Articles from Parish Magazine

 

The Way To A Wimbledon Lawn  November 2023

Apart from keeping the grass mowed and edges trimmed, in most cases we expect the lawn to look after itself. It’s only when there’s an issue that we take a keen interest and start consulting the internet for a quick fix, but the job of maintaining even an average looking lawn can’t be rushed, and requires some time and planning. We were joined by Paul Patton at our last Garden Shed meeting who shared some useful lawn care tips. 

Preparation is key, so understanding your soil type and how you plan to use your lawn will help. Unless you want a bowling green look, most domestic gardens need to be hardwearing and able to withstand some neglect. In these instances broad leaved, coarse lawn seed and turf are more suitable. 

Understanding when to feed your lawn is also important. Most lawns require an even application of feed three times a year in spring, summer and autumn. Use a feed that’s appropriate for the growing cycle of the grass, and if available, granular as these tend to be control released over 6-8 weeks. During periods of drought these may be applied in a liquid form.

Well maintained equipment fit for the job is also essential. Having a mower with sufficient power for the area to be cut, with sharp blades set at the correct height goes a long way to maintaining the appearance of the lawn. Setting the blades too low, especially in summer can spoil a lawn. As a general rule, aim to cut grass to a level of 1-1 ¼ inch, 3cms. Raking and scarifying to clear leaves and moss also requires appropriate tools as does aeration and drainage. For some of these jobs Paul recommends hiring tools if you have a large area to care for; they are also more effective, especially for aeration.

Finally Paul touched on solving pest, disease and weed problems and reassured us that some diseases like Red Thread, lichen, toadstools and algae can be avoided if the lawn is properly maintained and fed as suggested above. Regular mowing and maintenance also helps to reduce the presence of weeds although in some instances, hand weeding or spot treatment may be required. Pests however can be more problematic. Leatherjackets and chafer grubs may require an application of nematodes and if moles are an issue, the best course of action is to use humane traps. 

While we may not quite achieve a lawn like a Wimbledon court at the start of the season, with some care and attention we can definitely create a garden lawn to be proud of.    

 

 

Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden VIsit  October 2023

 

Located in Ockley, The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden is the oldest of its kind in the UK and has been exhibiting contemporary sculpture for almost 40 years. The site once owned by the secretary for The Royal Horticultural Society in 1915, had become neglected and overgrown. It was only when Hannah and her husband Anthony Paul, a world renowned landscape designer, purchased the cottage in the 1970s, they realised that beneath the brambles was a 10 acre garden with the potential to be something special. Together they reclaimed the garden developing new water features, planting trees and large architectural plants in swathes that are repeated throughout the garden. This isn’t your typical cottage garden nestled in the Surrey Hill’s, it’s filled only with sculptures and plants in various shades of green, and closely resembles a woodland setting. 

 

It was Hannah’s idea to develop the garden into an exhibition centre after visiting a friend who was an art curator in Holland. On her return, she approached artists and sculptors in the UK to garner interest in exhibiting their work in a garden setting. As today, the position of all pieces, were carefully considered in the garden to blend with the natural surroundings, and the exhibition was and continues to be successful. 

 

On our visit, there were 130 pieces by 50 different artists, made of a variety of materials including wood bronze, resin and glass. How they fit into the garden is what ties them all together. 

 

Sadly Hannah passed away in 2021 but her husband, assisted by curator Vikki Leedham, continue to maintain the garden and introduce new work. The garden is now closed for winter and will re-open in April, so we were very lucky to visit in the last weeks of the season. 

 

 

 

Drought Tolerant Plants  July 2023

 

Drought Tolerant Plants

As our summers are becoming drier and water increasingly more precious, selecting plants that can cope with the change in our climate is becoming a vital consideration when managing our gardens. Choosing the best drought tolerant plants helps cultivate a low-maintenance garden that still looks colourful and full of life. At our July Garden Shed presentation, we were joined by Steve Edney, who shared his experience of growing plant varieties that are adapted to these conditions. Twice Gold Medal winner at Chelsea and Hampton Court, as well as winner of Best In Show at Chelsea, Steve is also part of RHS Trial Team, recommending and participating in trials to evaluate plant performance – more of that to follow. Previously a Head Gardener at Salutation Gardens, currently he and his partner Lou, own and run a their own nursery. His real passion is looking for plants that will replace our current cottage garden plants, as their performance has deminished due to changes in our climate. 

One of Steve’s most recent assignments was to create the first new garden in 1000 years at Canterbury Cathedral. Following reconstruction of the west end of the building, his brief was to create a garden that represented the past while also looking to the future. Those with experience of a walled garden will have some sympathy with the conditions he was working with as heat radiates from the cathedral walls. Beneath the lawn, he also discovered the whole area was full of building material and rubble. Steve took inspiration from worldwide drought zones including the Mediterranean, Mexico and South Africa and planted over 6000 bulbs to provide colour throughout the year along with perinneals including asphodeline lutea; native to north Africa it has long poker like upright stems with yellow flowers and attractive seed heads, calamintha nepeta; catmint with white flowers and which doesn’t spread and allium angulosum; mouse garlic, a summer flowering bulb and not as tall as spring flowering allium.

While working at the cathedral, Steve and Lou also developed their own project to create a private nursery. Purchased in 2019, No Name Nursery in Faversham, Kent, was just a three-acre field. It now has 1500 different cultivars planted in a 100ft border, and two and 2500 trees and hedges. All their plants are trialed and tested to ensure they are drought tolerant before being offered for sale in the on-site nursery. Steve suggested most plants are able to cope without water for 4-6 weeks, which had most of the audience shuffling in their seats at the cost of a replacement. However, he believes that if they are planted in the right place and mulched correctly, plants will flower, although flowers may fade more quickly. 

Finally, Steve touched on his work with the RHS and he discussed a trial currently underway to assess which varieties of baptista are ‘Garden Worthy’. Being long-lived and tolerant of very cold and dry weather, as well as producing flowers in a range of colours, baptista also have attractive seed heads. In Steve’s view, they are a perfect alternative to lupins, which are struggling in the South East as they like acid soil. The trial will continue for three to four years and as these plants have been making an appearance at Chelsea, it’s likely they’ll become popular in our gardens in the near future.

Steve’s presentation was full of plant recommendations, many of which are particularly relevant to us as he works with the same soil conditions we have in our area. Unfortunately, due to space limitations, we can’t list them all here but if you’re interested, please do visit our Garden Shed website where you’ll find full details: www.gardenshed.club

Drought Tolerant Plant List – Steve Edney Presentation, July 2023

• Allium angulosum – mouse garlic, summer flowering and not as tall as spring flowering allium
• Oreganos good for front edge
• Perovskia blue spire - baltic sage
• Phlox Carolina – not affected by mildew
• Dark leaved, single and semi double dahlias – behaved well, attract bees
• Berkheya purpurea – prickly thistle, flowers in June
• Nepeta nuda – catmint, will flower again if cut back, they don’t like wet conditions  ‘Romany Dusk’ less bushy but with taller stems. Amelia clump forming and arching, Junior Walker is compact and good for front borders. From the same family – Calamintha Nepeta  has white flowers and doesn’t spread
• Kinphofia rufa – red hot poker, long elegant stems topped with yellow and red flowers
• Crambe maritime – sea kale, small, fragrant flowers that smell of honey. Cordifolia – greater kale – white flowers need a lot of space to grow
• Verbena officinalis Bampton - small pink- purple flowers and if it likes it’s position, will self seed and spread
• Hedychium Tara – ginger lilly is an upright ornamental ginger, yellow/orange in colour
• Baptisia require no maintenance and are deer resistant, a good alternative to the lupin which struggles in South England as it likes acid soil. Currently under trial with the RHS to identify the best performing variety
• Anisodontea el rayo, evergreen shrub with pink flowers
• Indigofera part of the pea family, pink flowers, great for under flower planting
• Romney Californian poppy, part of the poppy family, self seeds, often referred to as fried egg plant
• Ballota pseudodictamnus, small virtually evergreen shrub. Very architectural and looks lovely by a front door
• Salvia interrupta – small shrub with blue flowers
• Phlomis bovei maroccana preferably with pink flowers is an annual which self seeds
• Omphalodes closely related to forget me not, but has larger flowers
• Cosmos sulphurous polidir, long and free flowering orange bloom
• Stachys byzantine – lambs ear, evergreen silver carpet with long stems small pink flowers, good for shallow, dry soil. Fell out of favour but is a good cottage garden plant
• Lychins coronaria, gardeners world - known for being invasive but this variety doesn’t self-seed. Likes shallow, chalk conditions
• Classic geraniums also being revived, Terre Franche – good foliage and not too tall. Sirak – pink and will grow anywhere, Anne Thompson – scrambles. From the same genus, erodium manescavi, pink flowers on tall stems
• Eringium – sea holly have attractive seed heads and bees love them
• Asphodeline lutea – native to north Africa, long poker like upright stems with yellow flowers with attractive seed heads
• Helianthus salicifolius tolerates poor soil and produces golden flowers with a chocolate scent
• Argyrathemum Jamaica primrose, prolific yellow daisy flowers
• Clemitis – Recta  - freestanding shrub with white flowers, Recta purpurea has purple foliage

 

 

 

 

 

The Fantastic World Of Seeds  February 2023

With spring underway, now is an ideal time to get back in the garden and prepare flower and vegetable beds for summer blooms and crops. To help achieve success, we invited plantsman Andy Morriss, from Wallington Nursery, to share his expertise and experience with Garden Shed members. Although Andy and his team sow and grow on a commercial scale using specialist equipment, he was able to share how this can be scaled down and the same principals applied to achieve success in the garden greenhouse.

Some of the principal tips shared by Andy include fell into four categories:

Successful germination

When buying seeds, don’t skimp as you get what you pay for so look for seeds in foil packets and always check the ‘use by’ date as new packets stand more chance of germinating. It also helps to store seeds in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to sow.  If collecting seeds, choose plants that have not been overbred as their seeds are often sterile, and ensure the seeds are dry. Berries need to be thoroughly cleaned before storing to avoid disease. Take care if collecting seeds from the vegetable garden if grown with other varieties as they may have cross-pollinated and your efforts to grow a prize pumpkin will be wasted.

Avoiding disease

Before sowing, ensure all equipment has been thoroughly cleaned to avoid the risk of disease. This includes cleaning the greenhouse and ensuring heat mats and greenhouse ventilation systems work effectively to help prevent damping off, a fungal disease that can cause seedlings to die.  Compost should be fresh and not left over from last year. Seedlings will also benefit from the addition of an anti-fungal product to the compost.

Sowing conditions

Always sow seeds onto damp compost and cover according to seed packet instructions as this will encourage them to anchor into the compost. As a rule, small seeds like a light cover of compost while larger seeds prefer vermiculite. If despite your bet efforts seedlings are leggy, reduce the temperature and plant deeper when transplanting. When watering, seedlings and plants prefer fresh, clean rainwater.

Pricking out and transplanting

As soon as seedlings have a pair of true leaves, they should be transplanted to prevent overcrowding. If pricking out seeds grown in trays, disentangling tiny roots and carefully transplanting the seedling can take some time and a lot of patience. 

Andy and his team are based locally in Wallington Nursery, and always welcome a visit from ‘neighbours’ planning to add colour to flower beds or try new varieties of vegetables.