GARDENER'S WORD - IDEAS AND TIPS

Growing Japanese acers (maples) in hot sunny weather is tricky, especially if they are young and ultra-especially when a plant supplier sends you one straight from a polytunnel where they have been mollycoddled and need hardening off to toughen them up. Right now, in West Yorkshire, I have four young acers, all grown in pots, in need of protection and I have the right spot for them even if it is not very convenient for me. On my east(ish)-facing house wall I have an electric awning and although I often sit under it during hot sunny spells like we have this week, I have been evicted by plants. Garden awning gives plants shelter in hot sun Hopefully, when the Japanese acers are older they will be more tolerant but right now I have only had them in my possession under one year so they are still quite young.  Off picture is a tiny Orange Dream , and on the patio itself is Sango-Kaku, Osakazuki , and Moonrise behind that.   The RHS webpage on growing Japanese Maples states: ...

Bearded Irises, such as Stepping Out, like full sun on their zhizomes (a modified horizontal plant stem that runs underground), and don't like to be waterlogged, so I decided to plant it in a terracotta pot, for now at least, where I can monitor it more easily. It is easy to see why it received the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The RHS states that it likes an acid to neutral well-drained soil, any aspect except north, and is as hardy as they come at H7. It flowers in spring, is deciduous, perennial, and clump forming. Exposure can be sheltered or not sheltered (I live high on the Pennines Mountains so I put a plant support in the pot, just in case). It achieves a height of about 1 metre with a 1/2 metre spread.  Bearded Iris 'Stepping Out' I am limited to what I can grow in my 30 x 30ft garden that has two patios, a shed, and a 9 x 7ft garden room in it. The top patio gets the most sun from mid morning until sundown in the warmer months when the sun is higher in the sky. The b...

The garden plant I am trying to help with an Olla pot, or two, is Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan'. Every year it is stunningly beautiful in spring and then the sun and wind comes along and gives it a passionate kiss and its top canopy of leaves curl up. 1.9L Olla pot I planted Jordan not far from the top of my somewhat sloping garden and didn't realise the problem until it was too late. Obviously, water is going to drain downhill away from its roots. Now its roots have buried under sandstone rocks (my garden is 850ft above sea level on the Pennine Mountains of Yorkshire) and I cannot dig it up without the fear of killing it.  So remedial action was vital. An Olla pot is now buried with its top jutting above ground, about twelve inches up-slope from Jordan so that the water from the Olla will trickled down towards Jordan.   First, I watered Jordan (it is hot and sunny today, and I sank the thirsty terracotta without soaking (you can soak it first if you please) and kept pouring...

Syringa 'Red Pixie' is a dwarf lilac with a divine fragrance, and said to grow to about 5ft.  Mine is now 6ft tall and I am growing it, like many trees in my garden, as a multi-stem so that plants can have space beneath it.  The plant spreading its 'wings under the lilac is Braun's Holly Fern (Polystichum braunii), my favourite. Syringa 'Red Pixie' above  Braun's Holly Fern (Polystichum braunii) Right now we are heading towards June, and here at about 850ft above sea water on the Pennines of West Yorkshire, Red Pixie has opened its buds releasing a wonderful fragrance. However, after a chilly wet May so far, it is extremely warm and sunny today, no breeze, and we've been thrown out of the freezer and into the furnace😂. I have extended my electric awning to offer shade to some more delicate leaves (like my young Japanese maples. Unfortunately, the awning is pushing into the top of the lilac.  As soon as the lilac has finished flowering, I will cut back i...

In my ignorance I made a terrible mistake only recently. I bought an Acer palmatum Osakazuki, and put it outside in my garden based on the information online. I was delighted when it arrived. As I opened the tall box the 6ft tree was full of lush, beautiful, green leaves and on removing it fully from the box I noted the three long stems that were a perfect foundation for me to grow it as a multi-stem tree which is how I train Japanese maples for my small garden. I had given plenty of information about the tree but there was no warning that such trees were grown protected from the elements in polytunnels. Within days the leaves showed damage and while I have been advised it is wind scorching or sun scorching, I was not aware that such purchases needed to be hardened off. So poor young Osakazuki is in a state of shock, I think.  I have been advised that it will recover soon enough.  I hope so.  Acer palmatum Osakazuki - 7 May 2026 I had only ever seen Japanese maples growin...

I live high on the Pennines of West Yorkshire and despite the blustery wind that we so often get here, my garden is jam-packed with healthy plants including trees, shrubs, climbers, perennials and annuals.  In that small space is also a 9 x 7ft garden room, a shed, two patios (one at the top and one at the bottom of my sloping garden) and a small lawn dividing two deep borders. My garden is always a work in progress and I love that every year is different. Some plants die, others take their place such is the way of nature.  West Yorkshire garden  The above image was taken on 10 May, 2026 and no doubt will look a whole lot different by mid summer when the dahlias, the acidantheras, sweet peas, clematis, and various other things put on a display.  I have six Japanese maples right now, some very young, some a few years old. In the image there is Acer palmatum 'Katsura' at the top left and Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' (brightly yellow at this time of year) on the right....

I bought an Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' from a seller on Amazon UK, a seller I had happily used several times before but Orange Dream looked nothing more than a twig when it arrived and a long way from the two foot bush advertised.  I was refunded but it means that it will take longer before the Orange Dream can put on a decent show.  I think I might be destined not to have Orange Dream as vine weevils ate my last one which was a lot bigger than the one shown below. I got rid of the weevils and their voracious offspring and have hopes for the new one.  Young Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' - May 2026 Note that the young shrub is planted plastic pot within a heavier terracotta pot. Melcourt Sylvabark Pine Bark Mini Much is packed around the plastic pot, giving it stability.   Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' - October 2025 Orange Dream has the RHS Award of Garden Merit so that's encouraging. The RHS describe it as a "medium-sized bushy deciduous shrub, up to...

I have six Japanese maples (acers) in my garden.  Katsura and Jordan are planted in borders but the others (Osakazuki, Orange Dream, Moonrise, Sango-Kaku) are in pots, still small. I plan to root prune them in the future, if and when necessary, to restrict their growth in the way that bonsai trees are restricted.  The latest addition is Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise' which I have now planted in its plastic pot inside a heavier terracotta pot, surrounded by Melcourt Sylvabark Pine Bark Mini Mulch for stability. Right now it is huddled in a little corner of my garden, safe from the icy winds and the blasting sleet and hail which we are getting here today high on the Pennines of West Yorkshire.  Acer shirasawanum Moonrise in a Fiora frostproof terracotta pot Moonrise arrived like a small tree although I had hoped for a more shrubby formation so I could easily grow it as a multi-stem tree.  I can still do that but it means dealing only with the growth above the graft. Belo...

I recently bought an Acer palmatum Osakazuki which is about six feet high with three main stems.  I have transferred it into a slighter larger plastic pot than it came in and planted the pot inside a heavyweight Kitchen Garden Terracotta Pot (made in Turkey by Argun and Son, sold by the RHS), and then surrounded the plastic pot with Melcourt Sylvabark Pine Bark Mini Mulch. In total it weighs a lot!  I needed to be able to easily move the container  around on my little garden's top patio. 'Kitchen Garden Terracotta Pot' on an eight-caster plant caddy I bought a strong plant caddy with eight-castors, made from Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) which is a durable and rigid thermoplastic polymer known for its high impact resistance and toughness. The plant caddy is marketed as being able to tolerate a 230kg weight.   Eight caster ABS plant caddy with wheel locks The assembly was a little fiddly but easy to do and it has a bit of weight which makes it feel strong...

I want to share a couple of photos I took this morning of Acer shirasawanum Jordan. Every spring it puts on a fabulous display to match any golden daffodil, and it is pure magic. I now have six Japanese maples : Jordan, Moonrise, Sango-Kaku, Osakazuki, Orange Dream, and Katsura but right now, mid May in West Yorkshire, Jordan is the attention grabber.  Acer shirasawanum Jordan - 13 May 2026 Acer shirasawanum Jordan 13 May 2026 Jordan is being trained as a multi-stem tree which is the way to go when you only have a small garden and limited space.  Jordan gets scorched leaves every summer, unfortunately, and due to the fact that it has pushed its roots under rocks, under the lawn, it cannot be moved without the likelihood of killing it, so I have bought 'olla' pots in an effort to help it. The RHS says " Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' should be situated in a sheltered spot preferably in partial shade to protect its foliage from leaf scorch. While it is one of the more s...

About 16 years ago I bought a Hozelock Compact Hose Reel and hosepipe which was attached to my home's wall. It is still as in good condition as it was when I bought it but I started to find it problematic having to pull the hosepipe out of the reel and haul it through my small garden without knocking down plants with it in the process. As I have a balance disability (sorry, I don't mean to harp on about it but it is important for those with other challenges to know), it wasn't ideal for me struggling with the hosepipe which kept kinking as it came off the reel, or ideal to be lugging a watering can around either.  Then I was mooching around a garden centre with a friend recently and spotted the Hozelock 'Wonderhoze'.  Hozelock 'Wonderhoze' It is simple to use. You attach the Wonderhoze to a tap (you will see I have white plumbing tape on my tap as that tap connection always manages to drip whatever I attach to it) and you turn on the water, The Wonderhoze wo...

I am all for making life easier in the garden and as a rather 'mature' gardener with a balance disability, I decided to add the 'Hozelock Watering Lance Spray Plus 90' to my garden tool collection. What prompted me to buy one right now?  Well, I thought it would be a wonderful idea last year to pack several very large and heavy terracotta pots full of spring bulbs close together on the patio area, between the garden room and the shed to create a glorious spring display. Then, later, I realised that not only could I not get between the pots to water those farthest away, I also couldn't water them with the hosepipe nozzle/gun without giving them a good old hit and miss blasting which is not ideal.  I can imagine the sorts of things that you are thinking.  Hozelock Watering Lance Spray Plus 90  Hozelock describe the watering lance as 'ideal for watering plants at different heights, 90cm long wand, adjustable multi-jet head, locking function, and flow control with 5...

I've grown a lovely blue Veronica gentianoides in my garden for a very long time. Just from the one original single plant it has slowly spread over the ground while thrusting elegant spikes about 60cm into the air.  It's great for the front of borders and easy to propagate by division.  Recently I bought a white version, Tissington White, and mistakenly thought it wasn't much different to the blue one I have but I was wrong, when in full bloom it is strikingly white, and I wanted to share the difference with you.  Veronica gentianoides 'Tissington White' Veronica gentianoides - blue 

I first planted the Anemone sylvestris that I have in my garden in 2014 and yet each year it appears again.  I have moved it once or twice but it has been in its present position, right next to a path leading to my garden room, for years and years. It is looking fabulous right now and so I thought it deserved another mention on my blog. It has flowers in abundance right now and will provide flowers more spasmodically through summer as long as I keep dead-heading.  Anemone sylvestris May 2026 The label said that Anemone sylvestris is a clump forming herbaceous perennial with divided green leaves, fragrant white cup-shaped flowers with yellow anthers, on upright stems.  It should be grown in well-drained soil in full sun and achieves a size of 40cm x 40cm (18in x 18in). The RHS webpage indicates that it is unfussy about soil, aspect, exposure, tolerates full sun or partial shade, and is hardy at H6 (down to -20c).  Anemone sylvestris May 2015 Apparently it spreads...

What a fantastic plant Veronica gentianoides (also known as speedwell) are!  I first planted a veronica with pale blue flowers  over ten years ago in my garden and it is still going strong, making a fine display every spring (May June) just about the time that many spring flowers from bulbs and corms are past their best. This year I introduced the Tissington White variety which, in truth, is not much whiter than the pale blue one but I am happy to have any variety of this plant in my garden.  Veronica gentianoides Tissington White 5 May 2026 Veronica gentianoides is as hardy as they come -  which no doubt is the reason I still have it after ten years - is easily divided and pretty unpicky.  The RHS says it prefers loam and moist but well drained soil of any PH, apparently. It likes full sun or partial shade. They are excellent for the front of a border because the spikes (about 40-50cm tall) grow from a low mat which is easily divided. Veronica gentianoides 'Ti...

My garden is at about 860ft above sea level on the Pennines of West Yorkshire and I have been watching out for an opportune moment to overseed my lawn.  I do it every year. I always listen to what the experts ( RHS ) have to say, and there are a lot of expert websites out there, but then make my own decisions. The weather has been mercurial. We have had dry spells and wet downpours. We have had cloudy cold spells and spells of glorious sunshine and warmth, like in just the last couple of days, BUT today it is cloudy, mild, and very lightly raining.  I decided that now was the time as the light rain will gently send seed down into the grass and onto the soil without washing seed down my sloping garden onto the patio.  I know some of you will be thinking but what about scarifying first, moss removal, top dressing the grass, and you will be right to wonder but I have my own style of gardening and the less work is involved the better.  I get very little moss, only at the...

It was a couple of years ago, August 2024 to be precise, that I decided to train Japanese acer palmatum 'Katsura' into a multi-stem tree so that I could underplant it and make more use of my small garden.  I asked the advice of a friend who owns Ichi-Coo Park , part of the National Garden Scheme , in Surrey.  He said to go for it.  So I went for it, and this is the result. Acer palmatum 'Katsura' - 28 April 2026 It had been encroaching on the territory of the dwarf James Grieve apple tree just in front of it, and so it was a matter of necessity as much as anything.  Further horticultural problems were that I had planted Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' in a place it was not happy.  I placed it in one west-facing position, it got scorched.  I moved it to another position, and it gets scorched.  Now I cannot move it at all without risking destroying it because it has managed to run its roots under rocks (my garden is high on the Pennines and the rock is sand-s...

I have never had great success with Campanulas overwintering and coming back the next spring in my garden but I keep on trying.  This year I have bought the Campanula 'Takion' white as well as the Campanula 'Takion' blue. The latter, Takion blue, is not yet in flower but is loaded with buds and I will add it to this post in due course.  Campanula  persicifolia  'Takion' white Campanula  persicifolia  'Takion' white According to the RHS Campanula persicifolia 'Takion ' series are not picky.  They are hardy perennials that will tolerate any aspect except total shade, soil type, and they even say it is okay when sheltered or exposed.  Hmm, I'm not too sure about exposed where I live, at 850ft above sea level on the Pennine Mountains of West Yorkshire but my garden is surrounded by shadow-fencing and to some degree by other properties.   Campanula persicifolia 'Takion' forms a clump with tall flower stems making it suitable for the front ...