Gardens Illustrated December 2022

Comfort & joy

Gardening gis, warming food and happy places

SLIM CHANCE

Design solutions for a long narrow garden e e 13 g

Best small conifers for interest all year

Frosted beauty

Gorgeous winter gardens and top seasonal plants

rhs.org.uk/courses-workshops

Courses and Workshops, run by experts at our five RHS gardens.

Choose from:

• horticulture and garden design

• arts and creative

• traditional crafts

• photography

• well-being and more

It’s not just plants that bloom in our gardens. With our 2023 courses and workshops, you can too. Learn a new skill, expand your knowledge, or simply indulge a passion – all in beautiful, tranquil surroundings.

Whatever your experience, you can grow your interests with us.

Book your space today at rhs.org.uk/coursesworkshops

It may be winter, but that shouldn’t stop us from getting outside and taking in everything the season has to offer, especially in the garden. Bundle up and brave the chill, and you can enjoy garden scenes like the Old Rectory (page 36) and St Timothee (page 62) in their frosty winter finery, with plumes of ornamental grasses, colourful stems and white-washed trunks. You can also take inspiration from our feature on small conifers (page 52), which are having a revival of sorts, with many garden designers now using these mini shrubs in their schemes for evergreen structure. This issue, we also asked a selection of top gardeners and designers about their great escape (page 68) – the place they go to when they need to recharge and get a dose of green; we’ve been foraging in the garden and countryside for materials for our sustainable, natural Christmas decorations shoot (page 46); and we’ve dug up some tasty seasonal recipes for cooking and eating outdoors (page 72). But if you’d rather cosy up by the fire indoors, you can still enjoy our suggestions for beautiful gifts for gardeners (page 19) and the best garden books of the year (page 101), and try your luck with our big Christmas crossword (page 107). There are plenty of top tips and advice too, with designer Jo Thompson’s solution for a long, thin garden (page 90), a masterclass in cloud pruning from a garden in Australia (page 78) and head gardener Tom Coward’s pick of the best plants for December (page 26). Sending you best wishes for the festive season – however you wish to spend it.

DECEMBER 2022 Contents

Places

36 Designed to unite Designer Anoushka Feiler has given each of the six essential elements of a traditional Georgian garden a modern twist to connect this Old Rectory garden with its past and the surrounding landscape

62 Catching the light A Berkshire garden that comes into its own in winter through a careful mix of textural and structural grasses and colourful stems

68 My green escape With winter walks in mind, we ask leading designers and gardeners to reveal the secret spaces – from an inner-city conservatory to a wild beach – they escape to when they need a nature boost

78 At the cutting edge A garden on the edge of an Australian National Park combines both formal gardens and looser planted spaces linked by trees and shrubs cloudpruned into living sculptures

Plants

26 Plantsperson’s favourites

In the last of his series, Gravetye Manor’s head gardener Tom Coward chooses his top ten plants for December

46 Midwinter magic Using a mix of dried and fresh cultivated flowers, and foraged seasonal berries and foliage, the team behind Verde Flower Co show how to make three natural decoration ideas to impress your Christmas guests

52 Plant profile: small conifers Wisley’s curator, Matthew Pottage, sets out to rescue the reputation of conifers, with a selection of slowgrowing species that can add useful evergreen structure

People

35 Gardening talent Meet Helen Watts, an RHS Garden Bridgewater horticulturist

60 Who’s who Åsa Gregers-Warg, the creative force behind the Beth Chatto Gardens

72 Outside flavourings Chef Gill Meller cooks up seasonal recipes over an open fire

114 Rose-tinted wish list Columnist Alice Vincent is curling up with a good catalogue

Design

87 Design update The latest projects from around the world

90 Taking the long view Clever use of curves helps overcome the thin shape of a suburban garden

Regulars

Make the most of the festive season with our selection of natural decorations, designed to impress

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SEE PAGE 30

COV E R I M AGE COVER IMAGE

Old Rectory Quinton by

ON T H E COV E R THE COVER

Comfort & joy, pages 19, 46, 68 and 72

Frosted beauty, pages 26, 36 and 62

13 easy evergreens, page 52 Slim chance, page 90

EV E EVE N T S A N D NTS AND OFFE R S OFFERS

• Catch up on our Gardens Illustrated Masterclass series, available to view online – page 16

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Hannah Gardner – page 17

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Contributors

Matthew Pottage

Matthew reassesses small conifers, page 52. “Not all conifers are dull green monsters. Leylandii and 1970s rock gardens have a lot to answer for. I hope I can open your eyes to some unsung heroes.”

Andrew Montgomery

Andrew photographs dishes cooked outside, page 72. “Being able to use the countryside as a background for the recipes was a wonderful creative opportunity.”

Georgina Reid

Georgina visits a free-flowing private garden in Australia, page 78. “I love that this garden was mostly designed on site, not in the office, allowing for fluidity and responsiveness.”

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

James Basson

James lives in the South of France where he runs Scape Design, a practice specialising in low-maintenance and dry gardens. He is a fervent advocate for creating sustainable landscapes. The winner of four Chelsea Gold medals, he was awarded Best in Show in 2017.

Fergus Garrett

Fergus was appointed head gardener at Great Dixter by Christopher Lloyd in 1993. He is passionate about passing on his knowledge through student programmes at Dixter and worldwide lectures. He was awarded an RHS Associate of Honour in 2008 and an RHS Victoria Medal of Honour in 2019.

Anna Pavord

Anna’s books include her bestseller The Tulip and most recently Landskipping. For 30 years she was The Independent ’s gardening correspondent. In 2000 the RHS awarded her the Veitch Memorial Medal. She lives and gardens in Dorset.

Dan Pearson

Dan is one of the UK’s best-known garden designers, familiar to many through his gardening columns in the Observer magazine. Eight of his gardens, including the Tokachi Millennium Forest in Japan, have won awards and he was awarded Best in Show for his garden at Chelsea in 2015.

Sarah Price

Sarah is one of the UK’s most sought-after garden designers who gained worldwide recognition for her designs for the 2012 London Olympic Park. She won Gold at Chelsea in 2012 and 2018, and was GMG Garden Columnist of the Year in 2016 for her design series in Gardens Illustrated

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Growing your finances with Alliance Trust

Similar to gardening, a good investment strategy doesn’t always require back-breaking work – you just need time and patience. Here’s how to tend to your investments.

Profiting from patience

If you want a rewarding experience, gardening is a great place to start. Whether you are caring for a few potted plants or have acres of land at your disposal, the joy that comes with planting seeds and watching them grow is immeasurable.

And much like gardening, you can experience the same satisfaction when you learn how to grow your money effectively. In fact, gardening can teach you quite a few things about investing. At first, both may seem difficult to navigate, but in a funny way, gardening and investing are two sides of the same coin – especially when it comes to the art of patience, as you wait for all your hard work to pay off.

Alliance Trust has been helping investors find the best opportunities to grow their investments since 1888. And according to Alliance Trust’s research, impatient investing could cost UK investors a staggering £1.3billion in just one year[1] – but patient investors could have built up a patience pot

worth as much as £192,000 over thirty years, just by holding their nerve.[2]

So if you’re already used to waiting for your flowerbed to bloom, perhaps you too could profit from patient investing.

Selecting what you’d like to grow

The obvious first step when gardening is to think about what it is you’d like to grow. This all comes down to what you want from your garden. For example, perhaps you like the idea of having all-season flowers. Or maybe you want to reap the rewards of a vegetable crop and some air-purifying plants? Whatever the case may be, the kind of garden you want is going to determine the kind of seeds you will require to get there.

Consider the fact that the most spectacular gardens in the world are often filled with excellent varieties of flowers and plants. In investment terms, this is referred to as diversification. All that diversification

means is that your investment portfolio has different types of assets. Alliance Trust delivers diversification by blending the ideas of nine world-class Stock Pickers[3], which provides the benefits of a broad spread of holdings - just as it’s wise to spread your resources throughout a mix of crops with different seedto-harvest cycles in order to lower risk. Relying on just one crop isn’t usually effective, but having a range of different plants, including fast-growing, low-cost and high-price plants, is a much wiser investment to make.

Planting your seeds

The important thing to keep in mind after you plant a seed or a bulb is that you may not see any significant changes or growth for weeks, or even months, at a time. Research by Alliance Trust highlights that the ‘impatient investor’ could pay an Impatience Tax of more than £192,000 over time[2], so it pays to think long-term and sit back whilst professional

stock pickers do the work.

Alliance Trust’s long term investment strategy selects the best companies in the world from across a range of countries and sectors –delivering real returns for shareholders over the long term. Much like how, in gardening, giving the plants the care that they need will allow them to germinate and grow. Even the mighty oak tree starts with just an acorn.

All the benefits without the back-breaking work

Although it can feel quite daunting, the process of investing doesn’t have to be difficult. However, the more time and care you put into your investments, the greater the reward. As similar as gardening and investing can be, the one key difference is the undeniable fact that a beautiful garden does require round-the-clock care. It can be challenging work when you have to deal with spells of uncontrollable weather, weeds, pesky

wildlife and insects (to name a few hiccups that commonly arise along the way). However, this is where investing differs. When you make investments in established, well-managed investment trusts such as Alliance Trust, professional stock pickers do the hard work and nurturing for you. They will see what works and what doesn’t, add new investments, and navigate uncontrollable storms in the market to deliver strong returns over many years to come. Some people see their impatience as a badge of honour – they get things done more quickly. But as both gardening and investing demonstrate, the value of patience cannot be underestimated.

Discover the value of staying power at alliancetrust.co.uk/patience

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investment may rise or fall as a result of market fluctuations and you might get back less than you invested. TWIM is the authorised Alternative Investment Fund Manager of Alliance Trust PLC. TWIM is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Alliance Trust PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is registered in Scotland No SC1731. Registered office: River Court, 5 West Victoria Dock Road, Dundee DD1 3JT. Alliance Trust PLC is not authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and gives no financial or investment advice.

[1]A national estimate based on 93 investors that indicated they would sell their investments

if their portfolio fell by 5% over the course of a week. Total representative sample of 2,000 respondents adjusted for the UK adult population from ONS data (www.ons. gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/ populationandmigration/ populationestimates/ datasets/populationestimatesforukengland andwalesscotlandandnorthernireland).

Investment returns based on historic returns of FTSE100 (www.ig.com/uk/trading-strategies/ what-are-the-average-returns-of-theftse-100--200529) (as at July 2022). Calculated using the difference between the FTSE100 return and the cash interest rate return applied to 25% of the average investment portfolio of the adjusted representative sample of investors.

[2]The Profit from Patience Report, Alliance Trust, September 2022. About the research: The data model compares two hypothetical investors each making an initial investment of £10,000 in Alliance Trust in 1992 and then adding 10% of the average national salary every month for the next 30 years. The patient investor remains in the market throughout while the impatient investor sells 25% of their holdings whenever the market dips 5% in a single day and buys back in when the market recovers 10% in a single day using cash accumulated from monthly contributions, previous redemptions, and accrued interest.

By September 2022 the impatient investor has accumulated £217,884, while the patient investor is sat on £410,757; in other words, the impatient investor has lost out on over £192k. NB: The model uses the Alliance Trust share price as a proxy for the market. Source: Alliance Trust.

[3]As rated by Willis Towers Watson.

“Even the mighty oak tree starts with just an acorn.”

Naturally beautiful, our award-winning timber windows and doors are the logical choice. Constructed from engineered timber slow grown in cold climates, their strength, stability and beauty are guaranteed.

DIG IN

What’s new, what’s growing and what’s going on this month

Helping hands

Community gardens come in many shapes and sizes, but at their heart they all can help bring people together and inspire a life-long love of gardening. To celebrate the contribution these spaces bring to a community, the National Garden Scheme makes grants of up to £5,000 available to a wide range of garden-based projects. Applications are now open for 2023, so if you’re involved in a community garden in need of funds, head to the website for more details. This year the scheme funded 76 projects, ranging from community allotments to gardens designed to support mental health and wellbeing, with grants totalling £187,000. The deadline for applications is 31 January 2023. ngs.org.uk

News

Square roots

If you’re looking for an unusual Christmas gift for the nature lover in your life, give them the opportunity to take part in a major new rewilding project. Environmental charity Heal is hoping to raise £7 million to acquire a site in the south of England, which it plans to turn over to nature, and as part of its fundraising campaign, it is offering the public the chance to sponsor a 3m x 3m square of land on this flagship site. Prices start at £20 for a year’s sponsorship, which includes a gift certificate and a unique three-word description, so your gift recipient can locate their patch on the what3words website. They’ll also get an invitation to visit the site before it opens to the public. healrewilding.org.uk

COVER UP

Visitors to Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in West Sussex, next year will find that the garden’s Elizabethan Mansion has been given a temporary 21st-century facelift with a huge photo montage by artist Catherine Nelson. The Mansion, built between 1571 and 1590, has seen many uses over the years, from the home of Wakehurst’s original seed bank to a wedding venue and education hub. Now, with its roof in much need of repair, the Mansion will be shrouded in scaffolding for two years, offering the team at Wakehurst a unique opportunity to commission an artwork featuring plants from around the garden for the scaffolding cover. kew.org/wakehurst

Show time

Restorative spaces are set to take centre stage at next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with many of the gardens once again going to a new home after the show. Alongside the exciting show gardens on Main Avenue from leading designers, including Harris Bugg Studio, Cleve West, Chris Beardshaw and Sarah Price (whose design for the Nurture Landscapes garden is shown above), there are also plans to hold a picnic for 100 children from ten London schools. Look out for updates at gardensillustrated.com/chelsea2023

SMALL WONDER

Two new dwarf rhododendrons from German breeder Inkarho are proving a useful alternative for box hedging. Both Rhododendron Bloombux (= ‘Microhirs3’) and R. Bloombux Magenta (= ‘Microhirs9’) are R. hirsutum x R. micranthum hybrids that grow to around 75cm. Like box, they can be clipped into hedges or balls, but unlike box will also flower throughout summer. Find a supplier at bloombux.de

3 FOR THE GARDEN… HAND RAKES

TASTE OF SUMMER

Simpson’s Seeds has launched nine new blight-resistant tomatoes for its 2023 catalogue. New selections include the large pink ‘Rose Crush’, the round pink-red ‘Paoline’, the plum ‘Nagina’ and cherries ‘Primabella’ (above) and ‘Merrygold’, the first orange-skinned, blight-resistant tomato. Most are priced at £2.40 for ten seeds, which can be sown from January onwards. simpsonsseeds.co.uk

End of an era

Fibrex Nurseries in Warwickshire has announced it is closing its gates for good next September. Founded more than 60 years ago by Hazel and Dick Key, the family-run nursery is renowned for its pelargoniums, and has been garnering medals on the flower-show circuit for more than 50 years. Now, sadly, Hazel and Dick’s daughters have decided it is time to call it a day. Keep an eye on the website for special sales. fibrex.co.uk

DIARY: DECEMBER

1 Principles of Social and Therapeutic Horticulture

Discover how horticulture can support a number of important health outcomes, by providing meaningful activity and social interactions, combined with spending time in nature, on this short online course from the gardening for health charity Thrive. An ideal introduction for anyone working in health and social care. £60. thrive.org.uk

2 Info Burst Webinars – Future Icons

Catch-up with the autumn season of the London College of Garden Design’s Info Burst webinars. Speakers include Alexa Ryan-Mills, Susan Cohan, Annika Zetterman and Ben Hoyle who each champion a garden from around the world they believe may well become a future iconic garden. £8. lcgd.org.uk

3 Sculpture Trail – Four Seasons

Head to RHS Garden Harlow Carr to catch the final month of its sculpture trail featuring the work of American artist and filmmaker Philip Haas. The extraordinary fibreglass heads are Haas’s take on Renaissance paintings by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Until 31 December, 9.30am-4pm. Included in general garden admission. RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 1QB. Tel 01423 565418, rhs.org.uk

4 Festive Tablescaping

Learn to create a foliage-filled tablescape in this festive workshop led by Thomas BroomHughes. 6 December, 11am-1pm. £75. Petersham Nurseries, Church Lane, Off Petersham Road, Richmond, London TW10 7AB. Tel 020 8940 5230, petershamnurseries.com

5 The 12 Days of Christmas at Hughenden

Join a twilight tour through Hughenden house and grounds that will bring the familiar carol to life. Wednesdays until Christmas, from 7 December, 5.30-7pm. £15. Hughenden, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4LA. Tel 01494 755573, nationaltrust.org.uk

6 Christmas at Levens Hall

See Levens’ exquisite topiary in a completely different light at the famous garden’s annual Christmas fair. Includes an indoor crafts and artisanal market, seasonal food and drink and festive music, and the chance to explore the gardens after dark on an illuminated garden trail. 8-12 December, 4-8pm. £12. Levens Hall, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0PD.

Tel 01539 560321, levenshall.co.uk

7 Advent at The Laskett Gardens

Enjoy Advent treats, including mulled wine and mince pies, browse plant sales and explore the gardens created by Sir Roy Strong at this event organised by garden charity Perennial. 10-11 December, 10.30am-1pm and 2pm-4.30pm. £12. Booking essential. The Laskett, Laskett Lane, Much Birch, Herefordshire HR2 8HZ. Tel 01372 384045, thelaskett.org.uk

8 What

Can History Tell Us About Living Collections?

Discover more about the nature of living botanical collections in this fascinating talk by Silke Strickrodt, Kew’s botanical horticulturist and a historian specialising in the history of West Africa and Afro-European interactions. 12 December, 6-7pm. £3. Also available to stream online. Lady Lisa Sainsbury Lecture Theatre, Jodrell Gate, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3DS. eventbrite.co.uk

9 English Garden Eccentrics

Join landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan for an entertaining talk organised by the London Gardens Trust. The author of English Garden Eccentrics (reviewed on page 103) will bring to life some of the obscure and eccentric English garden makers who created personal gardens between the early 17th and 20th centuries.

13 December, 6pm. £16. Also available to stream online. Francis Holland School, 39 Graham Terrace, London SW1W 8JF. Tel 020 7839 3969, londongardenstrust.org

10 Contemporary Christmas Decorations From Foraged Materials

Ditch the tinsel, and forage in the garden, park, woods and hedges instead for natural materials to make a unique wreath, garland, place setting or festive decoration. Garden designer Annie Guilfoyle will show you how on this one-day course at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. 14 December, 9am-5pm. £169. West Dean College, nr Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ. Tel 01243 818300, westdean.org.uk

Japan’s Hidden Garden Gems

Travel with Japanese-garden expert Hannah Gardner on this far-reaching, two-week tour and discover some of Japan’s most compelling gardens

The tour starts with a visit to the contemporary gardens of Tokachi Millennium Forest, designed by Dan Pearson and situated on Japan’s most northerly island, Hokkaido. We’ll learn about the spirit of nature and sense of place from head gardener Midori Shintani, as well as enjoying a cultural workshop and foraged lunch prepared by the gardeners. We’ll also study the stunning autumn flora of the nearby mountains. Then we transfer to Honshu, Japan’s mainland, to delve into the traditional gardens, culture and the unforgettable architecture of Tokyo, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Nara. We’ll meet with the gardeners of the Chion-in Temple who will demonstrate the fine art of niwaki pruning and offer advice on the tools they use. We’ll also discover both renowned gardens and lesser-known, hidden cultural gems, such as the beautifully preserved, historic Sumiya Pleasure House in Kyoto. These varied landscapes combine the intimate essence of nature with the disciplines of cosmology, poetry and meditation, and through Hannah’s formal and informal instruction, we will come to understand the history and meaning of these serene and spiritual landscapes.

24 SEPTEMBER 8 OCTOBER 2023

EVENT DETAILS

Price per person, based on two people sharing, is £6,560 (a single supplement of £1,140 is levied by the hotels).

The price includes: all hotels, trains, other transportation, most meals and all sightseeing. It does not include hotel extras or travel insurance, or international flights, although these can be arranged through Distant Horizons if required. For more details and for an in-depth itinerary with details of day-to-day visits, meals, and so on, please contact Distant Horizons.

FOR INFORMATION AND BOOKING, PLEASE CONTACT

Distant Horizons, 13 Melloncroft Drive, Caldy, The Wirral, Cheshire CH48 2JA, UK. Tel +44 (0)151 625 3425. email info@distanthorizons.co.uk website distanthorizons.co.uk

This tour has been arranged exclusively for readers of Gardens Illustrated by Distant Horizons, organisers of cultural and garden journeys since 1996. Please note that itineraries may be subject to change for reasons beyond Gardens Illustrated’s control. All payments to Distant Horizons for this holiday are fully protected by the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ATOL licensing scheme. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: caa.co.uk/ATOL-protection/Consumers/ATOL-certificate/

Garden Masterclass is Annie Guilfoyle and Noel Kingsbury and we offer a unique education portal for garden and landscape people.

We seek out experts and innovators, whether well-known or waiting to be discovered. With them we organise live one-day workshops in garden venues up and down the British Isles.

Many of these are recorded, allowing others to share in the experience.

We produce educational webinars, the recordings of which are available from our website.

We commission films about exceptional gardens and their creators.

Our membership scheme gives access to exclusive live and web-based events, discounts on webinars and recordings and access to an extensive online library of garden programming in video and podcast format.

Some of what we do is free! Thursday Garden Chat is our weekly public service broadcast to the global garden community, 6pm London time. All are recorded for YouTube and website viewing.

We have over one hundred hours of recorded webinars and free public viewing along with over seventy hours viewing exclusively for our members.

Here are just some of our world class contributors:

Piet Oudolf, Dan Pearson, Jacqueline van der Kloet, Prof James Hitchmough, Caroline Jackson, Tom Stuart-Smith, Rosy Hardy, Midori Shintani, Panayoti Kelaides, Jason Ingram, Brigitte Girling, Miguel Urquijo, Lisa Roper, Neil Lucas, Sarah Price, Pradip Krishen, Prof Nigel Dunnett and many, many more...

All dates and information are correct at time of going to press. Please check our website for all up to date information and events or contact us by email: gardenmasterclass.org | gardenmasterclass@gmail.com

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ERICA CARNEA ‘DECEMBER RED’

Heathers are a genus of plants that deserve to be used more often. There are a lot of different spring heathers, and with careful selection you can cultivate a patch that will flower from November to April. These flowers are so special through the darkest months and their hardiness is admirable, blooming their hearts out through snow and ice. They work well in a wild garden situation with naturalised bulbs, self-seeders and low grasses such as Stipa tenuissima. This rather lovely cultivar opens pink and darkens to red, persisting to early spring.

Height and spread 50cm x 10cm. Origin Garden (species the Alps). Conditions Neutral to acidic, freedraining soil; sun or part shade.

Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-7b†

Season of interest December – April.

December plants

Evergreen foliage, fragrant flowers and berries bring freshness to the winter garden, but there is also beauty to be found in the senesced forms of shrubs and grasses

CAMELLIA SASANQUA ‘NARUMIGATA’

Camellia sasanqua is a wonderful species of winter-flowering camellia. The flowers are quite small but have a lovely fragrance and bring such cheer on the darkest days from November deep into December. Although this species is generally not as hardy as springflowering camellias, ‘Narumigata’ is probably the toughest and most reliable, with a good, upright bushy shape. Best in a sheltered spot, out of the east wind. Light shade is beneficial, particularly from the morning sun. AGM*.

Height and spread 3m x 2m.

Origin Garden (species Japan).

Conditions Rich, acidic soil with plenty of organic matter; light shade and shelter.

Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 7a-9b.

Season of interest Flowers November –December; evergreen foliage.

COLLETIA HYSTRIX ‘ROSEA’

Despite having the look and feel of living barbed wire, this viciously spiky plant has beauty. Its evergreen form stands out when the rest of the garden is naked, and its flowers, which regularly appear from August to autumn, will often continue through to December in mild years. These small, pretty flowers have a marzipan fragrance and their delicate nature contrasts with the plant’s savage thorns. It will regenerate from old wood and mature plants can often benefit from old wood being removed to encourage new shoots and regeneration.

Height and spread 2m x 2m.

Origin Garden (species Chile, Argentina).

Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun or part shade in a sheltered spot.

Hardiness RHS H5.

Season of interest Year round for foliage; flowers August – September.

MAHONIA EURYBRACTEATA SUBSP. GANPINENSIS ‘SOFT CARESS’

This compact mahonia is aptly named as its wonderful, thorn-free foliage is so inviting you simply have to brush your hand through it. From August to October it has arching racemes of lightly fragrant, bright-yellow flowers, followed by spherical, blue-black berries, but the delicate, almost fern-like leaves provide an architectural quality to the border throughout the year. It’s a tough plant that will grow in shade or sun, and in 2013 it was named RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year.

Height and spread 1.5m x 1.5m.

Origin Oregon, USA.

Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun or part shade.

Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 7a-10b. Season of interest Year round.

ILEX X AQUIPERNYI DRAGON LADY = ‘MESCHICK’

A good plant for dry shade, this upright, narrowly conical, large shrub is an interesting hybrid between our native holly and I. pernyi from western China that has resulted in some exceptionally hardy and handsome plants. As a female clone, this cultivar produces scarlet berries from autumn that remain on the tree for Christmas, provided birds don’t get them. The small glossy, spiky leaves make an attractive foliage plant. AGM.

Height and spread 5m x 2m (dependent on pruning).

Origin North American cross of Ilex aquifolium x Ilex pernyi

Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun or shade.

Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 6a-8b. Season of interest Year-round for foliage; berries November – January.

HYDRANGEA ARBORESCENS ‘ANNABELLE’

A good example of a summer favourite that continues to add structure and composition long after the blooms have faded. In July, when its huge, pure-white pompom flowers open, they are so big that the plant would collapse if we didn’t grow it through a pea-stick cage, carefully constructed the previous spring. The colour will begin to fade in the heat of August but the flower retains its shape, looking good throughout winter, contrasting with vertical accents such as perennial grasses. AGM.

Height and spread 1.5m x 2m (if regularly pruned).

Origin Garden (species USA).

Conditions Acid to natural soil; full sun or part shade.

Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 3a-9b.

Season of interest July – March.

Places to visit

Tom’s recommendations for places to see seasonal plants at their best

Be sure to check opening times. Some garden visits may need to be pre-booked.

There are a number of wonderful gardens I could recommend you visit in December, but before you put on your boots to brave the cold and mud, I’m going to suggest instead you pour a glass of something nice, sit by a fire and plan some garden trips for next year. Much as gardeners love to work in their own gardens, it’s always good to get out and

see other gardens, even though they’re probably at their best when we are at our busiest. Over the past year I’ve been lucky enough to be truly inspired by some wonderful Irish gardens that stood out not just for the quality of the planting but also the warmth and hospitality offered by the gardeners I met. There are too many exceptional gardens to

MISCANTHUS SINENSIS ‘MORNING LIGHT’

An elegant grass that holds its structure throughout winter. Its fine foliage has a subtle ivory variegation that looks almost silvery at a distance and makes an attractive vase shape. Plants will sway gracefully in the slightest breeze, adding an attractive movement without ever collapsing in a storm. Can be shy to flower in the UK, making the silky reddish rown spikes even more special when you do get them. In autumn, the fliage colours gold and in winter is a beautiful texture among the skeletons of other perennials and shrubs, before the spring tidy. AGM.

Height and spread 1.5m x 1m.

Origin Japan.

Conditions Fertile but well-drained soil; full sun.

Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b.

Season of interest July – March.

mention here but if you have limited time in Ireland then three in particular stand out.

Altamont Gardens, in the heart of Ireland, is an enchanting 40-acre garden in the Robinsonian style where the concepts of wild gardening are beautifully demonstrated, and its walled garden is also home to one of Ireland’s best nurseries,

run by the excellent Robert Miller. It’s a beautiful landscape that can be enjoyed any time of year, but in February it hosts an annual snowdrop festival. This is a wonderful event where some of Europe’s best plantspeople meet to celebrate the start of the season, enjoy lectures, buy and sell snowdrops and generally have a good time.

RUSCUS ACULEATUS

Butcher’s broom is a fascinating small native shrub, which in its wild location is an indicator of ancient woodland. It has adapted to grow in the driest darkest shade, and as a result has evolved to completely discard its leaves. The flattened leaf-like parts of the plant are actually adapted stems, which have no stomata, reducing the plant’s water loss. Because of this, its bright red berries appear to grow directly out of the leaf. This plant works best as thickets under trees and shrubs and works well interplanted with anemones.

Height and spread 1m x 1m.

Origin Eurasia and north Africa.

Conditions Well-drained soil; shade or full sun.

Hardiness RHS H5.

Season of interest Year-round evergreen; fruit autumn and early winter.

EUONYMUS EUROPAEUS ‘RED CASCADE’

Many species in this genus make stunning garden plants with their unusual fruit and lovely autumn colour. Most come from Asia, but our native spindle bush, E. europaeus, will always justify its space in the garden. It offers an abundance of scarlet capsules that open to reveal orange-coated seeds, which persist long after the leaves drop, creating a beautiful winter display. This cultivar has arching branches and good autumn colour. AGM.

Height and spread 3m x 2m. Origin Garden (species Europe and western Asia).

Conditions Most garden soils; full sun or part shade.

Hardiness RHS H6; USDA 4a-7b. Season of interest September –December.

LUPINUS ARBOREUS ‘SNOW QUEEN’

I’ve long had a passion for lupins and this lovely evergreen shrub has to be one of the best. It flowers in May and June with loose panicles of slightly fragrant, white flowers that flush purple as they mature. But its beautiful foliage is a joy throughout the year, giving a special fresh green in December, when things can feel a little drab. It’s easily propagated from seed, which is best sown in July for flowering plants the following year. It also responds well to a hard cut back in spring, should it ever get too big for its spot.

Height and spread 2m x 2m.

Origin California, USA.

Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; full sun or part shade in a sheltered spot.

Hardiness RHS H4.

Season of interest Year round for foliage; flowers May – June.

R93 N882, Ireland. Tel +353 (0)59 915 9444, heritageireland.ie

If February at Altamont is a treat for galanthophiles, then March at Mount Congreve Gardens in Co. Waterford is a must for magnolia lovers. The garden was created over the latter part of the 20th century by Ambrose Congreve, who dedicated his life and fortune to making this most

ambitious woodland garden, planting on a grand scale, with thousands of rare woody plants. I was lucky enough to visit in March and see hundreds of Magnolia campbellii in full flower that Ambrose planted 70 years ago. The mild climate and rich, acidic soil make the perfect situation for such hard work to flourish. Following Ambrose’s death in 2011,

aged 104, the garden went through a difficult transition period, but the dedication of curator Michael White has ensured that the garden has continued to prosper. Although most spectacular between March and June, it’s beautiful at any time of year, with views across the River Suir – and impossible to visit without wanting to plant a new tree the minute you get home. Mount

Congreve, Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford X91 PX05, Ireland. Tel+353 (0)51 384 115, mountcongreve.com

When I visited Jimi Blake’s Hunting Brook Gardens in Co Wicklow, we nearly had to finish our tour by torchlight as there was so much I wanted to see.

Jimi is a true plantsman and his garden is packed full of colour, passion and excitement. My trip was in

July when I was blown away by some of the most exciting flower borders I have seen all year, along with some really interesting woodland planting. But whenever you visit be sure to give yourself plenty of time if you don’t want to risk running out of light. Lamb

Hill, Blessington, Co Wicklow W91 YK33, Ireland. Tel +353 (0)87 285 6601, huntingbrookgardens.com

GA R DENS

THE CONSTANT GARDENER

For head gardener Benjamin Pope, midwinter is a time to enjoy the stillness of the garden, but it’s also a chance to plant shrubs and trees and undo last season’s mistakes

December brings with it the shortest day, a marker that I always associate with the end of one growing year and the beginning of another.

There is a stillness that falls over the garden, where static form and strong lines of topiary and hard landscaping replace the soft and energetic abundance of flowers and foliage of the past growing season. I love this dramatic seasonal shift, which can leave the garden looking and feeling anew with the return of lost vistas, sculptural elements and garden details.

For many, this dark month can seem a little depressing, but I find shifting the eye’s focus to the details will reward you with much beauty. Lichen-covered branches, coppery buds of beech stems or the first light on a frosty morning all carry with them a magical, wintery charm.

However, there are still plants that are happy to be more elaborate, making the most of the spacious stage that has been left. Bellis and violas enliven containers, while evergreen grasses and ferns work wonders in borders. Many shrubs hold interest, as teal-and-crimson-starred Clerodendrum

trichotomum var. fargesii begins to fade, the purple-berried Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion’ leads the way.

Another star performer of winter has to be the hellebore. Now these flowers begin to dazzle with their buds, flowers or decorative foliage. The first is Helleborus niger, its brilliant white flowers illuminating borders and containers, starting in mid to late December. Following on are H argutifolius, H foetidus, then H orientalis and hybrids of all three. The former two are taller with textural foliage and clusters of soft lime-coloured flowers.

A more recent series I’ve been very impressed with comes from the H. x ballardiae group, and notable cultivars include H. x ballardiae HGC Camelot (=‘Coseh 940’), H. x ballardiae HGC Cinnamon Snow (= ‘Coseh 700), H. x ballardiae HGC Merlin (= ‘Coseh 810’) and H. x ballardiae HGC Maestro (= ‘Coseh 890’). All have the hardiness and early flowering habit of one parent H niger while showcasing the subtle pastel shades of the other – H lividus. The result is pure joy –beautiful flowers of white, dusky pale-pink, or cinnamon, that subtly change over several months, remaining attractive into spring.

What to sow and plant

With December being cold and the darkest month, sowing most seeds now would prove a futile exercise without supplementary lighting and warmth, so it’s better to wait for longer days and warmer temperatures. That said, I’ll still sow micro greens and pea shoots, both of which depend simply on their stored food reserves to quickly get them to the point of harvest.

However, now is the perfect time to take hardwood cuttings of many deciduous shrubs, trees and climbers, such as abelia, holly, honeysuckle, philadelphus, willow and grapevines, along with fruit bushes such as currants and gooseberries.

With the seed sowing on hold, I turn my attention and time to planting, especially trees, shrubs, hedges and roses, which can all be purchased as bareroot plants. The benefits of planting bareroot are numerous. More often their root systems are more vigorous, so subsequent establishment and growth is stronger, with other benefits including reduced costs of plants and transport. Now is also a good time to move any existing trees or shrubs, that perhaps in hindsight you realise you may have planted in the wrong place.

What to harvest and pick

In winter I rely mostly on stored fruit and vegetables, though it is amazing how some freshly picked chard or kale can add seasonal freshness to a meal. On cold days I can’t resist homemade soup, using a recently harvested pumpkin or squash (‘Marina di Chioggia’, ‘Potimarron’ and ‘Rouge Vif d’Etampes’ all have greattasting flesh) along with coriander, garlic and beans, adding some chilli, cumin and smoked paprika for more warmth.

Despite December’s reputation, there are still flowers to cut. The first fragrant clouds of Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’ are always welcome and look very seasonal with some silky buds of Magnolia stellata . As Christmas approaches, I embrace the tradition of bringing the outside indoors, collecting cones, bracken and larch sprigs, while cutting berries and foliage from evergreen skimmia, osmanthus, box and holly, all finished off with tassels of ivy, along with dried heads of alliums, hydrangeas and teasels. n

• Benjamin’s Gardens Illustrated talk: ‘Grow a year-round, productive garden’ is available to view at gardensillustrated.com/masterclass

GARDEN JOBS for December

Dress pots If container displays are lacking in colour (violas often suffer after a frost), dress containers with cut sprigs of shrubs with interesting foliage, berries, hips and colourful stems.

Organise seeds Go through existing seed, along with anything that has been collected this year, making a list of what you have and want to use next year, along with what new things you may want to order and grow.

Force bulbs Continue to force prepared bulbs, potting hyacinths and daffodil cultivars every week or so, and growing them indoors to stagger their flowering past Christmas and into January. Check stored produce Go through any stored produce and check for rodent damage or rot, removing the affected fruits and vegetables to prevent the rest of the produce from being contaminated. Review the year As in every season, assess your garden, containers and borders and decide if there is anything you would like to improve. Using previous notes, make a plan going forward for next year of what you would like to change in spring, so as to minimise any disruption during the main growing season.

HELEN WATTS

From maintaining ornamentals to developing more natural areas, Helen’s role as an RHS Garden Bridgewater horticulturist envelops a range of skills

First plant love When I was in my twenties, I spent two years working in New Zealand, near the Fiordland National Park. This was a turning point for me, falling in love with plants, and my first love remains the Dicksonia antarctica ferns that inhabit its lush rainforests. The sheer age, size and number of these giants inspired me to find my way into horticulture.

Favourite landscape that has influenced you Temperate rainforests and wetlands are my main inspiration, especially when nature begins to overtake human-made structures.

Angkor Wat in Cambodia remains a favourite landscape. Worthwhile tips for every gardener If you’re developing an area, try not to leave exposed bare soil. And if you have any, don’t get cross with pioneer plants, such as docks, when they crop up. They’re just doing what nature intended. If you’re not doing work for a season, use a green mulch to improve the soil and give surprising interest – I’m a big fan of Phacelia (and so are the bees). Most valuable training Each year The MacRobert Trust in Aberdeenshire takes on four trainees to immerse themselves in learning the ins and outs of horticulture, from heavy machine work and tractor driving to finer work in glasshouse propagation and kitchen gardening. This traineeship gave me everything.

Favourite ‘weed’ you’re happy to have in your garden Bramble. I know it’s a beast but the flowers are gorgeous, the benefits to wildlife are great and the berries delicious. Your guiding horticultural principles Be in it for the long haul. The development of areas takes time and thoughtful planting. In Bridgewater’s Lower Middle Wood, I’ve planted shrubs and trees I’ll never see mature in my lifetime, but it’s not all about instant gratification. What’s your next big project at Bridgewater I’ve taken on a lot of the aquatic planting over the past few years. I plan to keep improving habitat areas and stabilising the lake edges of Bridgewater’s Moon Bridge Water. Through increasing oxygenators and marginal plants, large bodies of water will stabilise and have fewer algae blooms, but it will take time. How do you remind yourself what needs doing next I’m a visual person so I take a lot of photos and I’m not above sending Outlook calender invites for my future self. A future aim in your gardening career I would like to have more opportunity in the planning and designing of a space where nature and humans can co-exist.

Instagram @hels_in_the_garden

Read more about Helen and her role at gardensillustrated.com/helenwatts

GI

I’ve planted shrubs and trees

I’ll never see mature in my lifetime, but it’s not all about instant gratification

Designed to unite

Designer Anoushka Feiler has taken her cue from traditional Georgian gardens to link this former rectory to its past

IN BRIEF

Name Old Rectory.

What A re-imagining of an 18th-century garden, given a 21st-century twist.

Where Northamptonshire.

Size Three acres.

Soil Heavy clay, prone to winter waterlogging. Slightly alkaline.

Climate Frequent cold spells in winter, when it is also at its wettest. Hardiness zone USDA 8.

The rill, which in summer is filled with miniature waterlilies, runs through the Flower Garden, giving the illusion that it flows right up to the door of the house. In fact, a sunken lawn and terrace separate the house from this garden with its rectangular flower beds and wood-framed glasshouse.

Behind high hedges on a quiet lane in the Northamptonshire village of Quinton, beside the parish church with its 13thcentury tower, sits the former rectory; a stone, Georgian house with three acres of garden. The first hint of what lies within are a pair of remarkable metalwork gates of organic design – a meld of stylised foliage, tendrils and curlicues from which sprout steely foxgloves in full everlasting flower.

The property has been home to Emma Wise and Alan Kennedy since 2013. Then, the garden was just a mossy lawn edged by shrubs, with a pond set away from the house, yet the couple sensed a spark of something special. “Alan is interested in gardens, and was on the lookout for somewhere with potential, somewhere we could create an opportunity,” says Emma.

They were introduced to Anoushka Feiler of garden design studio Bestique, who had previously specialised in city gardens. “I was excited but slightly nervous,” she says. “A good thing, as it meant I thought long and hard about the work. I knew it was a chance to show what I was capable of.” Alan and Emma gave her an open brief, but wanted a special garden. “We

felt it was important the Georgian origins were reflected in the design and we realised the church needed to be considered,” says Emma.

Anoushka took her lead from the house. “I’m a contemporary designer,” she says. “I don’t recreate the past, but a period house needs to be connected to its garden, while suiting a modern family.” Her research into the style of the era identified six elements that make up the ‘ideal’ Georgian garden: kitchen garden, orangery, menagerie, pleasure garden, park and orchard – and she has incorporated all in some way. “The plan has a strong structure based on a cross, which relates to the church,” she says. “It also allowed me to break up the site.” In an additional nod to the church, she has also opted for a heaven-and-hell theme in the Fire Garden, with hot colours and firepit.

At the front of the house, Anoushka integrated parking spaces and a turning circle into a driveway with an awkward dog-leg shape. The centre of the turning circle features an impressive cloud-pruned Parrotia persica, which offers strong structure through winter after a kaleidoscopic leaf fall in autumn. Flanking the house is a pair of pleached hornbeam hedges, which along with the parrotias are underplanted

Above Domes of yew close to the house help to anchor the loose planting, which in winter is dominated by tall, biscuity plumes of Miscanthus that help soften the architecture. Structure is strong throughout the garden, its layout unified by a cruciform motif that celebrates the neighbouring church.

Above right An elegant allée of hornbeams leads to a bespoke woodframed glasshouse. The layout gives a hint of French garden formality, an element Emma and Alan asked to be incorporated. The detailing is superb, from the cobble-edged, brick-lined gravel path to the step handrails forged by blacksmith Michelle Parker, who also made the entrance gates.

Right Farther from the house, the feel becomes less formal with relaxed planting and flowing lines. In Anoushka’s reimagining of a Georgian pleasure garden, a swimming pond with its Giverny-inspired oak bridge –requested by owner Alan – is screened by tall grasses, such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, and Hydrangea macrophylla

e plan has a strong structure based on a cross, which relates to the church

I’m a contemporary designer. I don’t recreate the past, but a period house needs to be connected to its garden, while suiting a modern family

Bold painted stems

One of the most eective elements at the Old Rectory is the ‘re-imagined’ kitchen garden, one of the constituent parts of an idealised Georgian garden. Owners Emma and Alan had no requirement for a productive space, so designer Anoushka planted eight mature Osmanthus armatus in a grid to emulate the impression of an olive grove, providing a feel of a French or Mediterranean garden.

Osmanthus armatus is a seldom-seen evergreen, with white flowers that scent the air in autumn. It is also useful for winter structure with dark-green, elliptical leaves that are around 15cm-long and occasionally toothed. In this garden, however, the lower branches have been removed, forming multi-stemmed trees to 3m

high, each with a dense, rounded canopy. The impact of the stems is emphasised by an annual (harmless) application of limewash, which replicates cultural practices seen in olive groves through southern Europe.

Anoushka is pleased how this element turned out: “I felt like being brave in this area – I did something slightly crazy perhaps with painting the stems, but to be honest, now this is my favourite part of the garden.” At a glance, the osmanthus resemble birches, glowing white in the winter sun, standing out through stems of Rosa Westminster Cathedral (= ‘Auscat’) and the golden-tinged grass Sesleria autumnalis below. This area is rich in winter interest, with structural domes of clipped beech.

e garden, with its blend of old and new, sits beautifully with the house, while French inuences add sophistication and unexpected lightness of touch

The Orchard has Renaissanceinspired scrolling pathways that flow around young fruit trees, and creates a transition from the straight lines of the Flower Garden to the wilder Pleasure Garden. In spring and early summer, the grass comes alive with bulbs and wildflowers.

with a generous ruff of billowing Hakonechloa macra. Either side of the entrance, clipped yews give the formal flourish of a French parterre, while Hydrangea seemannii softens the walls of the house. The air here is filled with perfumed white flowers of Sarcococca confusa, which bloom in winter, twinkling amid glossy foliage. “Planting has to look good all year,” explains Anoushka. “So every plant was considered for winter interest.”

At the back of the house lies a lower terrace and lawn, edged with borders and backed by a retaining stone wall. Beyond this is the Flower Garden, where a rill divides rectangular beds of dramatic naturalistic planting. In winter, once the vibrant colour of these beds has faded, sprays of Miscanthus sinensis grasses, mostly ‘Kleine Silberspinne’ and ‘Gracillimus’, dominate, the silvery seedheads rimmed with frost that glitters where they catch the sun.

Through an arch in the hornbeam hedge, the Orchard is revealed, with its curving gravel pathways, and beyond is Anoushka’s Pleasure Garden, with swimming pond. Its wilder feel is echoed in the Park and woodland-like Menagerie.

Winter interest is strongest in the formal areas, however, with clipped green domes and russet hornbeam hedges; it’s an elegant, layered planting best admired in the cold season. “The

formal structure reflects the rectory’s Georgian origins, while an evergreen backbone anchors the perennials with their crazy summer colour and standing winter stems,” says Anoushka.

The garden, with its blend of old and new, sits beautifully with the house, while French influences add sophistication and unexpected lightness of touch. Even in winter, there is much to appeal, so much to take in, from the details of hard landscaping and the clever plant choices to simply the garden’s enhanced genius loci, or sense of place. Aided by their head gardener Fiona Alexander, Emma and Alan continue to develop the garden, and share it with visitors through summer National Garden Scheme open days, and a host of different events – from yoga to poetry readings – so that others can enjoy the space, almost as much as they do. n

USEFUL INFORMATION

Address Old Rectory, Preston Deanery Road, Quinton, Northamptonshire NN7 2ED. Web garden4good.co.uk Open The garden opens in summer for the NGS and for groups by arrangement. See website for details.

Find out more about Anoushka’s work at bestique.co.uk

Above Massed clumps of evergreen Libertia grandiflora beside clipped balls of beech, which retain their winter russet foliage and provide structure. Between these are the sinuous branches of a multi-stemmed Liquidamba, which in autumn glows orange and red, while behind, soft Miscanthus seedheads sparkle.

Above right Winter brings the strong structure of Anoushka’s design to the fore. Immaculate hedges divide up the site, with arches framing views and focal points. Cutting through the garden are two wide gravel paths in a cruciform shape, with a striking wood-framed glasshouse marking the point where they meet.

Right The relaxed Menagerie garden was designed to attract wildlife – in contrast to 18th-century menageries that celebrated the exotic. Here Anoushka has used several birches, including a pair of multi-stemmed Betula nigra, underplanted with a lush woodland mix of ferns, hellebores and bold Heuchera villosa. The trees’ shaggy stems are echoed in the texture of the statue by sculptor Carol Peace.

Even in winter, there is so much to take in, from the details and clever plant choices to the garden’s genius loci

Midwinter magic

Give your home some festive flair this Christmas with three natural decoration ideas from the team behind Verde Flower Co

The purple plumes of Amaranthus cruentus ‘Oeschberg’ and foliage of dried asparagus fern combine with heuchera and opium poppy seedheads, bracken and rosemary in this impactful tablescape.

Planning midwinter in midsummer sounds like complete insanity, but as soon as the longest day dawns, our thoughts turn to the shortest, and we begin cutting our flowers, grasses and herbs for drying.

Breadth and variety is what we want, so things that others would compost we might end up using. We cut when fine weather is forecast, bunch up the stems in groups of 20 and hang them upside-down in the potting shed to air dry, and we keep cutting right the way through to early winter. An ingredients list for one of our wreaths or table centrepieces is as likely to include more traditional things such as opium poppy seedheads, ornamental grasses and rubycoloured strawflowers, as it is dried bracken, shepherd’s purse and gone-to-seed land cress, which we discovered by neglect has a ethereal airy seedhead that dries beautifully.

All our ideas come from what is growing around us, either in the walled garden or on the moors, woods and fields near our home. Plants change on a weekly basis and we constantly scrutinise them to see at what stage they are interesting enough to cut. For example, moorland bracken, which in summer is dark green, turns golden bronze and ochre in mid-October. We use this as a filigreed base for much of our winter work, as it holds its shape while slowly twisting into complex three-dimensional shapes as it dries.

For our bases, we don’t use floral foam as it is non-biodegradable, contains microplastics and contains harmful chemicals. We use chicken wire and moss instead.

Wild tablescape

This wild, unstructured arrangement is good for a Christmas table as it only occupies a narrow strip, and is not too dense or high, so guests can still see each other. It is also light to move and can be re-used many times. You will need

• A length of guttering to fit the centre of your table. We used copper guttering from a builder’s merchant.

• Chicken wire to line the inside of the guttering and hold the stems in place.

• Moss to line and cover the chicken wire. Forage, sustainably, from north-facing walls and trees, or source from a reputable supplier.

• A base of dense material such as bracken.

• Evergreen foliage. We use rosemary for the aromatic scent of the leaves.

• More delicate flowers and seedheads for the details. We used heuchera seedheads, red

berries and rosehips, and ruby-coloured amaranth for tone and texture.

How to make

1. Measure the length of your table. We run the guttering down the middle, but not right to the end.

2. Cut the guttering to fit the table with a hacksaw. Rub the edges lightly with sandpaper to smooth them down.

3. We work on a separate surface as making this centrepiece can be a messy, and it’s light enough to move after you’ve finished making it. It is worth putting down some newspaper to catch stray bits of moss and stem.

4. Cut lengths of chicken wire to put on the inside of the guttering and shape them into place with your hands, remembering that the cut ends can be sharp. The more twisted the better.

5. Take small handfuls of moss and poke them into the chicken wire along the entire length so that the wire is covered.

6. Build up a base, in this case bracken, asparagus fern and rosemary, with different heights, ensuring that everything is not lying in the same direction. Make sure the foliage overhangs the edges of the guttering.

7. When the base looks as full as you would like it, push in stems of dried flowers, seedheads and seasonal berries such as rosehips, sorbus berries and field maple. You will notice we do not use holly, as it is too prickly and the leaves are too stiff for the style we want to achieve.

8. When you have the right balance of texture, colour and shape, lift the guttering into place on to the table and secure in place with a few small pebbles at either end to stop it rolling.

Mantelpiece cloud

This can be created wherever you have space: above a fireplace, on a wall or strung from a ceiling. The cloud is made of chicken wire twisted into the desired shape and then suspended so that it appears to float. Dried ingredients are then built up in layers so that none of the wire can be seen.

You will need

• A small amount of chicken wire. This mantelpiece cloud is approximately 75cm x 75cm.

• Bulky dried material, such as bracken, to cover the wire structure, but you could also use dried asparagus fern, sprigs of native trees with winter leaves and cones, such as oak, beech and larch, or evergreen material if you want something more traditional.

• More textured and coloured accents of dried flowers, grasses and berries for the eye-catching details.

How to make

1. Choose the place where the cloud is to go, and then tap tacks in the wall or mantelpiece – three or four are usually enough – so that it can be suspended.

2. Cut a length of chicken wire with pliers and then manipulate it into the desired shape, making sure it fits the space. The more contorted the shape, the better, as it creates a ‘nest’ that holds the stems firmly. Take care and wear gloves, as the wire ends are sharp.

3. Taking the basic shape, work out how large you want it, bearing in mind that once it is filled with foliage, it will be twice as big.

4. Before you begin building up the layers of dried material, attach the suspending

SCAN HERE

Watch our video of how this Christmas mantelpiece cloud was created, with more tips on how to make it yourself at gardensillustrated.com/christmascloud

The ‘cloud’ uses a mix of foraged and grown plants including Sorbus hupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’, Xerochrysum bracteatum Monstrosum Series, Daucus carota ‘Dara’ and Ammi majus seedheads, Craspedia globosa Phalaris canariensis Alchemilla mollis and moorland bracken.

wires. This is because once you have everything in place, it is very hard to see where to attach them. We have learned this the hard way.

5. Start building up the base of dried material by poking the stems into the twisted chicken wire, securing them with wire where necessary. We begin with dried bracken, not just because we like its lacy texture, but because it hides the wire without looking too blocky and dense. It is important to keep holding up the ‘cloud’, standing back and seeing how it looks from a distance. You can also see where the gaps are and the chicken wire is still visible.

6. Once you have achieved the shape and fullness that you like, you should then secure it in place and finish off the details of berries, dried seedheads and dried flowers in situ.

The white flowerheads of Lagurus ovatus and yellow bobble heads of Craspedia globosa light up this mix of flowers, grasses and bracken. Despite its extravagance, it is light enough to hang on three or four small tacks.

Fresh and dried flowers, including these delicate pink flowers of Achillea x millefolium ‘Colorado Mix’ and opium poppy seedheads help lift the background of evergreen lemon tree leaves, oak foliage and red berries.

Welcome wreath

Late autumn for us means extensive pruning, but we never let anything go to waste, so the base of this wreath is made from long strands of surplus grapevine from the glasshouse. In the past we have also used willow, red-stemmed dogwood and clematis or honeysuckle stems that have gone woody but still have some flexibility. The wreath can be put inside or outside the home. All the natural materials can be composted, and the frame can be re-used many times over.

You will need

• Three or four lengths of pliable stems around 75cm-1m long. This will fit an average front door. If you want to make a larger wreath, cut the stems twice as long. Two of the stems should be the thickness of a pencil, and the others should be slightly thinner. Any kind of stem will do, but if it is a bit stiff, try soaking it overnight in warm water.

• Jute twine.

• Interesting seasonal tree foliage, as well as a selection of berries and seedheads.

How to make

1. Start by examining the way in which the stem has grown naturally, as they will gravitate in a certain direction, towards the light. This is the way they want to bend and flex, so work with it rather than against it.

2. Measure your door, bearing in mind that the wreath will be approximately twice as big when it is layered with foliage.

3. Take the thickest stem and, make it into a rough round shape of about 25cm in diameter (for an average front door), securing the two ends tightly with jute twine or florist’s wire. Do not worry if it looks egg-shaped at this stage.

4. Take your second stem and, starting from the opposite end to where it is initially secured, start to weave this stem to the first, securing it at its end with twine. This will start to give the wreath base strength and pull it from an egg-shape into more of a circle.

5. Add the other, thinner weavers, each time starting from a different place in the circle, and secure all the stems with twine. At this stage, you can start gently pulling and stretching your wreath into a circle with your hands. If it does not feel robust enough, weave in another few thin stems.

6. Add a double loop of jute twine to the wreath now before you layer it up. This will be where it hangs from the door so make sure you are happy with its shape.

7. Cut small sprigs of material such as seasonal foliage, berries and dried flowers –three to five pieces in each sprig is usually enough – and tie the stems tightly together like a little bouquet. Make sure you leave around 12cm of twine on each sprig as this is how you secure the sprigs on to the wreath.

8. Make up about ten sprigs of varying colours and textures, and then space them loosely around the wreath to see the composition. When you are happy with it, start tying them on, layering each sprig on top of the next one to hide the cut stems.

9. Work slowly round the wreath until you have a composition you are happy with. Remember to keep hanging it up by the loop on a wall, stand back to see if there are any gaps that need filling. We like to keep some of the wreath bare, especially if we are using attractive coloured stems. n

USEFUL INFORMATION

Find out more about Verde Flower Co at verdeflowerco.org or follow on Instagram and TikTok @verdeflowerco

Thanks to Blagraves antiques and interiors shop (blagraves.com), where these images were taken, and Botanical Cakes (botanical-cakes.co.uk) for the table styling.

PLANT PROFILE

What A range of small and slow-growing conifers offering a range of foliage textures, colours and interesting bark.

Origins Conifers are widespread across temperate and tropical climates, in both northern and southern hemispheres.

Season Conifers come into their own in winter when the all-important structure and ‘bones’ of a garden come into play. Cultivars that change colour in colder weather also show their merit.

Size The heights provided are an average after ten years. Over that period these conifers vary from around 30cm to 1.5m, depending on conditions.

Conditions Most conifers are fuller in habit and exhibit better foliage colour in good light levels. Cryptomeria and Podocarpus will tolerate shade.

Hardiness All the conifers featured are reliably hardy across UK gardens. The exception is perhaps Podocarpus, which is only hardy down to -18ºC.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.

Its wonderful, ice-blue needle colour makes this spruce a real stand out in the border. At RHS Garden Wisley, we have used it with wine-red maples, purple Pittosporum and grey Corokia. 60-70cm. AGM*.

SMALL CONIFERS

For many, the word conifer conjures an image of imposing hedges, but there are also some slow-growing species that can add useful structure

WORDS

A fascinating plant with deepgreen foliage that appears in small, fan-like arrangements to create an extremely elegant talking point. Can be left to form a bubbly looking mound, or, in older age (this tree is nearly 100 years old), effectively cloud pruned. 1.5m.

A low, slow-growing cultivar that produces mini cones, and flushes yellow in cold weather. It slowly reverts to green as the temperatures rise again in spring. Can be easily shaped by candle pruning (see page 57) in spring. 1-1.5m. AGM. RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b.

Conifers are a huge part of the plant world and have been a feature of our gardens for centuries. The number of cultivars in different genera run into the thousands, with many exhibiting smaller and slower-growing habits, making them ideal for modern gardens. There is no shortage of magnificent conifers suitable for rolling parkland and arboreta, but the diversity of ‘well-behaved’ species and cultivars is also extensive, once you look closely.

Perhaps driven by the pest and disease issues affecting Buxus recently, there’s been a sharp focus on other small-leaved evergreens that are good for clipping. Podocarpus is probably my number one box alternative. It can take close clipping, doesn’t grow too fast and, usefully, regenerates from old wood. The straight species P nivalis is perfect for the purist gardener, offering 12 months of calm green, while P. ‘Young Rusty’ flushes a deep wine red in the winter months, and is a wonderful foil for winter-flowering plants, or the buff-gold of dormant grasses. Podocarpus

‘Guardsman’ rages a vibrant fiery red in spring, as the temperatures start to recover after winter. Podocarps also have vibrant new growth and bear fruit similar to yew.

Unlike some conifers, pines never really fell out of favour. The smaller pine cultivars can easily create low, cushionlike mounds, or small trees whose proportions are easy to manage.

Miniature cones and attractive bark also

‘Little Sonja’

Useful in both sun and shade, this is a tangled, textural feast for the eyes. Its fresh green, almost succulent-like, stems have flattened green leaves that are arranged close to the stem. 50-60cm. RHS H6, USDA 5a-8b.

add to the appeal. The tactile, almost fuzzy, effect of Pinus strobus ‘Sea Urchin’ makes cute mossy domes of evergreen perfection – picture-perfect for a pot, or as a repeated evergreen accent. Like many small conifers, it originated from a witches’ broom (a congested genetic variant that exhibits a more compact form than the parent plant). Similarly, P. strobus ‘Green Twist’ has an irresistible curled, slightly twisted needle, which makes for a spectacular, textured, interesting hummock.

Perhaps better known are mountain pines, Pinus mugo, which have been used to great effect as evergreen mounds by designers Chris Beardshaw and Matt Keightley at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in recent years. Known for their cold tolerance, these mountain pines seldom grow with any apical dominance, so plants growing wider than tall is not uncommon. The cultivar ‘Winter Gold’ flushes gold after the first frosts, and will glow an intense buttery yellow if the winter is extremely cold. Pines that turn a golden-yellow in cold weather were a complete revelation to me, and there are at least 20-30 cultivars that liven up after several good frosts. Many have been introduced from colder European countries where the variety of winter evergreens is smaller and a focus on cold hardiness is more relevant.

As well as seeing conifers as evergreen punctuation, in recent years gardeners’ eyes have been opened to cloud pruning, and the massive presence a cloud-pruned

To continue turn to page 59

Smaller pines can easily create low, cushion-like mounds, or small trees whose proportions are easy to manage

This is the typical and very dense, compact mountain pine. Excellent cold tolerance and easy to shape. Good for evergreen structure, and can look elegant in a pot. 30-50cm.

A photogenic and fluffy, bun-like pine, which over time creates a fuzzy mound with soft, delicate needles. Happiest in full sun to very light shade, it looks good in an elegant pot or urn. A personal favourite. 40-60cm.

How to grow small conifers

• Conifers are remarkably easy plants to please. They should be kept watered through the first couple of summers if conditions are dry, but once established, rarely need additional irrigation.

• Most pines prefer full sun and well-drained soil. Those that turn a golden colour in cold weather will give the most vibrant display in full sun. The exceptions to this rule are those with variegated needles, such as Pinus parviflora ‘Fukai’, which may suffer some sunburn on heavily banded needles. For these, a position away from the blazing midday sun would be beneficial.

• Pines are easy to prune by trimming or removing new growths, sometimes known as ‘candles’, in spring. These new shoots, which appear in the terminal growing points, often have a clear central leader that can be shortened

A cultivar that almost has to be seen to be believed. Its small needles are twisted, allowing the white undersides of the needles to be shown off, creating a wonderful foliage effect. 40-50cm.

with a sharp pair of scissors, or simply plucked out with index finger and thumb.

• For a more vigorous prune, use secateurs to shorten the previous twoto-three seasons’ growth back down to a whorl of branches. You should, however, avoid pruning pines too severely – this never ends well. Pines do not regenerate from old wood and the pruning cuts will gaze back at you for years to come.

• Pines are best propagated by grafting as the cultivars will not come true from seed. A grafted pine will cost more than an average shrub or perennial, but remember: you’re buying a pot of a nurseryman’s skill.

• Chamaecyparis require similar conditions to pines, generally preferring full sun. They show their most glamorous foliage habit in good light levels, and do not like their feet sitting in water.

• Chamaecyparis can be propagated by cuttings, most commonly through semiripe cuttings, with some gentle bottom heat, ensuring they do not dry out. I’ve had more success with heel cuttings, taken in winter, planted into a pan and popped into a cold frame somewhere cool, outdoors, where they sit, seemingly doing nothing, until roots sprout from the base of the pot.

• Cryptomeria and Podocarpus can tolerate shade, and even some winter wet. Dwarf cryptomerias work well with ferns, epimediums and other woodland shade plants, where they can offer a lovely texture and rhythm if repeat planted through a large area.

• Both Cryptomeria and Podocarpus root from semi-ripe tip cuttings, taken in late summer. Podocarps are the easiest of all to root – useful if you are planning to replace extensive box hedging.

Podocarpus ‘Young Rusty’

In winter to late spring, its deep-green foliage is flushed a deep red-bronze, after which colourful new shoots appear. Brilliant in sun or shade, and able to withstand clipping, it can regenerate from old wood. 1-1.3m. RHS H5.

Chamaecyparis thyoides

‘Rubicon’

A cultivar that flushes purple-plum in winter and turquoise green in summer. Grows naturally as a mini cloud-pruned tree without any assistance. Best grown in full sun. 30-50cm.

RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Pinus contorta

‘Chief Joseph’

A vibrant, zingy, golden yellow in winter, it reverts to green in summer. Best grown in full sun, this cultivar can make a small tree in time, but is very slow growing. 70-90cm. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Podocarpus ‘Guardsman’

A hybrid podocarp that turns a deep burgundyred in winter, before putting on a flaming red show in spring, then deep green in summer. Able to perform in both sun and shade, and tolerant of close clipping. 1-1.4m. RHS H5.

A personal favourite, with variegated needles and colourful pollen cones, set off by smooth, silvery grey bark. The growth habit resembles a giant bonsai, and at Wisley it always stops people in their tracks so they can take a closer look. 1-1.5m.

A useful alternative to box, its muted green foliage is a good foil for other plants. Doesn’t go bald in the shade, and can straddle the line between sun and shade. Growth vigour is slow, so an annual clip can keep it in bounds. 1-1.2m. RHS H5.

plant can bring to a space. In the conifer world, it is no surprise to see yew lending itself to this art, but now pines, cypresses and the false cypress, Chamaecyparis, are not far behind.

One triumph in cloud pruning stands proudly on the Rock Garden at RHS Garden Wisley – an old Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’, which underwent a transformation from amorphous green blob to sculptural heaven with some training for the Wisley team from bonsai and cloud-pruning expert Peter Chan of Herons Bonsai. The plant was some 80-100 years old, so we needed a little help in knowing where to start, not to mention some encouragement to boost our confidence; the fear of ruining an old plant was real. Since its prune, however, the plant’s wonderful bark, which is as interesting as the foliage, can now be fully celebrated (see page 54).

Mention of Chamaecyparis, particularly in the same breath as a rock garden, might conjure uncomfortable associations for some. It’s a genus many gardeners, especially those who have experienced first-hand the unruly nature of 1970s rock gardens with their not-sodwarf-conifers, find hard to love. In truth, the labelling of conifers in terms of their speed of growth and eventual height was sketchy at best in the past. While at college, I worked in a garden centre where Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Ellwoodii’ was often sold as a plant for small gardens. I gulped when I arrived at Wisley to find the Conifer

Where to buy and see

Lawn then boasted the UK Champion Tree, which was some 18m tall.

Today, there is far more choice. Genera such as Cryptomeria and Podocarpus, which were almost impossible to find 30 years ago, are more widely available. Perhaps this now means any prejudice gardeners have from previous encounters with conifers might finally be put to bed. n

Matthew Pottage is curator at RHS Garden Wisley.

• Ashwood Nurseries Ashwood Lower Lane, Kinver, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE. Tel 01384 401996, ashwoodnurseries.com

Home also to John Massey’s own garden, a great source of inspiration.

• The Bressingham Gardens Low Road, Diss, Norfolk IP22 2AA. Tel 07300 100445, thebressinghamgardens.com

Home to Adrian Bloom’s garden, Foggy Bottom, which is an inspirational place to see creative pruning and shaping.

• Larch Cottage Nursery Melkinthorpe, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 2DR. Tel 01931 712404, larchcottage.co.uk

• Lime Cross Nursery Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 4RS. Tel 01323 833229, limecross.co.uk

• RHS Garden Wisley Wisley Lane, Wisley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Tel 01483 224234, rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

In recent years gardeners’ eyes have been opened to the presence a cloudpruned plant can bring

ÅSA GREGERSWARG

The creative force behind the Beth Chatto Gardens on the practicalities of gardening, her respect and affection

The sign outside reads ‘Beth Chatto Gardens’. There is a life-size photograph of the great plantswoman in the visitor reception building. But Beth Chatto died in 2018. So who is the living creative force in the garden today?

The answer comes in the form of Åsa (pronounced ‘Orsa’) Gregers-Warg, the 53-year-old head gardener at Beth Chatto Gardens, who arrived at this obscure corner of Essex from Sweden 21 years ago as an intern – and stayed on.

“I first came over one very, very cold January in 2001,” she recalls. “I had seen an article about Beth in a Swedish garden magazine. The whole ethos and philosophy attracted me: her wide knowledge of plants, her artistic eye and her passion for working with nature. So I stayed in London and I came down on the train on the windiest day. It was bitterly cold and I couldn’t see another living soul. But even in winter I was so impressed – I was taken aback by the bone-structure of the garden.

“Of course I was way too shy to knock on Beth’s door, so I went home and wrote her a letter, asking if I could come and work over the summer. Initially, it was for six months. I lived in a caravan by the vegetable patch – which was great, as I could wander around the garden, observe, make notes, compare cultivars and so on.”

Given this level of dedication from the outset, perhaps it is not surprising that Åsa rapidly became a quasi-head gardener – because “Beth was always the boss”. The role became formalised over time, and Åsa says she has been in charge of the day-to-day running of the garden for the past seven years.

“When I started,” she says, “Beth told me: ‘I probably haven’t got long left.’ But she was always in the garden working or observing, latterly on her mobility scooter – which was a little hair-raising, as she was always looking at the plants rather than where she was driving. To be honest, I never once saw her sit down in the garden and relax.”

With shoulder-length blonde hair swept back from her forehead and that sunny, open disposition we – perhaps unreasonably – tend to expect from Scandinavians, it is difficult to imagine the preternaturally calm Åsa being fazed by anything. But is there not a great burden of responsibility in being expected to work “in the spirit” of someone who is no longer with us, but whose memory is still so bound up with the garden? “It doesn’t bother me,” says Åsa, apparently with genuine unconcern. “I’m happy just working with the plants. If you ask, do I have to stop and think all the time what Beth

would have done, I don’t – because I know that 99 per cent of the time my choice would be the same as Beth’s. Of course, she had her favourites: if she had her way, there would be bergenias everywhere. That was her go-to plant. But my worries are more practical: sustainability; whether we have the manpower; integrating new team members. In the end, the biggest challenge for any gardener is understanding what it is you are trying to create, and getting that image in your head.”

Growing up near Stockholm, Åsa says she was not drawn to gardening as a child. “When you have wild nature, as we do in Sweden, it’s different,” she explains. “We don’t have Dixters or Beth Chattos.” She only began to think of gardening seriously as a career option in her early twenties, while helping her parents in the garden of their weekend cottage, “deep in the forest”. This followed stints as an au pair in the USA and working at a ski resort.

“Initially, I thought about floristry,” she says. “But then I got practical experience [as an intern] in the botanic garden in Stockholm.” There followed a two-year course at a horticultural college, then a period at a nurserycum-garden centre – and finally, at the age of 31, her horticultural destiny.

“Beth was a tough boss,” Åsa says. “Her whole life was led by plants. When you arrived in the morning, it was as if she had been up since the early hours, impatiently waiting for someone to come in. There was always a long list of things to do. But she was so generous with her time and her knowledge. She was a great friend and I miss her hugely. I always had the highest respect for her.”

Sometimes in Britain such things can be said almost out of politeness. But in the case of Åsa – who was informed, when she first arrived in England, that she was “quite direct” – it is clear that these sentiments are deeply and earnestly held. Indeed, respect and affection for Beth Chatto are the underlying reasons for her career-long loyalty and dedication to one garden. n

USEFUL INFORMATION

Beth Chatto’s Plants & Gardens, Clacton Road, Elmstead Market, Elmstead, Colchester, Essex CO7 7DB. Tel 01206 822007, bethchatto.co.uk

• Åsa will be recommending the best plants to grow each month for our Plantsperson’s Favourites column in 2023. Don’t miss the February issue for the first of her selections.

BETH WAS A TOUGH BOSS. THERE WAS ALWAYS A LONG LIST OF THINGS TO DO. BUT SHE WAS A GREAT FRIEND

HORTICULTURAL WHO’S WHO

for Beth and the responsibility of gardening in her spirit

WORDS TIM RICHARDSON PORTRAIT RICHARD BLOOM

Catching the light

Nature turns on the Christmas lights in this Berkshire garden, as low winter sun illuminates ornamental grasses and coloured stems

IN BRIEF

Name St Timothee.

What Private garden, planted for year-round interest with strong winter structure.

Where Berkshire.

Size Two acres.

Soil Variety of soil conditions, ranging from heavy clay to well-drained chalk.

Climate Temperate.

Hardiness zone USDA 9a.

The two-acre garden at St Timothee provides winter drama on a grand scale. Owner Sarah Pajwani has blended existing structure with soft plantings of mainly perennials and grasses to add interest throughout the year.

The garden surrounding Sarah Pajwani’s Berkshire home is surprisingly paradoxical. At first glance, it appears a wide, naturalistic landscape, but it’s held back from open countryside by ruddy hornbeam and mixed native hedging. House and garden borrow the open views and the outlying fringe of mature willow, walnut, pine, oak and copper beech, brings a feeling of maturity to a relatively new garden.

Natural as it may seem, none of this is by chance. Sarah has deliberately selected and placed key plants for maximum effect. Using a relatively restricted plant palette, she has embroidered a free-flowing design with an intricate web of planting that is intentionally strong in winter. Although she has deliberately steered clear of traditional, heavy, evergreen winter structure, she has

made use of existing evergreens, including a towering yew and tapering pine, but has used these to punctuate her planting rather than make them the main structural text. “In winter the entire garden lights up,” she says. “The grasses, in particular, capture every bit of light, as does the pond.”

Fifteen years ago, when Sarah started work on the garden, it was little more than an empty field with perimeter trees, a section of hornbeam hedging and four isolated pampas grasses marooned in various parts of the lawn. Sarah’s ambition was to link the house to the garden, and to create a series of beds that would change with the seasons and offer a different view for each aspect. To insert some fluid design and definition, Sarah brought in design studio Acres Wild, who created a large wildlife pond as a central focal point, from which a series of deep beds and curvaceous borders radiate out. It was then left to Sarah to bring in diggers to make the beds and add the all-important planting.

Inspiration came from other gardens, in particular Le Jardin Plume in Normandy and Knoll Gardens in Dorset, where Sarah was drawn to ornamental grasses. This aesthetic dovetailed more practically with Beth Chatto’s ‘right plant, right place’ philosophy. “The garden is open and quite exposed, so plants, especially in winter, need to be tough, resilient and largely look after themselves,” explains Sarah.

Gaining confidence and experience with every season, Sarah began to fill the borders with increasing colour and complexity. The initial Big Circle Border had shape and textural interest from fountains of grasses, such as Stipa gigantea, and perennials, but lacked colour. Each subsequent border included a number of Cornus, chosen for their colourful winter stems. In the Bottom Border, she’s used underplantings of winter-flowering, white

Above right Sarah briefed Acres Wild to design the garden around a new pond that would encourage wildlife and act as a central focal point. The design studio created an outline of where borders and paths would go but left Sarah with the freedom to put together her own planting plan. She rescued the pampas grasses, Cortaderia selloana, from their solitary positions in the lawn to add a theatrical backdrop to the pond. Now they bring real energy and dynamism to the winter garden, interplanted with verdant evergreen Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii and Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’. Behind this, a backbone of Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, brings warmth and energy to the Fire Border.

Right Sarah’s 1930s red-brick house looks out on to her Grass Island, where the planting includes a Piet Oudolf-inspired mix of grasses such as Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and perennials that continue to provide interest in their senescence throughout winter. Beyond, a row of Lombardy poplars mark the garden’s boundary.

KEY PLANTS

1 Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii Short-lived perennial with propensity to self-seed. Best in full sun, it tolerates dry shade. Its evergreen foliage provides winter interest long after the acid-green flowers have been cut back. 1.2m x 1.2m. RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b†

2 Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ A robust, prolific-flowering hydrangea. Flowers emerge lime green, fading to white before blushing in autumn, with desiccating flowerheads clinging on through winter. 2.5m x 2.5m. AGM*. RHS H5, USDA 3a-8b.

3 Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ Bushy, spreading shrub, which drops its butter-yellow autumn foliage to reveal brilliantly coloured stems. 2m x 2m. RHS H6, USDA 5a-7b.

4 Cortaderia selloana Densely tufted, clump-forming perennial with towering, waving, shaggy-feathered flower plumes, starting white but fading to cream throughout winter. 4m x 2.5m. RHS H6, USDA 8a-10b. Key plants continue on page 66.

In winter the entire garden lights up. e grasses, in particular, capture every bit of light, as does the pond

Cyclamen coum to contrast with the already brilliant red stems of Cornus alba

In another border, she’s experimented with Vinca minor f. alba ‘Gertrude Jekyll’, which carpeted the ground in no time, and is “totally beautiful when frost rimmed”.

In the central Fire Border, she realised little was needed to enhance the blazing bonfire of Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. Instead the twiggy silhouettes are pitted against foliage heads of evergreen Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii and a range of sedges and grasses.

Closer to the house, grasses give way to paved pathways and more intimate garden spaces. Two outbuildings are separated by a classical box parterre, also suggested by Acres Wild. “At first, I felt a parterre would be too formal,” says Sarah. “But rounding the tops, as I saw Mary Keen had done in her vicarage garden, softened it.”

Beyond, and running right up to the house, half in shade, half in full sun, runs a golden grass fringe of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’. This veiled hedge runs east to west, capturing both morning and evening sunlight. “I couldn’t think of a shrub I liked enough that would carry such repetition,” says Sarah. On the opposing border, a trio of Calamagrostis completes this entirely different aspect of a colourful and light-catching winter space. n

USEFUL INFORMATION

Address St Timothee, Darlings Lane, Pinkneys Green, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 6PA. Web ngs.org.uk Open 12 January 2023, 10.30am-12.30pm for Winter Talk and Walk in aid of the National Garden Scheme.

Admission £16. Limited to 25 people. See NGS website to book and for details of more dates throughout the year.

GI Find tips on caring for ornamental grasses at gardensillustrated.com/grasscare

MORE KEY PLANTS

5 Sarcococca confusa Glossy, evergreen shrub that bears highly scented, tiny white flowers in winter. These are followed by glossy black berries.

1.5m x 1.5m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-8b.

6 Helleborus Walberton’s Rosemary (= ‘Walhero’) Semi-evergreen perennial, and one of the earliest hellebores to flower. Its star-shaped, pink flowers often appear from December right through to mid-spring. 50cm x 50cm. AGM. RHS H7.

7 Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ An upright, light-catching, clump-forming perennial grass. Its high-held, iridescent flower plumes form attractive seedheads, which linger throughout winter.

1.6m x 50cm. AGM. RHS H6. USDA 5a-9b.

8 Cyclamen coum f. pallidum ‘Album’ Bulbous perennial that offers beautifully patterned evergreen foliage and a profusion of winter-flowering, white blooms. Naturalises well under a deciduous hedge or woodland canopy. 10cm x 10cm. AGM. RHS H5.

Top

Left Beyond the pond, Sarah’s Fire Border is dominated by the bright stems of Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’. The dogwood’s fiery colour is cooled by a range of grasses and sedges of different heights, from the low-growing Carex comans through Anemanthele lessoniana and Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’ to the giant pampas grass Cortaderia selloana. Anchored by a large box ball, the border has an orange and blue theme throughout the year with a mix of perennials, including the evergreen, blue-green foliage of Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii, and the spiky Mahonia nitens ‘Cabaret’, which offers orange-red buds opening to yellow flowers in summer, followed by blue-grey berries in autumn.

My green escape

ha peci l atter es a

We all have that special place we go to recharge our batteries and reconnect with nature, and those lucky enough to work in gardening are no different. Here, seven share their ver y different favourite spaces

ven

Rivelin Valley, Sheffield

Every day I take my dog Laika to the Rivelin Valley on the outskirts of Sheffield. It’s just ten minutes’ drive from my house but it is a world away from life in the city. I work from home and there comes a point in every day – usually around half four – when we both just need a break.

I’ve lived in Sheffield for 20 years but only recently discovered the valley, and it is completely gorgeous. As soon as I get there I’m filled with gratitude to be surrounded by so much life. It’s an unspoilt English woodland with a river running through it, but also a place that has been actively used and appreciated by people for centuries. The winding paths, stepping stones and little bridges are all remnants of the site’s industrial past, when this river powered the steel mills that in turn powered Sheffield’s economy.

Once the mills moved away, nature moved back and began to reclaim the place, so now you have a wonderful contrast of atmospheres, with built elements still recognisable but disappearing under blankets of moss and ferns. There are magical waterfalls and a pool for wild swimming, which is something I only discovered fairly recently but has become really important to me. It is like an instant release and reset.

I need my daily trip to the valley to soak up the essence of the place and immerse myself in nature. It’s not strictly horticulture, but it reminds me of why I’m in this line of work. beckycrowley.com

“I need my daily trip to the valley to soak up the essence of the place and immerse myself in nature”

Dungeness, Kent

I have always been attracted to places that seem empty but, if you take the trouble to look, really aren’t. Dungeness has exactly that quality plus a certain built-in spookiness. I love a working landscape and, although there is a bit of gentrification and lots of people come to see Derek Jarman’s garden at Prospect Cottage, it is still filled with caterpillar tractors and fishing paraphernalia. Even the black weatherboard buildings, which have become rather architectural icons, are just the local vernacular.

Although the landscape is so wide and open, you feel enveloped by it. Maybe it is because you can see the fullness of the sky. Nothing blocks your view, so you are aware of its widest parameters. And although at first glance the shingle beach looks barren, it is actually full of plants, including a number of lovely orchids and the UK’s largest colony of Crambe maritima.

I’ve always felt at peace there and have returned at pivotal times throughout my life. I went there with my wife Jane when she was eight months pregnant with our twins, and I was filled with a strong sense that everything would be okay.

The last time I visited was on New Year’s Day. There were lots of people out for a walk, and I got chatting to a man who turned out to be Star Wars actor Mark Hamill’s body double. That’s the sort of weird thing that always seems to happen at Dungeness. matthewwilsongardens.com

Barbican Conservatory, London

I first visited the Barbican Conservatory in 2017, when I was a student studying landscape architecture. It is in an incredibly built-up part of the city, and quite confusing to find for the first time, so it was surprising and inspiring to discover this hidden world.

It is a very special combination of plants and architecture, art and nature. Everything is so green and lush, it feels like the plants are reclaiming the buildings. I go quite regularly with my partner James, who is also a landscape architect, and it is good for us to be reminded of what you can achieve in a city. Sometimes we just sit and sketch or write, although we also take friends when they come to stay. I’m from Lithuania originally and lived in Wales for a bit, but for the past five years I have been in London. It’s nice to have so much going on – especially the art galleries and museums – but I need to step out into serene and peaceful places to recharge my creative batteries. And that is why the Barbican Conservatory is so important to me. It’s a real urban jungle and contains a huge number of plants, including a great collection of cacti and succulents in the arid house.

A lot of my work is about finding juxtapositions between the built environment and plant life and I always come away from the Barbican inspired and full of ideas.

ulamaria.com

“Although at rst glance the shingle beach looks barren, it is actually full of plants”

“Everything is so green and lush, it feels like the plants are reclaiming the buildings”

The city at dawn

I am interested in ways of finding the extraordinary in the everyday and methods for making yourself look afresh at places you take for granted, so my green escape is really a time, more than a place.

I love to go out for a walk just as the sun is rising, especially in high summer, when you have to get up really early. It makes you see the nature on your doorstep in a totally new light. I live in Wakefield, and at that time in the morning the city is really quiet but the birds are unbelievably noisy. Along the River Calder, right in the city centre, you can see kingfishers diving for breakfast and herons chasing low over the water. As the rising sun grazes each leaf and flower, it changes in front of your eyes from a monochrome silhouette to a picture in full colour.

Until recently I lived really close to The Hepworth Wakefield Garden, which is open 24 hours a day, and I loved to walk over there at dawn, to see it in a completely different way than I do during the working day. Textures and details become visible in the sun’s low light that you wouldn’t notice by mid-morning, such as the halo of tiny hairs on an echinacea, or the fine pink whiskers of pennisetum flowers.

You don’t have to make elaborate travel plans to enjoy an adventure with nature. I really believe that we can all find magic on our own doorsteps.

hepworthwakefield.org

Richmond Park, London

Richmond Park is my green escape, an oasis on the edge of London.

I grew up nearby, so it was actually the first important green space in my life. It’s a ten-mile walk around the perimeter and so wild and untouched that you can easily get lost inside it.

There are trees to climb, and bracken to crawl through and my mum would march me and my two brothers there almost every day to burn off a bit of energy after school. We would just run wild.

Today it brings a sense of escape from the pressures of my job. I design garden spaces, and the process of this is controlled and organised. The open expansiveness of the park is a welcome antidote after a day at my desk. It’s only a 15-minute walk from my home and studio so I try to get there every day, to experience the weather and restore my connection with nature.

At the heart of the park is the Isabella Plantation, a mad and magical Victorian creation of crazily colourful azaleas and rhododendrons, streams and ponds, but most of it feels wild and untouched (although it is protected by the Crown Estate and well managed).

There are no buildings to block the view, so you get wide skies and incredible sunsets, but I also love it at the start of the day. In autumn, when the leaves are turning, the deer are rutting and an early morning mist hangs on the ground, it is an atmospheric place to be.

tommassey.co.uk

“I love to go out for a walk just as the sun is rising… we can all nd magic on our own doorsteps”

“I try to get there every day, to experience the weather and restore my connection with nature”

Tom Massey – garden designer

Great Dixter, East Sussex

Great Dixter is a garden I truly love and make sure to visit at least three or four times a year. It is an inspirational place filled with amazing plants and wonderful people.

I live in London and only have my own small garden to experiment in, so it’s good to discover new plants and see how they develop and combine in the real world, and you won’t see it done better than at Dixter.

It is all so inspiring. Step inside the entrance gate, and the front meadow instantly sets a special tone. Then you arrive at the porch, with its ever-changing pot display showcasing the very best that is growing at that particular moment in the year. And to one side, facing the house, is the Solar Bed, which gets completely replanted every three or four months. A crazy amount of work goes into just that one area. The Long Border is a masterclass in high-intensity successional planting but there are other parts of the garden, like the massive biodiversity log pile in the orchard, that are virtually untouched and still look completely wonderful. It’s a garden that constantly changes speed.

I was a volunteer gardener there for a while and I used to love climbing up the enormous compost heap by the car park. It is a mini mountain of wholesomeness and, for me, it represents all that is great about Great Dixter – working from the ground up, everything here is considered and valued, everything has its place and in time everything will be reused.

As gardeners, we should all take time out to remember that.

studioikram.com

Isle of Rum, Scotland

Connection with nature is fundamental to all that I do and am. Most days at sunrise and sunset I will be out somewhere, walking or wild swimming. But I recently discovered a very special place to go when I really need to fully recharge my batteries.

The Isle of Rum is in the Inner Hebrides and it is an astonishing, wonderful place. There is a completely crazy Victorian castle made out of pink sandstone, and the rest of the tiny island is raw and untouched, with a population of just 40 people and an amazing diversity of wildlife, including rare, white-tailed eagles, golden eagles and Manx shearwaters, red deer, wild ponies and hairy Highland cows.

There are wonderful ferns, mosses and lichens, and a grove of low, multi-stemmed trees that grow in the teeth of the fierce prevailing winds and prove that nature is better than any garden that man might create. There are enormous boulders, rushing streams and a wild coastline. And the harbour has the most gloriously clear water with a quite incredible forest of kelp swaying in its depths.

Floating there, the water, the light and the air all combine into the most perfect experience. It fills me with a sense of man’s fundamental superfluousness – this all exists without us, and it will carry on when we are no longer here – but it also gives me a feeling of total connection with that natural world. This is the idyll that we can all strive to find for ourselves. marianboswall.com

“Everything here is considered and valued, everything has its place and in time everything will be reused”

“It gives me a feeling of total connection with that natural world. is is the idyll that we can all strive to nd for ourselves”

Outside flavourings

Chef and food writer Gill Meller believes enjoying food outside can help us connect with nature, whatever the time of year. Here he suggests seasonal recipes that can be cooked over an open fire

Recently someone told me a story about their childhood, and eating outside. On Sundays, the whole family would set about making a campfire in the garden. When the fire was nice and hot, they’d wrap up potatoes in foil and tuck them into the flames. Then, they would all head off for a big country walk, the kids done up in coats and scarves, dogs charging about the place, dad out in front with a good stick. When they got back, a few hours later, the potatoes would be perfectly cooked. All the children would rush up to the fire and lift their spuds out of the ash and embers. Mum would grate cheese and they’d fork in plenty of butter. Everyone loved sitting there, eating hot potatoes around the smoky fire. Turns out the kids always looked forward to their walks, too. Everyone remembered them as something to hold on to.

I find it mind-blowing that I have lived through two times. The first, a world that turned quite happily without modern technology; and the second, a world that can’t. It’s unusual because relatively soon there won’t be anyone who remembers a time before things changed. We are the people who saw analogue become digital, made calls from a phone box, wrote letters with pens and entertained ourselves by playing games outside. Maybe this is why I like the story about the jacket potatoes in the fire or remember with such affection sitting on the hill with my soup – they’re real-life experiences, tied together, as it happens, by food.

The problem is, most of us are afraid of being left behind by the modern world and have to cling on tight if we want to be part of it.

as a magical journey that may end with something good to eat. Through it we can learn things about ourselves and the world around us; things we may have overlooked in the past.

Of course, you don’t have to be on a remote beach to experience all this. If you’re able to get a fire going in your garden or courtyard, you’ll still have to think in a different way and learn the same basic science. You’ll make the same emotional connections and enjoy really delicious food.

In the same breath, we don’t want things to change too much either. So, as we speed into the future, we’re looking for handholds to slow us down, to ground us, to help us stay in touch with our past and in tune with a more balanced, holistic way of living.

Happily, it’s not difficult to press pause once in a while and do something that will help us feel this way. Cooking outside over an open fire or taking a picnic into the woods are both very natural things to do. It’s in our blood to eat outside – these are the obvious visceral experiences we’ve been looking for.

I now understand that cooking outside is about so much more than just cooking in the way we do in the kitchen at home – we cook to eat. It doesn’t feel like that when you’re outside. I see it

It’s clear we’re happier if we can be outside, but the planet seems happier if we’re not. It’s an uncomfortable thought, but one we can learn so much from. By connecting with our immediate environment in a more conscious, sensitive, ancient way, we develop a deeper understanding of how fragile parts of it have become, and may discover new ways we can help to fix it. n

FIND OUT MORE

This is an edited extract from the book Outside: Recipes for a Wilder Way of Eating by Gill Meller, with photographs by Andrew Montgomery, which is published by Quadrille, priced £30.

Cooking outside over an open re or taking a picnic into the woods are both very natural things to do. It’s in our blood to eat outside

Hot-smoked cauliflower with a cheese and dill sauce SERVES 2–3

Here’s a fun twist on cauliflower cheese. You’ll need a large flowerpot, saucepan or fire cloche to cover the cauliflower as it gently roasts above the smoky fire. Alternatively, if your barbecue has a lid, you can close that down as the cauliflower cooks. It’s worth noting, while a whole cauliflower cooks surprisingly quickly when you boil it, that’s not the case over an open fire. It’s a rather leisurely process, so it’s important the fire’s not too hot, otherwise the cauliflower may blacken on the outside before it’s tender in the middle. I like to add plenty of chopped dill to my cheese sauce. It’s such a great herb to use with cheese, but if dill isn’t your favourite, chives or parsley would be good instead.

Trim the leaves away from the cauliflower and cut the thick stalk back as

much as possible without any of the florets separating. Trickle the trimmed cauliflower with the extra-virgin olive oil and season all over with salt and pepper.

Using half the butter, drop small pieces of it down around the stalk so it falls between the florets. Spoon in two to three tablespoons of water, too.

Make sure you have a medium-hot fire going. Add a few small hardwood logs so it’s nice and smoky.

Set the cauliflower down, stalk uppermost, on a grill over the fire, to one side of the direct heat. Place a large terracotta flowerpot, a saucepan or a fire cloche over the cauliflower.

Cook the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes, then uncover it and turn it over. Cover again

and leave to cook for about the same time again.

Meanwhile, set a small pan down over the fire and add the remaining butter. When it’s bubbling away, add the flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour in the milk and bring to a simmer, stirring all the time. Add the cheese and mustard and season with some salt and plenty of black pepper. Simmer the sauce until the cheese has melted and it’s lovely and thick. Add the chopped dill and set to one side. Make sure the cauliflower is tender before you take it off the fire. You can check this by inserting the tip of a knife into the stem. There shouldn’t be much resistance. Scatter the cauliflower with a little extra dill and serve in thick wedges with lots of cheese sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium-small cauliflower

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 50g butter

• 25g plain flour

• 300ml whole milk

• 125g mature cheddar, grated

• 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

• Small handful of dill, chopped, plus extra to serve

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

It’s important the re’s not too hot, otherwise the cauliower may blacken on the outside before it’s tender in the middle

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 5-6 large organic pork sausages

• 1 large, or 2 smaller onions, halved and thinly sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 6 butternut squash (about 400g)

• 12-14 sage leaves, roughly torn

• 2 rosemary sprigs, roughly torn

• 250g dried haricot beans, soaked and cooked

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sausages and squash with sage, rosemary and beans

SERVES 4

This is a good lunch to cook outside later on in the autumn, when the leaves begin to fall and the weather’s getting colder. It might be something you prepare after a day of tidying up and cutting back in the garden. In fact, if you’re having a bonfire, it would be nice to let this cook away in the embers while you’re working. If you wanted to leave out the sausages, you could – sometimes I add dried mushrooms instead, they have so much flavour.

Set a large, heavy-based casserole pan over a hot part of the fire. Add half the extravirgin olive oil and when it’s hot, add the sausages. Fry them, turning regularly, so they

brown evenly on all sides. Don’t let the pan get too hot or you’ll burn the sausages. When they look lovely and golden, lift them out of the pan and set them to one side. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and stir them. Allow them to soften – there’s no harm in letting them develop some colour around their edges.

Meanwhile, deseed the squash and cut up the flesh into bite-size pieces (you really don’t need to peel it). Add the pieces to the onions along with half the sage and rosemary. Cook the vegetables until the squash is starting to soften at the corners, then stir in the cooked beans and pour over

enough water to cover. Bring everything up to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly, so it’s all cooking evenly, for 15–20 minutes, by which time the squash should be nice and tender. You’ll need to keep your eye on the fire – you want to keep the heat ticking over.

Cut up the sausages into chunky pieces and add these back to the pan, along with plenty of salt and pepper. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through. Roughly chop the remaining herbs. Scatter these over the top and trickle over the remaining extravirgin olive oil. Allow everything to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Something to prepare aer a day of cutting back in the garden. If you’re having a bonre, let this cook in the embers while you’re working

Radicchio with wholegrain mustard, dates and celeriac

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE

Sometimes I wonder if cooking is as selfish as it is generous. Who am I trying to please, first? Is the desire to share stronger than the desire for praise? Could I ever make something I don’t like, but you do? I’ve been sitting in the dark dreaming again. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, with salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl or jar and mix or shake thoroughly. Set aside.

Slice the celeriac into really fine matchsticks. You can do this using a mandolin or with a sharp knife. Either way, it’s important the pieces aren’t too thick, so take your time. Pour half the dressing over the prepared celeriac, add half the thyme leaves and some salt and pepper and tumble it all together.

Separate the radicchio into individual leaves. Give them a rinse and a quick dry.

Arrange them ‘cup-side up’ if you like, on a big open platter. Load each leaf with as much of the dressed celeriac as seems practical. You should be able to use it all up without too much trouble.

Split the date halves in half again. Scatter the pieces over the celeriac and spoon over the remaining dressing. Scatter over the last of the thyme leaves and season everything lightly with salt and pepper. Serve.

INGREDIENTS

• small celeriac, about 150g, peeled

• 3-4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked

• 1 head of radicchio

• 6-8 Medjool dates, halved and stoned

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

• 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp runny honey

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped

Slice the celeriac into really ne matchsticks. It’s important the pieces aren’t too thick, so take your time

INGREDIENTS

• 25ml groundnut or sunflower oil, plus extra for brushing

• 25g light brown soft sugar

• 2 tbsp runny chestnut honey or your favourite alternative, plus extra to trickle

• Pinch of sea salt

• 75g porridge oats

• 2 large ripe-ish pears

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 4 tbsp crème fraîche

• Few thyme sprigs, leaves picked (optional)

Grilled pears with chestnut honey, tahini and oats

SERVES 4

I thought I’d found a new one. Something we hadn’t seen before, an undiscovered combination, a pattern in the stars. It turns out, though, I’m not the only astronomer staring up into the night sky, looking for inspiration. Pears and tahini is already a thing! But, I can’t imagine pears, tahini and chestnut honey is, so maybe I will get my badge after all. Let the fire burn nice and hot for this one, so you can develop some distinct charring on the fruit. That slightly bitter edge works so beautifully with the sweetness of the flesh and the rich, woody honey.

Set a grill down over a hot fire and, when the embers are glowing and the fire’s giving out a good, steady heat, pop a pan on and add the oil, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of the honey, the salt and the porridge oats. Keep stirring the oats, which will help the sugar and honey melt and stick to the flakes as they get hot. Toast the oats over a medium heat until they are golden in colour and smell sweet and nutty. Leave to cool in the pan while you grill the pears.

Halve the pears. I don’t bother peeling or coring them. Brush them with a little light oil

and set them down on the hot grill. Cook the pears for 6-8 minutes on each side, or until they’re taking on some charring from the bars and beginning to soften.

To serve, spoon a few toasted oats into the bottom of a shallow plate or bowl. Place the pear halves on top. Combine the tahini with the crème fraîche and another tablespoon of honey and mix well. Place a dollop of this next to the pears and finish by trickling over a little more honey and scattering over a few thyme leaves, if you have some.

Let the re burn nice and hot for this one, so you can develop some distinct charring on the fruit

IN BRIEF

What Private garden that combines a mix of formal and informal planting and cloud-pruned shrubs and trees. Where Victoria, Australia. Size 10,500 square metres. Soil Sand with a pH of 9.5. Climate Mild temperate climate. Hardiness zone USDA 10a.

To the front of this private garden, which backs on to the Mornington Peninsula National Park, designer Jane Jones has created a tapestry of colours using low-growing shrubs, perennials and succulents, including spiky Furcraea bedinghausii and a row of Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’ that subtly screen the house.

At the cutting edge

A flexible approach and artistic flair helped to create an Australian garden that echoes the character of the surrounding coastal scrub

Wander along the dunes behind the ocean beach at Portsea, the western tip of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, and you may well be blown away. By beauty, yes, but also by blasting southwesterly winds peeling off the Bass Strait. It’s a wild, weather-beaten landscape. No place for a garden, one may assume. We make gardens in order to feel at home, to embed ourselves in a place, whether a tiny urban courtyard or a wind-battered sand dune. The key, according to garden designer Jane Jones, is to “work with what’s there”. The landscape will tell you what to do, she says, so that “what you create belongs”.

Jane has been designing gardens in and around Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula – a peri-urban region around an hour and a half from the city – for more than 20 years. In 2019 she was approached to design a garden on a 5,000 square metre block, bordered by the Mornington Peninsula National Park. The client’s initial brief was focused on the necessity for screening along the front boundary of the property, the creation of sheltered outdoor entertaining spaces, and a garden with plants that were interesting, long lasting and floriferous.

“When I started the project, I had a site plan but I never actually made any formal drawings,” says Jane. “I had a rough plan for the front of the property. But when you’re on site, you run with it, rejig it, and get more inspiration. That’s what happened.” She began by planting a row of pencil pines (Cupressus sempervirens ‘Glauca’) along the front of the property. “We wanted to plant something that screened the house from the street, but not a solid hedge,” she says.

Jane then turned her focus to the gardens immediately around the house, noticing the existing olive trees had been hacked badly by the previous owners. She cloud-pruned them, transforming the trees into living sculptures. From there on, there was no stopping the clipping. “The clouds in the olives set a bit of a theme,” she says. “It was obvious to me to put lots of spheres underneath them, across the façade of the house, and bleed them into the other side of the garden.”

The owner’s art collection inspired the gardens closest to the house. In particular, a work by Australian Indigenous artist Christian Thompson, from which Jane drew colours and textures into the garden. Observation, not just of the site, but of the owners and the way they live,

To continue turn to page 84

Above A group of existing tea trees (Leptospermum laevigatum) at the front of the house have been retained and cloud-pruned, to form living sculptures in the garden. The trees are underplanted with informal perennial planting, including the purple heads of Verbena bonariensis and the native tussock grass Poa labillardierei

Above right The plantings closest to the house are highly sculptural. Jane incorporated new, semi-mature olive trees into the garden, to augment the existing trees. These are underplanted by masses of Echium candicans, stonecrop Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ and the striking succulent Furcraea bedinghausii

Right Jane used masses of clipped spheres to frame the front of the house, inspired by the existing olive trees (Olea europaea) she had cloud-pruned. The green-grey foliage of Westringia fruticosa contrasts with the dark-green foliage of Euonymous japonicus in the foreground, while the olive trees are underplanted with Viburnum tinus and more Westringia fruticosa

Work with what’s there.

e landscape will tell you what to do, so that what you create belongs

LIVING WORKS OF ART

Sculpted plants are a useful way of providing visual structure and interest to a garden; a cloud-pruned shrub or small tree is far less expensive than a piece of sculpture. Convention suggests such elements should be used sparingly – that we should think of a cloud-pruned tree as the garden version of an exclamation mark; a clipped sphere, a comma or full stop – but rules are made to be broken. And if you are going to break this rule, you may as well do so as spectacularly as designer Jane Jones has done in this garden.

Jane is not particular about what plant species she uses for spheres and cloud pruning. “I think you can cloud prune anything,” she says. “It’s more about what’s available.” In this garden, she’s clipped Westringia fruticosa, Viburnum tinus, Elaeagnus x submacrophylla, Teucrium fruticans and the succulent Portulacaria afra. Even the local tea-tree species (Leptospermum laevigatum) found on the property has not escaped Jane’s secateurs. Careful consideration is required when using clipped plants in the garden. If they’re being massed, as in this garden, use colour and texture to create interest and dierentiate between species. Repetition of cloud-pruned plants can create a very strong statement, but a single specimen surrounded by ‘quiet’ plantings can be just as visually impactful.

Clipping and shaping is an art form that requires years of practice and experience, and a commitment to long-term maintenance. In this garden, the spheres and cloud-pruned trees are clipped four times a year. If you are thinking about making your own living sculptures, take your time and start small – with one or two plants – before unleashing your secateurs on the entire garden.

8 KEY PLANTS

1 Casuarina glauca ‘Green Wave’ This Australian native plant, known as the she-oak, grows in a dense, spherical form. Jane has used this plant in the areas of the garden most affected by front-line salt winds. It requires less maintenance than other clipped plants. 2m x 2m.

2 Portulacaria afra Often grown as a houseplant in the UK, this succulent, known as elephant bush, is virtually impossible to kill. In this garden, Jane has clipped it into spheres as it requires less maintenance than other clipped plants such as Australian rosemary (see below). 3.6m x 2m. RHS H1B, USDA 10a-11†

3 Aloe polyphylla A relatively hardy aloe, with tightly knit triangular leaves arranged in a dramatic spiral. Jane has planted it in clusters throughout the informal areas of the garden. 30cm x 60cm. AGM*. RHS H3.

4 Eryngium pandanifolium A sea holly with rusty flower spikes held above strappy, sword-shaped leaves. A striking clump-forming plant. 1.6m x 90cm.

5 Elaeagnus x submacrophylla An under-rated evergreen shrub, according to Jane. Its dark-green leaves have silver undersides and rusty-toned stems, and are accompanied by small, fragrant white flowers in autumn. Can be clipped into a sphere or hedge. 5m x 4m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-9b.

6 Poa labillardierei A semi-evergreen, native Australian grass that Jane has used en masse in this garden. 1.2m x 80cm. RHS H4.

7 Limonium peregrinum This evergreen shrub, known as pink statice or sea rosemary, has leathery green leaves and, according to Jane, flowers for almost all of the year. 60cm x 60cm.

8 Westringia fruticosa Known in the UK as Australian rosemary, this native Australian plant has grey-green foliage and dense growth. In this garden it is used extensively, clipped into spheres. 2m x 2m. RHS H2.

*Holds an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. †Hardiness ratings given where available.

is essential, according to Jane. “With years of experience, you work out what clients want without them telling you,” she says. “You’re there to deliver the garden they want. You can’t be too rigid, or you won’t get a good end result.”

As the project progressed, the clients became increasingly enthusiastic. So much so, they bought the block next door – another 5,500 square metres – and asked Jane to work her magic on it. Again, Jane designed it on site. “I don’t think you could have designed that garden on paper – you wouldn’t have got the same result,” she says. “I just worked around the existing tea trees and the canopy above, drawing the beds on the ground with spray paint.”

The extended gardens are more informal, looser. The endemic Moonah scrub, which includes species such as Leptospermum laevigatum and Melaleuca lanceolata, has been retained and a mix of hardy native and exotic perennials planted beneath. “The garden bleeds into its surroundings,” says Jane. “From every room in the house, there’s something in the garden to look at, drawing you outside.” There’s no fence at the boundary, and it’s hard to tell where the National Park begins and the garden ends.

Jane is an experienced horticulturist. Even so, on a site like this – which is essentially a salt-laden, wind-blasted sand dune with a pH of 9.5 – plant selection is fraught. “It’s been a real learning curve for me,” she says. “Things I thought should grow haven’t, and some others have powered away.” Even a cultivar of Lomandra – known to some in Australia as the service-station plant, as it is both ubiquitous and impossible to kill – failed. Being responsive and experimental has allowed Jane to continually evolve the garden, testing new plants, and increasing plantings of proven winners.

It is easy to bemoan the constraints of a place. Too much shade, terrible soil, no soil, high winds, no rain, too much rain, and so on. Time and time again, however, it is the gardens that are made not in spite of, but in response to the constraints of difficult sites that yield the most impressive and provocative results. As Jane says: “The most important thing is to work with the site you have. You can’t fight it.” n

USEFUL INFORMATION

Find out more about Jane’s work at jjl.com.au

Above A sinuous grass path leads up through the looser planting of the extended garden. Existing Leptospermum laevigatum has been cloud pruned and underplanted with informal swathes of grasses and perennials including Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ and Achillea ‘Terracotta’.

Above right Sweeping lawn steps lead down through plantings of Westringia fruticosa clipped into spheres, linking an upper terrace to the tennis court. The terrace was lowered to gain shelter from the existing Moonah vegetation that surrounds the site.

Right On a slope Jane has created to link the house to the tennis-court lawn, the lush foliage of Agapanthus praecox fills gaps between rocks and creates a billowing underplanting for a group of Leptospermum laevigatum and a clipped sphere of Teucrium fruticans

Although agapanthus is considered a weed in Victoria, Jane retained this thriving plant from the garden’s existing planting. Her team deadheads plants before seeding to ensure they do not spread into nearby bushland.

From every room in the house, there’s something in the garden to look at, drawing you outside

GARDENDESIGN TRAININGFOR PROFESSIONALS

Findoutmoreaboutour inspirationaltrainingatRoyal BotanicGardensKew,RHSGarden Wisleyandonline.

OurDiplomaandProfessional Developmentprogrammesare availableonlineinreal-timeclassesas wellasatourhomeinRoyalBotanic GardensKew.In2022wealsohave shortcoursesforprofessionalsand gardenenthusiastsatRHSWisley Garden,DenmansGardenandonline. Visitourwebsite lcgd.org.uk tohear howourstudentsarecreating successfulgardendesigncareersand discoveranever-changingrangeof coursesforthegardenenthusiast.

HOLISTIC HEALING

New York-based design studio

OSD is envisioning the landscape for the new School of Medicine at Bentonville, Arkansas, designed by architecture practice Polk Stanley Wilcox. The four-storey Alice L Walton School of Medicine, which will offer a medical degree programme that integrates conventional medicine with holistic practices, will benefit from a campus that seamlessly connects with the surrounding woodlands and the mountains of the Ozarks beyond. It will feature a woodland meditation garden, healing gardens, a wetland, a productive garden and a rooftop garden. Woodland trails will connect the building with its sister organisation, the Whole Health Institute. osd.nyc; polkstanleywilcox.com

News, design insight and sourcebook Design

runs

MASTERPLAN FOR BORDE HILL

The Reinventing Borde Hill project, which aims to revitalise the parkland at the East Sussex estate, has been awarded an initial grant of £231,000 by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A masterplan by Marian Boswall Landscape Architects includes a Community Garden and Propagation Project where local people can grow food and receive horticultural training. A series of pathways will provide access to areas of quiet, of exploration and of play. An Eco Lodge on the edge of Robertsmere Lake, designed by Tate + Co architects, will provide a visitor hub. bordehill.co.uk; marianboswall.com

SEE MONSTER

One of the UK’s largest ever art installations was a main talking point of the Unboxed: Creativity in the UK festival. The goal of See Monster, designed by Newsubstance, within the shell of a redundant North Sea offshore gas platform on the beach at Weston-superMare in Somerset, was to generate conversations about re-use. Accessible at four levels and animated by a 10m-high waterfall and kinetic sculptures by Ivan Black, See Monster supported a wild garden full of trees, grasses and plants that can survive Atlantic weather. It’s now closed but the plants will be reused in a local park. seemonster.co.uk

HACKNEY SCHOOL OF FOOD

A disused school caretaker’s house, which has been transformed into a spacious, light-filled hub for community cooking, has won the RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize for best small project 2022 for Surman Weston Architects. An important element at the Hackney School of Food, which is identified by a lively mural by Jean Jullien, is the attached kitchen garden, where children can grow food from seed in raised brick planters and food is cooked in a pizza oven. An area is also given over to an orchard with beehives, chickens and a greenhouse. architecture.com; surmanweston.com

SGD AWARDS

Tommaso del Buono has won the Grand Award in the SGD’s tenth annual design awards for the gardens at the headquarters of organic cosmetics company Davines in Parma, Italy. The scheme (above), based on a square inscribed in a large circle of double hedges, includes a large apothecary garden, two courtyard gardens and key elements of water. Matthew Wilson won the Large Residential Garden Award for a wildlife-friendly family garden in Northumberland, while The People’s Choice Award went to Ann-Marie Powell Gardens for The World Food Gardens at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey. sgd.org.uk

Exclusive holidays for life

An initial payment from £5,000 and a quarterly fee of just over £30 (that is around £130 a year), linked to RPI, gives you access to all HPB’s holiday homes. For each HPB holiday, you will pay a no-profit user charge covering only property running and maintenance costs and use of on-site facilities. The charge is level throughout the year – there are no high season premiums. For a studio the charge averages about £315 a week, for a 2-bedroom property around £480 a week. Larger properties are also available. After an initial charge of 25% your money is invested in a fund of holiday properties and securities. The fund itself meets annual charges of 2.5%. Your investment return is purely in the form of holidays and, as with most investments, your capital is at risk. You can surrender your investment to the company after two years or more (subject to deferral in exceptional circumstances) but you will get back less than you invested because of the charges referred to above, as well as other overheads and changes in the value of the fund’s properties and securities.

This advertisement is issued by HPB Management Limited (HPBM) registered at HPB House, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8EH. HPBM is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is the main UK agent and the property manager for HPB, issued by HPB Assurance Limited (HPBA) registered in the Isle of Man and authorised by the Financial Services Authority there. The Trustee of HPB is Equiom (Isle of Man) Limited, registered at Jubilee Buildings, Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2SH. The Securities Manager is Stanhope Capital LLP of 35 Portman Square, London, W1H 6LR. No medical examination required. HPB is available exclusively through HPBM. HPBM promotes only HPB and is not independent of HPBA. Holders of policies issued by HPBA will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the company becomes unable to meet its liabilities to them but Isle of Man compensation arrangements apply to new policies. We are now unable to accept new applications from residents of EU countries and some other jurisdictions. HPB Assurance Limited reserves the right to decline an application at its sole discretion.

life

TheHolidayPropertyBond

places

Both here in the UK and overseas, HPB always seeks to find the most beautiful and unspoilt locations, with many of our holiday properties situated in National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We have strived to ensure that our landscaping and gardens complement, and hopefully enhance, what is already there. St Brides Castle in Pembrokeshire and Lodge Yard in the Yorkshire Dales have both won prestigious gardening awards; the gardens at Upper Norton, near Ludlow, opened for charity as part of the National Garden Scheme; and the award-winning botanical gardens are one of the finest features of El Balcón de Santa Ana on the Canary Island of La Gomera.

As a Bondholder you can holiday in any of more than1,400 HPB-owned properties at over 30 UK and European locations for the whole of your lifetime and then pass the benefits on to your children or grandchildren. An initial investment of as little as £5,000 means that you can look forward to truly memorable holidays in beautiful places, with top quality accommodation year after year.

To find out more about HPB, please read ‘Exclusive holidays for life’ on the left and then ask for your FREE information pack. Call FREE on 0800 66 54 90

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“In my experience, HPB has all the ingredients of a perfect holiday – stylish and comfortable homes, excellent leisure facilities, and all in such beautiful parts of the world. As an HPB Bondholder, I’ve got a lot of holidaying to look forward to in retirement!”

– Sue Barker

TAKING THE LONG VIEW

Designer Jo Thompson’s clever curves helped to overcome the skinny shape of this suburban family garden

e brief

Beauty, romance and, most importantly, fun were at the heart of the brief for this family garden in Wandsworth, southwest London. When the owners, who have small children, bought the property, they were faced with just a lawn surrounded by overgrown shrubs. “The garden is long for London, but you saw everything at once,” says garden designer Jo Thompson, whom they approached to transform the space. “There was no definition at all.”

Attracted to Jo’s romantic, slightly wild planting style and her insistence that gardens need to work for their owners, the clients tasked Jo with designing a beautiful space that would draw them outside and encourage them to use the whole of the plot. Within it, they asked for sculpture, some space for fruit and veg, a challenging play area for the children, and water.

e design

Jo began by siting the play area at the end of the garden, taking care to ensure it could be seen from the house. The desire for water initially inspired the idea of a curvaceous rill meandering the length of the garden, though as the design progressed, this was changed into a path. “It was partly to do with safety for the children, and also because I felt it was becoming ‘design for design’s sake’,” says Jo. “It was the curve that worked – it didn’t need to be more than that.”

One of the biggest challenges of the build for landscape contractors Shoots & Leaves was making sure the meandering basaltite paving Jo chose was a sculptural and beautiful element in itself – as well as an ideal scooter track for the children. “It’s easy to draw a curve on a piece of paper, but it’s a lot harder to make it work in reality,” says Jo. “It took a lot of time to get the expansions and contractions just right.”

Jo had previously used this stone for a Chelsea show garden, and was confident that supplier London Stone could cut the complex shapes she had specified. “The key to success is being organised,” says Jo. All the pieces of the path arrived numbered and could then be laid in place like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

Left The success of this garden lies in the way the elements have been arranged. From the terrace, you can see the pebble seats by Ben Barrell, the David Harber sculpture and the climbing frame, each interesting enough to lure you further down the space.

Turn the page to discover more design ideas

A long, thin garden

When dealing with a narrow garden such as this, Jo brings the planting inwards from the boundaries to create a sense of width, and uses staggered planting beds down the space, on one side and then the other, so the eye has to pause before moving on to the next spot.

KEY FACTS

Where London.

Size 47m x 11m.

LAYERED APPROACH

As you progress along the winding path, the central section of the garden with its playful fountain slowly reveals itself, providing either a place for quiet reflection or for mischief and laughter, depending on the owners’ mood. The choice of planting is key to this slow reveal. Jo has made good use of small trees, including Prunus serrula, Amelanchier x lamarckii and espaliered Malus ‘Evereste’. Shrubs, such as Daphne x transatlantica Pink Fragrance (= ‘Blapink’), Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ and Sarcococca confusa, add height and structure to the planting, helping to soften the architecture of the house and blend the edges of the garden.

“I also like to use tall plants with naked stems, such as Verbena bonariensis, which create a pleasing veiling eect,” says Jo.

SENSE OF SECLUSION

As with most urban gardens, this garden is overlooked by several other houses, so creating a feeling of privacy was paramount. Jo’s solutions include pleached hornbeam trees along the boundaries for screening, as well as espaliered apple trees (which also answer the clients’ wish for a productive garden). She has also planted climbers including Clematis ‘Étoile Violette’, C. ‘Foxy’ and C alpina ‘Constance’ to clothe the fences.

TERRACE TRIUMPH

This garden faces north and, with so many large trees in the neighbouring gardens, Jo was keen to make the space feel as light as possible. To that end, she has used pale York stone on the terrace nearest the house, an elegant contrast with the darker stone of the winding path down the garden. The curvaceous lounge furniture is by Gaze Burvill.

PLAYTIME

The play area Jo designed incorporates a climbing wall, swing, rope bridge, monkey bars and slide, all cleverly structured to fit around the imposing London plane tree. Low hedges (which can be allowed to grow taller as the children get older) ensure it is visible from the house. Just in front is a lawn area ideal for ball games, and a tennis wall with netting, as well as mobile vegetable planters.

The water feature

Water was a key requirement in the brief. One of the ideas mentioned at the beginning of the project was to have a paddling pool for the children, but this fun water fountain is a far more exciting and sustainable solution. Jo was keen to do something that the family could engage with rather than simply look at. “I spent much of my childhood in Italy and saw first-hand how the fountains in the piazzas there quickly become places of relaxation and gaiety – you see people splashing their hands or little children sticking their feet in,” she says.

The eureka moment came when Jo recalled a childhood visit to the Villa d’Este near Rome and the joy and amazement she’d felt upon seeing the hundreds of water features there. “It is pure theatre,” she says. “Water can be so much more than simply a pool – it can be fun, interesting, and something everyone will get something out of.” Very much like this garden, in fact.

The fountain is controlled from the house and can be turned on at the flick of a switch (the better to surprise unwitting visitors with) and uses only a small amount of water, which is constantly recirculated, rather than having to be refilled and the water then drain away. Since the fountains are turned on only when required, energy use is minimal too.

To maintain the sense of surprise with this water feature, Jo has screened it from the house with lush planting including Bistorta ocinalis ‘Superba’, Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’, Thalictrum ‘Elin’ and roses such as the deep crimson Rosa Munstead Wood (= ‘Ausbernard’). The widening path adds to the feeling of embrace and the Logan bench by sculptor Ben Barrell, provides a place for adults to sit while children play.

Jo’s design – a piece of kinetic sculpture in itself – proves that you don’t need a big garden to have a fabulous water feature, since this takes up no space at all when not in use. n

SUPPLIERS

Ben Barrell (Sculptural seats)

Tel 07970 872435, barrellsculpture.co.uk

David Harber (Sculpture)

Tel 01235 859300, davidharber.co.uk

Gaze Burvill (Furniture) Tel 01420 588444, gazeburvill.com

Hunza Lighting (Lighting) hunzalighting.com

London Stone (Stone suppliers) Tel 07562 205 171, londonstone.co.uk

Shoots & Leaves (Landscape contractor) Tel 020 8563 7733, shootsandleaves.uk

Wild Hart (Climbing frame) Tel 07971 869058, wild-hart.co.uk

USEFUL INFORMATION

Find out more about Jo’s work at jothompson-garden-design.co.uk

THE ESSENTIAL GARDEN DESIGN DIPLOMA

January – March 2023 BOOKING NOW

Based at the Chelsea Physic Garden and led by Rosemary Alexander and architect Catriona Rowbotham, the course is an overview of Garden Design, covering all the elements needed to rethink an average garden. Taking students step by step through site surveying, using the grid, horizontal and vertical features, garden layouts and planting plans, costing and specification, plus drawing tuition and homework on design and plant portfolios. Tutors are well respected in the industry and will guide students on how to succeed in this diverse profession.

(2 days a week (Wed & Thu), 10.30am–3.15pm, plus 2 days homework)

ONE YEAR GOOD GARDENING DIPLOMA

September 2023 – beg July 2024

Covers the best in planting design while training in the more serious aspects of horticultural techniques. Practical sessions held at Arundel Castle under the guidance of head gardener Martin Duncan and at Sandhill Farm House, Rogate. Lectures by many leading gardening personalities and regular visits to outstanding private gardens. Students also learn to draw up planting plans.

(1 day a week (Tues), 10.30am–3.15pm, over three terms)

GARDENING FOR BEGINNERS

Wednesday & Thursday 19, 20, 26, 27 April 2023

One of our most popular courses, led by master horticulturist Ben Pope, which aims to take each student through all the practical elements of caring for a garden from soil, tools, maintenance, seed sowing and propagating, weed control and pests and diseases. The first 3 days will be spent with lectures at the Chelsea Physic Garden and the final day will be spent gaining practical experience in Rosemary Alexander’s much praised garden near Petersfield and another private garden nearby, where Ben is in charge. Participants will be given a chance to prune, plant, sow seeds and regular maintenance tasks will be discussed. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided daily.

GARDEN DESIGN & CARING FOR YOUR GARDEN

Distance Learning Courses study anytime, anywhere in the world

A stepping stone to a new career. These two correspondence courses are a step by step guide to either designing your own garden or learning how to plant and maintain an existing garden: drawing up plans, hard landscaping, site analysis, planting, month by month tasks etc. Taught through a comprehensive course book, with projects submitted to us. (1-3 years to complete and individual assessment)

Not sure which Diploma course is for you?

We prefer potential students to attend an Information Session when Rosemary explains the whole course content and you can see our facilities at the historic Chelsea Physic Garden. JUST CONTACT US TO SET UP A DATE/TIME www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk

Email: info@englishgardeningschool.co.uk

Tel: 01730 818373

Long established as the leader in all design and gardening tuition and based at the unique and historic Chelsea Physic Garden

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SOURCEBOOK

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DESIGN

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Luxury Two Bay Pitched Roof Store, £3,995, The Little Shropshire Wood Company, 01948 502205, thelittleshropshirewoodcompany.co.uk

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SCAN HERE

Find more ideas for storing your logs stylishly at gardensillustrated. com/logstores

GALVANISED STEEL Biohort WoodStock Wood Store, £1,029, The Worm That Turned, 0345 605 2505, worm.co.uk

HIVE MINDED Woodstock Corten Steel Hexagons Log Store, £195, Parker & Coop, 01932 850140, parkerandcoop.com

FEATURE WALL OFYR Wood Storage 100, £1,450, OFYR, 01962 793800, ofyr.co.uk

Rewards PROGRAMME

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WIN TWO CREATE ACADEMY COURSES PLUS A YEAR’S SUBSCRIPTION TO GARDENS ILLUSTRATED

Create Academy and Gardens Illustrated are partnering to oer a fantastic gardening prize this Christmas. One lucky reader will win two flower-filled Create Academy online courses – ‘A Year of Cut Flowers’ with The Land Gardeners (right) and ‘The Fundamentals of Floristry’ with Willow Crossley (below right). These video courses can be accessed anywhere and any time, so they’re a fantastic way to learn new skills in 2023. The prize also includes a year’s free print subscription to Gardens Illustrated magazine.

To enter, head to gardensillustrated.com/competitions/ create-comp and answer the simple multiple choice question. The closing date is 19 December 2022 and the winner will be chosen by 23 December 2022.

from only £23.99 £23.99

Christmas comes around only once, but our magazines can last all year.

Best gardening books of the year

A look back at some of our favourite books from 2022, plus your chance to win them all

Strawflowers combined with the neutral seedhead tones of fluffy clematis and taut sunflowers celebrate the beauty of dried flowers in Bex Partridge’s Flowers Forever, reviewed on page 104.

BOOKS OF THE YEAR

ILD HE NATURA ISTIC RHS HOW TO GARDEN WHEN YOU RENT

Ltd, £14.99, ISBN 978-0241459744

One of the biggest barriers to growing in rented properties is the feeling that you are only there temporarily and a garden is, surely, a more permanent investment in time, money and emotion. Author Matthew Pottage, who has rented the same flat in London for more than seven years (which is shown throughout the book) convincingly buries this assumption with useful guidance and step-by-step projects for instant results.

Reviewer Jack Wallington is a garden designer and author.

WILD: THE NATURALISTIC GARDEN

A GREENER LIFE

THE PLANT RESCUER

photographs by Claire

Phaidon, £39.95, ISBN 978-1838661052

This book showcases gardens across the globe that, when viewed together, form an inspirational picture of ‘wild’, ecologically informed gardening. What’s special about this compilation is that there is consistency in vision and voice. Each location has its own take on the wild gardening aesthetic, thanks to the photographer, Claire Takacs, and insightful descriptions from writer Noel Kingsbury.

Reviewer Sarah Price is an awardwinning garden designer.

Laurence King Publishing, £19.99, ISBN 978-0857828934

This packed book covers creating a garden from scratch; growing herbs, edibles and houseplants; and the final chapter discusses how to connect with the environment beyond the garden gate. Practical know-how is explained in an approachable way, which makes it a good introduction for those new to gardening. I liked that Wallington doesn’t subscribe to the idea of sticking to a limited planting palette. Instead he includes tips on how to combine a wide range of plants in a naturalistic style. Reviewer Louise Curley is a freelance garden and nature writer.

ISBN 978-1526638137

A refreshingly dierent approach to plant care. Individual plant profiles are organised not according to plant names, but by their light requirements – the defining factor for success or failure when gardening indoors. There are ‘decision tree’ diagrams that take typical problems, such as yellowing leaves or mouldy soil, and allow you to work your way through the questions to diagnose what’s gone wrong. From watering to air layering, there is clear advice for beginners and more experienced growers. Reviewer Jane Perrone is a houseplant expert.

THE MODERN GARDENER

by Frances Tophill, Octopus Publishing Group, £22, ISBN 978-0857839435

A valiant attempt by gardener and presenter Frances Tophill to explore what a modern gardener should aspire to be. Passionate, environmental debate runs through the book, especially when stressing our collective need to discard a historic over-reliance on chemicals. The argument is countered with positive, sustainable approaches applicable to all gardens, irrespective of size. A personal, energised book filled with thought-provoking ideas.

Reviewer Tom Attwood is a nursery owner.

RHS ROSES by Michael Marriott, Dorling Kindersley, £24.99, ISBN 978-0241543894

Michael Marriott, one of the world’s leading rosarians, has produced a practical guide for gardeners. It’s a far cry from traditional rose encyclopaedias where roses are catalogued according to their parentage or classification. Instead we have comprehensive information on how roses might best be used in the garden, such as at the front of the border, in containers, tight spaces and wild areas, plus those that are ideal for cutting. It’s beautifully illustrated throughout, well presented, and is written in an easy-to-follow style. Reviewer Mat Reese is head gardener at Malverleys.

CUT FLOWERS by Celestina Robertson, Frances Lincoln, £12.99, ISBN 978-0711269958

Cut Flowers is an almost pocket-sized title that contains a surprising amount of hardworking information. It begins by setting the context for why we should grow our own cut flowers, spotlighting the mass-market flower industry. Beyond the ethics, it delivers advice on how to prepare the ground, sow seed, nurture, harvest and fill your vases. There is guidance on growing for floral design, then there is the nitty-gritty of planning your space. There is much to know and Robertson packs it in. Reviewer Rae Spencer-Jones is a garden writer.

ENGLISH GARDEN ECCENTRICS

by Todd Longstae-Gowan, Yale University Press, £30, ISBN 978-1913107260

To whom would you bequeath your gold pheasants and ‘other feathered prisoners’? A dilemma faced by Lady Reade whose ‘avian zeal’ and remarkable garden made her a reluctant celebrity. Longstae-Gowan introduces us to a cast of unconventional characters and their passions and obsessions. The stories are amusing, at times tinged with sadness, but always informative and very entertaining. I loved this book; I want to invite them all to take tea with me.

Reviewer Advolly Richmond is a researcher in garden history.

Turn the page for your chance to win all 14 books

BOOKS OF THE YEAR

FLOWERS FOREVER

£20, ISBN 978-1784884345

My sister once threw out a vase of dried flowers I’d grown, dried and artfully arranged, declaring categorically that they were dead. In this book, Partridge argues convincingly that most flowers, grasses, foliage and seedheads can, and should, have a life beyond the freshly picked, and many of them develop a deeper character when they are dried and displayed with imagination. There are clear What, When and How to Dry sections on everything from traditional flowers for drying, to wild grasses.

Reviewer Caroline Beck is a writer and flower farmer.

UNEARTHED

by Claire Ratinon, Chatto & Windus (Vintage), £16.99, ISBN 978-1784744472

This book documents the twists and turns in Ratinon’s life that led her to find an identity through gardening, as a Black woman. Her lyrical descriptions of nature and the pleasures of growing vegetables are a joyous counterbalance to her hard-hitting personal experiences of racism and the troubling colonial history of her homeland, Mauritius. This is an outstanding work of storytelling and nature writing. It’s also a hard-hitting and educational read.

Reviewer Matthew Biggs is a plant expert, writer and broadcaster.

THE MAGIC OF MUSHROOMS

by Sandra Lawrence, Welbeck, £14.99, ISBN 978-1787399068

This is such a fun book about a fascinating topic. Lawrence approaches every new chapter as a storyteller addressing a rapt audience. The vast amount of research that must have gone into the writing is apparent on every page, but it never feels dense or inaccessible. It is a real feast for the eyes, crammed with examples of the way mushrooms have been depicted in art, but it is the writing that really makes the book shine. Fungi are fascinating, and Lawrence really enjoys reminding us of that fact.

Reviewer Lia Leendertz is the author of The Almanac: a Seasonal Guide

NO DIG

by Charles Dowding, Dorling Kindersley, £30, ISBN 978-0241541814

This is described as the no-dig guru’s ultimate no-dig bible. The first third of the book gives a practical overview of how to get started on your no-dig vegetable-growing journey, while the remainder focuses on the cultivation of individual crops. It’s a comprehensive handbook for someone at the start of their growing journey or for those who have been growing for a while but who want to transition to a no-dig, ecological approach.

Reviewer Alison Jenkins is a designer specialising in edible gardens.

GARDENING IN A CHANGING WORLD

WIN

ALL 14 OF OUR BOOKS OF THE YEAR

WILD EDENS

ISBN 978-1914239250

978-1910258286

If there were a prize for ‘most timely publication’ of the year, this would be a contender. Having experienced the highest-ever recorded temperatures in the UK this summer, is this our wake-up call? Moore explores how we have reached this position and suggests how we might find a way, through designing and gardening more sustainably, to improve the situation. This must-read book is divided into digestible sections that are jampacked with vital information.

The authors of this valuable addition to the ‘armchair travel’ genre are two high-profile plant geeks well-versed in leading and documenting specialist botanical exploration. They have written a carefully crafted book that skilfully weaves together historical horticultural details, memoir and botanical overview. Nine chapters explore biodiversity hotspots; for each region there is a summary of the prolific genera as well as best locations and times to visit.

Hannah Gardner is a horticultural consultant and botanical writer.

TO ENTER

For your chance to win, scan the QR code with your phone camera, or go to gardensillustrated.com/ bookscompetition, and complete your entry. You’ll need to answer the following question:

The Grey to Green City Garden features in Wild: The Naturalistic Garden and appeared in an issue of Gardens Illustrated this year. In which city will you find it?

a) Manchester

b) Sheffield

c) Leeds

CLOSING DATE 3 January 2023* *All

Christmas crossword

Test your horticultural word skill in our bumper Christmas crossword

SOLUTIONS TO THIS MONTH’S CROSSWORD WILL BE PRINTED IN THE JANUARY ISSUE

ACROSS

7 Genus of ‘barrel’ cactus – a tuber I dispersed (7)

10 A series of Dianthus – perfect! (5)

12 Edible spinach-like plant, genus Atriplex… part of flora, Chelsea (6)

14 Blackthorn fruit’s sluggish, we hear (4)

15 A deep-red single-flowered dahlia – scruffy Christmas card character (6,5)

16 Stinking Gladwyn, or foetidissima (4)

17 They’re not welcome in a formal garden, weak, unprepossessing people! (5)

18 Series of colourful cyclamen –‘Lear’s mixed’ (5)

19 Sort of eating apple – a meal’s last course? (7)

21 Genus of palm grass and bristle grass – I rate as fantastic! (7)

24 Christmas tree sheddings –irritates! (7)

26/44 down Remove plant’s withered flowers to promote growth (8)

27 The candytuft genus – live inside iris (6)

28 Plant in Dictamnus genus, aka burning bush – sadly tad tiny! (7)

30 Aphid, for example, found in plantain section (6)

32 Prune lightly eg with secateurs – a bargain! (4)

34 Genus of plant with tubular flowers, also known as bluewings – I put in ornate arrangement (7)

36 Woodland plant… found among purslane, moneywort (7)

37 Species of eg fuchsia, meaning ‘shining’ – possibly engulfs (7)

39 Sharp Vanity Fair character names a Shasta daisy cultivar (5)

42 A pale pink Camellia japonica to long for (6)

43 Cyclamen ___, eastern cyclamen, flowering in winter (4)

44 Genus of popular Christmas plant amaryllis (11)

45 Extracted from eg ricinus and olives (4)

47 Genus of creeping plant with heart-shaped leaves – ie base, perhaps (6)

48 To grow, cultivate… some dicentra is easy (5)

49 A dwarf white French lavender –made by children after a wintry fall? (7)

DOWN

1 Yew tree’s berry-like fruit – fourth month of year, remove top of plant (4)

2 Lepidopterist conceals the genus of brake fern (6)

3 Genus of yellow daisy-like ‘beggarticks’ – belonging to US President? (6)

4 Pyrus communis – comes with a partridge at Xmas? (4,4)

5 Complain, we hear: it’s what a lawn should be (4)

6 Large, pink-flowering rhododendron – ‘Seasonal Goodwill’? (9,5)

8 A bright-red, densely flowered lupin – ‘Tower of London Warder’ (9)

9 A compact, bushy type of pelargonium – Christmas tree topping? (5)

11 Describes leaves with distinct divisions (5)

13 The liquorice scent of eg sweet cicely (7)

17 More common name for 34 across – named after the turkey’s clavicle traditionally cracked at Xmas (8,6)

20 Stalkless… part of primroses, silenes (7)

22 Eg a sempervivum’s tightly packed leaf cluster (7)

SOLUTIONS TO NOVEMBER’S CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1 Agrostis 6 Carum 9 Salt

10 Nanus 11 Meum 12 Onions

13 Coconut 15 Everillo 17 Cheops

19 Anther 21 Slipper 23 Palmate

24 Hedges 25 Fans 26 Black

27 Clay 28 Shady 29 Trailing.

DOWN 2 Glasnevin 3 Outdoor

4 Tinus 5 Senecio 6 Cos 7 Romance

8/21 Mount Stewart 14 Cacti

16 Lorna 18 Porcelain 20 Halesia

22 Pedicel 23 Pears 24 Hakea 26 Bay.

23 Catkin-bearing tree, genus Alnus (5)

24 Fruit of Corylus avellana? (3)

25 Achillea with flat-headed pink flower clusters – partial display, lavish (5)

29 Former name of Brassia orchid genus from the Andes – Argentinian desert area, initially (3)

31 A pristine-white penstemon –‘Blizzard’? (9)

33 Genus of Jerusalem sage (7)

35 Abies procera, a popular Christmas tree (5,3)

38 __ Poppy, series of sturdy hybrid papavers – wonderful! (5)

40 Another common name for plant known as Mexican aster – comes out before start of autumn (6)

41 Briefly, county location of RHS’s Harlow Carr (5)

42 Small, purple fruit Prunus domestica subsp insititia (6)

44 See 26 across

46 Heather’s alternative name for Calluna vulgaris (4)

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DEVENICK DESIGNS

Polished Stainless Steel brings added glamour and beauty to your garden. ‘Primrose’ the posh Heron stands at 1.2m tall and is handmade by us in marine grade 316 stainless steel. is contemporary, eye-catching sculpture will add elegance to any garden bed, pond or rockery. Contact us for more information.

07720 841394 devenickdesigns.co.uk

ONGLEY-SNOOK DESIGNS

A small, family-run business on the Sussex coast making bespoke glass pieces for the garden. Fabulous, fused-glass sh, stainless steel, stained-glass columns, fun, fused-glass lollipops. Fused-glass birdbaths. We have the perfect unique gi for the gardener in your life. ere is something to suit every pocket.

07989 074641

ongley-snookdesigns.com

WOOL POTS

Wool Pots are a biodegradable, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to plastic plant pots. ey are made from 100 per cent wool. No waste, No Plastic and plants love them. info@wool-pots.co.uk wool-pots.co.uk

Must haves 2023

Get kitted out for the New Year with these beautifully designed, practical products and inspirations

BACKDOORSHOES

A must have for every gardenerideal for everyone. Backdoorshoes garden clogs are lightweight, waterproof and durable. Perfect to slip on and nip out to the garden, put out the bins or walk the dogs. With over 30 dierent designs suitable for Men or Ladies to include Daisy, Chillis, Grass and Berries (as shown) to name a few. UK sizes 3-14.

01202 232357 backdoorshoes.co.uk

ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE

is distinctive iron garden furniture is forged with a long life outdoors in mind, each hand-craed piece is zincgalvanised to protect against rust and then primed and painted to our standard white or, alternatively, to your chosen colour. Contact us to request a copy of our latest catalogue.

01386 584414

architectural-heritage.co.uk

WONDERLAND BOUTIQUE

A Pure Silk Scarf is a perfect gi, £39 including gi wrapping, free p&p and can be sent directly to the recipient. Visit www.wonderlandboutique.com to view their stunning collection of silk scarves and clothing.

01263 732643

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Gardens to visit 2023

This New Year, make a resolution to visit our collection of stunning gardens and arboretums from across the UK and Ireland. Watch the turn of the seasons through the beautifully changing flora and fauna.

1NATIONAL TRUST CLUMBER PARK

Winter days are the perfect time to visit. Whether you catch the early morning mist on the serpentine lake or a sprinkling of snow on the ancient trees, Clumber’s 3,800 acres of parkland are truly captivating. Taking a moment to enjoy the view across the lake at dusk is a must.

Nottinghamshire S80 3BE | 01909 476592 | nationaltrust.org.uk/clumber-park

2WATERPERRY GARDENS

Enjoy a visit to Waterperry’s Ornamental Gardens where the famous herbaceous borders take centre stage. In autumn, Michaelmas daisies create a late ourish, and beautiful colours ank the riverside walks. A place to explore, relax and shop in beautiful surroundings all year round. Nr Wheatley, Oxfordshire OX33 1LA | 01844 339226 | waterperrygardens.co.uk

3HESTERCOMBE GARDENS

Hestercombe encompasses 50 acres of quintessential Somerset gardens, which span three centuries of garden design. The estate offers a unique combination and varied experience of the Georgian Landscape Garden (designed 1750s), the Victorian Shrubbery and the Edwardian Formal Gardens (early 1900s).

Taunton, Somerset TA2 8LG | 01823 413923 | hestercombe.com

4NATIONAL TRUST ANGLESEY ABBEY

The Winter Garden at Anglesey Abbey is designed to look its best in the winter months when colour is often in short supply. The vivid colours, textures and scents will brighten-up the bleakest of winter days. Plants such as Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange’ and red-barked dogwood dazzle with orange and red. Cambridgeshire, CB25 9EJ | 01223 810080 | angleseyabbey@nationaltrust.org.uk

5DENMANS GARDEN

Former home of gravel gardening pioneer, Joyce Robinson, and celebrated landscape designer, John Brookes MBE, Denmans is an award-winning, Grade II, RHS Partner Garden renowned for its curvilinear layout, structure, complex plantings, gravel gardens, Walled Garden, ponds, Conservatory and plant centre. Fontwell, Nr. Arundel BN18 0SU | 01243 278950 | denmans.org

Nursery guide

Get inspired for the winter season with the best plant and bulb suppliers

CHRYSANTHEMUMS DIRECT

Our 2023 Catalogue is available online now. e widest range of chrysanthemums available in the UK with over 450 varieties, including hardy garden (Korean) and exhibition varieties. All grown on our nursery in Cheshire. chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk sales@chrysanthemumsdirect.co.uk

ASHWOOD NURSERIES

An independent nursery situated in the West Midlands oering many home-grown, beautiful plants. Open seven days a week. Mainland UK mail-order service available. ashwoodnurseries.com

01384 401996

OLD COURT NURSERIES

Specialist family-run nursery and garden. Catalogue available on request or online. Order now for May 2023 delivery of Michaelmas daisies and more.

autumnasters.co.uk

01684 540416

EDULIS NURSERY

e nursery grows over 600 varieties of snowdrop and the current list oers more than 300 new and old varieties for sale. Edulis nursery also specialises in shade-loving plants with a large range of ferns. ere is also a range of rare and unusual edible plants. edulis.co.uk

07802 812781

BUNKERS HILL PLANT NURSERY

A family-run plant nursery near Woodstock, Oxfordshire, with an old-fashioned feel and traditional values. We have a huge selection of hedging, trees, bareroot roses and so fruit available to order for Nationwide delivery.

bunkershillgardenshop.co.uk

01869 331492

WOOTTENS OF WENHASTON

Specialists in irises, pelargoniums, auriculas and hemerocallis, organically grown at the nursery in Suolk. Plus, hand-craed fresh Christmas wreaths available via mail order.

woottensplants.com

01502 478258

BINNY PLANTS

2022 Peony catalogue online. More than 300 herbaceous, intersectional, and tree peonies, as well as thousands of perennials, grasses, shrubs and ferns are now available for delivery nationwide. binnyplants.com

contact@binnyplants.com

BLUEBELL ARBORETUM & NURSERY

Specialists in hardy trees, shrubs and climbers including a huge selection of unusual species and cultivars. Informative website and a reliable mail-order service is available. bluebellnursery.com

01530 413700

JANUARY RESILIENT PLANTING

• Celebrating the legacy of plantswoman Beth Chatto

• Cassian Schmidt, director of Hermannshof Garden, chooses 100 great plants for a changing climate

• A French garden by Scape Design at ease in its landscape

• Modern biodynamic planting for a historic Spanish site

• Fresh ideas: the best alternatives to box

ON SALE 3 JANUARY

Save money when you subscribe to the digital edition – see page 30. Also in selected Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores, as well as WHSmith, and all good magazine retailers.

ROSE-TINTED WISH LIST

The depths of midwinter offer little opportunity to enjoy outdoors, so it’s far better then, says Alice Vincent, to curl up with a good catalogue and plan your summer garden

It seems particularly cruel that when festive mania reaches its apex, it’s nearimpossible to find time to grab a moment of quiet in the garden. Even those of us who are at home during the day will struggle to find eight hours of serviceable daylight in which to do so. It’s cold, and grey, and the garden is either sleeping –for those well-prepared enough to have tucked it neatly away under a thick layer of mulch –or sprawling, messily, like someone who ought to leave the Christmas party and just go to bed already. I’m hardly Ebenezer Scrooge but I do find this time of year challenging as a gardener; when the to-do lists seem endless and the existential year-end panic greatest, the place that is so often my solace feels distant.

There are some solutions to such malaise. Forcing bulbs and growing indoor-flowering species such as hippeastrum offer some floral fanfare; bringing foliage and greenery inside is another (if you’ve sarcococca nearby, a few heavenly scented sprigs in a vase can lighten the mood) and so is visiting those gardens that are particularly good in winter, such as Trentham. The most effortless, though, is browsing leisurely through seed catalogues, which can be done from beneath a blanket.

In 1951, two days before Christmas, Vita Sackville-West dedicated her weekly Observer

column to roses, for the reason that ‘the very thought of a rose will be warming’ and ‘roses can still be planted any time between December and March, so it is not too late to order extravagantly on any plant-token you may receive as a Christmas present’.

Plant tokens as Christmas presents remain the stuff of childhood memory for me; my father’s family would readily exchange the things each year – something I thought quite hideous while small, and now would obviously be very grateful for. Instead, though, I’d cut to the chase and either stick a rose on your Christmas list or buy one for someone else – most of us have too much stuff, but few with outdoor space could deny accommodating a rose.

Much like plant tokens, it took me a while to come around to roses. I think I always considered them fussy, both in aesthetic and maintenance; all that pruning and feeding. Instead, as Camila Klich of Wolves Lane Flower Company told me several years ago, “you’d have to be Cruella de Vil to kill a rose”, and so it has proved. After much deliberation and overwhelm, I ordered a bareroot R. The Generous Gardener (= ‘Ausdrawn’) from David Austin during the winter of 2020 and, after leaving it first in its bag, and then in a bucket, for far longer than strictly advised, now enjoy its pale-pink flowers every summer.

It was swiftly joined by another and together they’ve moved around the garden every year since – from the shaded, scrawny east-facing bed to the more generous and open northfacing, where they have a Victorian wall to scramble up. This winter I’m going to cut both back quite vigorously, having not been brave enough to do so during year one (my favourite rose-pruning advice comes from Laetitia Maklouf’s The Five Minute Garden: ‘simply look at the thing and cut off the bits that don’t work for you, creating a pleasing framework, and tying the remaining stems on to their support in a horizontal fashion’) and then move them into a sunnier corner, where they can clamber up a new pergola.

Of course, I’m tempted to buy another every Christmas; David Austin’s catalogue is a coffee table-book worthy thing, perfect for hunkering down with. But the real gift of a rose is something less materialistic: the promise that comes in a cardboard box with nothing but an expensive twig inside; the ritual of dunking it in a bucket on a cool morning, knowing it is preparing to wake up to longer days; the feel of good, rich earth between your fingers and the effort of digging a hole. Most of all, what is top of my list? The idea of cupping soft petals between fingers, and gently diving in to inhale that scent. A second of summer in the depths of winter. n