Geoff Hawkins, gardener, broadcaster and consultant spoke on “All Year Round Colour”. Numerous slides showed a vast variety of plants, shrubs and trees, throughout the seasons, many enhanced by colourful foliage, (some strikingly variegated) and others by bright, sometimes vivid stems. White and gold mark the Winter landscape with Galanthus Nivalis, best seen in massed […]
John Baker, keeper of the National Hosta Collection, spoke to The Littleton and Harestock Gardening Club about gardens in Japan. He and June have travelled extensively, as we were shown in numerous slides of these remarkable gardens, many with a religious and Nature theme, and historical connection, all with distinct styles. The three main styles […]
Asclepias, a genus of tuberous perennials or subshrubs was the subject of a talk given to Littleton and Harestock Gardening Club by Barry Clarke, a widely travelled and experienced plantsman and keeper of five National Collections. They grow naturally in South America, North America, Canada and in South Africa. Grown for their flowers, which are […]
Twenty years ago Fran joined a group of botanists from the Czech Republic studying plants in an area of lakes, mountains, glaciers, forests, valleys and wide open spaces, many of them wheat fields. We saw slides depicting dramatic landscapes, remote, vast, and far removed from habitation. It was Summer, with the daytime temperature reaching 30 […]
In his introduction Kevin said that heavy pruning, widely practised, is not advisable, as it can remove elements that contribute to the subsequent development of plants. Grass heads, as well as looking spectacular, provide food for insects and birds, and leaves can protect plants from the ravages of climate. The glorious colours of Autumn were […]
Great presents for Christmas, concentrate on pot plants, bulbs and cut flowers. Pointsiettas can be kept in a warm room, but avoid over-watering. A yellow ring on the leaves indicates this is happening. A pot of small chrysanthemums is a good present for someone who doesn’t want to spend time looking after plants. Azaleas need […]
Dionaea mascipula, commonly known as The Venus Fly Trap has many forms, and the advice was to put it on an ants’ nest at the end of the Summer. Cephalotus follicularis, found in Australia, grows in inhospitable, inaccessible places, such as cliff tops, has flowers on long stems and “in a pot is stunning, or […]
Nerine “Pink Tiumph” was shown, described as shocking candy pink, a surprising colour for the autumn. They have a sturdy 2 foot stem, which appears without leaves from the bulb. The bulbs should be planted in a hot dry position – e.g. the foot of a south-facing wall – and do not disturb them! If […]
Choose healthy plants, preferably ball-root, and use good compost, Rootgrow (mycorrhizal fungi) and Vitax Q4. Thomas digs square holes, planting in the middle, an inch deeper than the hole itself, taking the roots to the edges, to encourage root spread. When pruning ensure very sharp secateurs and pruning saws, getting rid of dead or diseased […]
