. Gardeners, both amateur and professional, are not well known for their political views, if anything gardening provides them with a welcome rest bite from the frantic pace of modern day life, and that most certainly includes the incessant wranglings of British politicians. However the rise in the popularity of the Green Movement, fuelled by the majority’s concerns for our planet’s disintegrating ecosystem and its ongoing destruction, has led to a uniquely inspiring and ideological change in the local environment of many cities across the length and breadth of Great Britain.

I first stumbled across the term ‘Guerilla Gardening’ whilst reading a copy of The Guardian newspaper on a well deserved lunch break (a rare privilege I must add), last April, and in all honesty I haven’t read much about it since. However, whist driving through Blackfriars Road this summer on the way to meet a client, I noticed a most welcome addition to the usual grey concrete expanse of the urban landscape. As I stopped at the traffic lights my eyes, rather bedazzled at first, were treated to a feast of Sunflowers, full grown and in flower, it was truly a sight to behold. I recently came across a few photos on Flickr submitted by GuerillaGardening.org I’d like to share with you, if only to dispel any concerns you may have that this is nothing more than a tall tale!

If you click the image you can more photos of this wonderful spectacle at Flickr.com, or perhaps you’d like to see more examples of this exciting phenomenon at the Flickr Guerilla Gardening Group?

Let’s make it clear, I’m not personally advocating a revolution as such, I wouldn’t want to be pulled up by the authorities over incitement or collusion in public unrest, however, you have to admit, it does afford a far better view than the usual smog-filled and rather lacklustre state approved horticulture you’ll come across in the big smoke? Essentially if people are going to protest about the environment I couldn’t imagine a better way of doing it, after all it’s nature, it’s natural, and I am sure for the majority of us it makes a welcome change from the usual litter, building sites, and graffiti we’ve all come across on our travels through the metropolis.

Other examples, include an apple tree planted close by to Westminster Bridge, which actually bore fruit (although I’m not sure if they’d have tasted too good considering the pollution!), a beautiful flower garden in downtown San Francisco, California, and even a small vegetable garden in a residential area of Hanover, Germany!

If you’d like to know more about guerilla gardening I’d advise you visit Guerilla Gardening.org, although do be careful, it is after all against the law, or at least local by-laws in this country (as well as many others). I would advise you take the advice of established guerilla gardeners at their site, and follow their well established code of conduct. For instance, one must consider the inconvenience caused, who has ownership of the land in question, and will you be able to maintain your horticultural masterpiece? It’s probably best to seek the permission of local authorities or private landowners involved, although I’m sure that true guerilla gardeners are rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at my last statement, I’d think it best to err on the side of caution!

Hi!

In the coming weeks and months, I (Christina Odell - Commercial Director for Greencraft.co.uk) will endeavour to keep you updated on all the news and events at Greencraft, as well as share tips and advice on gardening in general garnered from our highly skilled horticulturally obsessed team!

In the meantime I’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused as we proceed to update our website over the next few weeks. Bookmark our site, blog or subscribe to our RSS feed to keep updated on all the latest news and views at Greencraft.

– Chris Odell