Down the Garden Path With Martin Horne
| Published: 19th August 2008 21:35 |
There is always time in a busy gardener's year to sit back and assess progress or otherwise in the garden and this year has been no exception.
On the few pleasant, dry evenings, I have sat in a strategic part of the garden and looked around me. One of the blessings is to observe the wildlife. As expected, the Eupatorium has proved to be a willing host to bees and butterflies but other plants have been just as accommodating.
Dierama - "Angel's fishing rods"
This year, for the first time, I have noticed buds appearing on the Dierama - "Angel's fishing rods' - which were sown two years ago. Dierama are notoriously slow in developing from seed but give so much pleasure when they are in full bloom.
Agapanthus - very prolific this year
Agapanthus, both blue and white varieties, have been very prolific this year.
The back lawn has suffered somewhat from a combination of my neglect and the wet weather, so I foresee a programme of repair and development in early autumn. Regrettably, lawns are very often an aspect of the garden which we take for granted, so I shall endeavour in a future article to detail a few ways in which we can exercise lawn care.
I had hoped that the wet weather would abate but, although not as heavy as in 2007, the rains have certainly been in evidence. A visit to RHS Wisley Gardens was almost entirely accompanied by persistent drizzle but this did not dampen our spirits.
For people in the South of England, a visit to Wisley is a ‘must' in any weathers. The borders are a sight to behold and the plants have been discreetly supported by a range of methods from stakes linked to netting to brushwood. I have learned a great deal from observing the methods of supporting plants. (I feel another topical article coming on for the future....)
In 2007, the new glasshouse was opened by Her Majesty the Queen and what an addition it has become to the already impressive grounds at Wisley! It proved a welcome respite from the incessant rain and provides a home for a wide range of plants. Most impressive to me was the blue Ipomoeae (Morning Glory), a much more attractive relative of the infamous bindweed.
Image courtesy Howard F. Schwattz Columbia State university
This plant will usually twine through trellis, arches, obelisks or old, dead wood in our outdoor garden conditions, to a maximum of 300cm (10ft) in our climate.( Someone will probably regale me with a tale of a story of an Ipomoea much taller, after I have made such a sweeping statement!).
The Ipomoea in the glasshouse at Wisley is a stupendously successful plant, having reached the rafters at what must be least 15m (50ft) and still growing!
This brings me to the subject of plants and their growth. We have all seen in books details of heights and spreads of plants, also their hardiness or otherwise. A lot will depend on the plants' situation and in some gardens there is what is known as a ‘microclimate'. For example a sheltered, south-facing wall will protect plants much better from the ravages of cold and chill, encouraging flowering and fruiting.
Many vines will grow better in a south-facing situation. Indeed, a wine grower in the South of England went to the trouble of employing a team with a JCB to convert a bank which formerly faced North to a very successful South-facing mound. We can play with nature!
As I write, the clouds have disappeared for a brief respite, so I really must do something about those borders and the lawn!
More soon. Happy gardening. As always,do please let me know of any of your gardening experiences and I shall try to publish them - martinjhorne@hotmail.com
Martin Horne
