GARDENER'S WORD

The Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Harlow Carr, Harrogate, have so many things to attractive a visitor's attention and I am sharing a few with you.  I've already posted several 'posts' about the gardens there but I felt these plants deserved a mention.  Firstly, I have to mention Gunnera Manicata which looks like a giant rhubarb.  The plant in the image was only a few feet high but make no mistake, this plant is a giant and can reach twice the height of a tall man, and more.   Although the RHS webpage referring to Gunnera Manicata writes that this could be grown in a cottage garden, dare I say that I cannot picture that.  For me, this needs a damp, woodland or pondside setting.  It could also make a statement in a modern, minimalistic garden as long as the growing conditions are suitable.  Thing is though, it is a herbaceous perennial which means it dies back to the roots in winter.  Hard to imagine such a robust plant Gunn...

When I visited the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens at Harlow Carr the other week, I took a lot of photographs and have been sharing them little by little on this website.  It was a lovely day, dry and sunny with not too much of a breeze.  One thing that strikes me about the gardens is the limited number of roses considering that the RHS garden centre annexed to it sells a number of David Austin roses, climbers and bushes.  I would dearly like to see a bed dedicated to roses the same way they dedicate beds to wild flowers, vegetables, and fruit.  They even have an area dedicated to garden styles of the past, 'Gardens Through Time'.    They could, for example, plant roses that are named after well known people and celebrities such as TV presenter and gardener,  Geoffrey Smith .   A 'Garden Through Time'  A 'Garden Through Time' (early 20th century) I am ashamed to admit that I had failed to realise that the creat...

I cannot help but be a little jealous of the way the vegetables grow so healthily at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Gardens, Harlow Carr.  Of course, they are tended by experts or trainees overseen by experienced horticulturalists but all the same...  I never quite seem to have the same success in my relatively exposed garden no matter how hard I try.  Either the weather ruins them, or the insects get them, or the seeds just don't germinate at all.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I do think that the gardens at Harlow Carr are in a hollow, more sheltered, and definitely at a lower altitude than my own.  Of course, I am just making excuses now!  If you look at the image below, it's quite exciting the way everything is grown in such a small space with various types of vegetable grown so closely together.  It has a marvellous effect, I think.  I do wish I had the luxury of that greenhouse.    Raised vegetable beds at RHS Gar...

When I visited the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) gardens at Harlow Carr the other day, I noticed how successfully they grow fruit and vegetables, and they make it all seem so easy.  Of course, they are the experts but I wondered about the climate there. The RHS garden seems to be quite sheltered, in a hollow, and so much seems to grow so well with no additional protection.  Harlow Carr is about 540 feet above sea level, whereas my home is about 875 feet above and gets blasted from winds coming across the moors despite my 5ft+ fencing.  At least, that's my excuse for my inadequate attempts at growing fruit and veg.  I know, my Prunus Avium cherry tree provided some lovely fruit, and also the three tomatoes (Gardener's Delight, Italian Plum, and Alicante)  are doing ok but will they ripen?  That's the question.  The RHS also has the envious luxury of having greenhouses.  All the same, I was still surprised to see not on...

When I visited the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Harlow Carr the other day I was struck, yet again, by the cleverly woven willow windbreak or screen that they have created using Salix Viminalis, a type of willow commonly known as the common osier.  Its intricate weaving is remarkably beautiful.  It seems though that you can use many different types of willow for this purpose.  However, do not plant the water-loving willow near buildings or walls as it can, and will, undermine foundations and structures as it vigorously seeks out water. Living windbreak of Salix Viminalis at RHS gardens, Harlow Carr   Clearly, you need to use a plant like willow that has flexible stems.  You can easily buy Salix viminalis and other willows online.    Salix viminalis living windbreak at RHS gardens, Harlow Carr I cannot discern any particular order as long as the stems can criss-cross and some are brought down almost horizontally be...

Many years ago, when I had a much larger garden, I had a wooden pergola built over which I trained various climbers including a wisteria (that never flowered), a couple of clematis, and a red rose.  The rose was Paul's Scarlet.  I had forgotten all about it until I visited the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Harlow Carr yesterday and saw one being trained up a wooden pillar.  Often red roses don't have a fragrance but Paul's Scarlet does; a soft, sweet, fragrance and the flowers are full and open out beautifully.  It's hardy, vigorous and upright; and can climb to about 3-4m.  It's got semi-double blooms which are a lovely pinkish-red and I think my photograph, below, makes them look pinker than they actually were.  If I had the room, I think I would grow it again.  Perhaps I should get a pergola built.  My previous garden showing Paul's Scarlet climbing rose

I visited the RHS Garden at Harlow Carr today and took many photographs.  I've decided, rather than try to cram everything into one or two posts, to cover things more individually in separate posts.  First of all I just have to bring to your attention the beauty of an annual flower meadow.  These are flowers that bloom all summer and then die.  I think many will self-seed or you can sow fresh ones each year but don't they have a jewel-like brightness about them?  When you look at the images you will see just how spectacular the RHS meadow is, albeit small.  It just goes to show that you can grow one in a big area and in a small area too.   Next year, I have it in mind to have one of my own - somewhere.  I just have to find a space.   Annual Flower Meadow at RHS Gardens, Harlow Carr, August 2013  Annual Flower Meadow at RHS Gardens, Harlow Carr, August 2013   Annual Flower Meadow at RHS Gardens, Harlow Carr, Aug...

While I have not yet had the pleasure of one single red tomato, the three plants that I have growing in the tomato growhouse are looking pretty promising.  So far they have fattened up without any bursting, without any sign of disease or distortion, and look almost ready to pick even though they are still green.  The plants - Alicante, Italian Plum, and Gardener's Delight - have grown right up to the top of the growhouse at which point I pinched off the tops of the main stems to stop them growing taller.  All the same, they have managed to grow fruit right up at the top too.  How wonderful!  To think, not long ago I was worried about pollination and fertilisation of the tomatoes .  Alicante Italian Plum Gardener's Delight It's been a strange summer so far weather-wise.  It's gone between cool and roasting hot, windy and still, dry and pouring with rain.  A friend told me that the other evening, just 3 miles away fro...

The autumn fruiting raspberry, Polka , has now finished its summer fruiting session and I have cut out all the old canes.  The lovely thing about Polka, apart from the healthy, sweet fruit that it gives me and the fact that it is completely thornless, is that I can grow it to fruit in summer as well as autumn.  I wasn't thinking when I planted an autumn fruiting variety about consequences.  The consequences of growing that type in my garden is that the late summer/autumn windy weather knocks the leaves, the flowers, and the fruit off my raspberry canes and so now I treat it as a summer fruiter too.  With Primocanes (like Polka) it means they fruit on this year's canes and you are then supposed to cut down those canes the following spring.  Not me.  I let the old last year's growth of canes remain and even though they are woody the following spring/summer, they still produce great fruit.   While this is happening, new, green ca...

I planted the Jasminum Officinale in my garden, on the north-facing fence, over three years ago and finally, at long last, it is full of buds and flowers.  I imagine it can be even more spectacular but considering that the first two years there wasn't a bud, and last year there were just a few buds, I am grateful for what I can get.  Of course, now that it has reached the top of the fence it is getting some sunshine from the south and it also gets sunshine in the afternoon when the sun swings around and above the top of the bungalow roof.  The climber is so pretty really, with delicate leaves, pink-pointed buds, and pure white flowers; and on top of that there is the heavenly perfume.  It's managed to climb into the neighbouring rose, New Dawn and they support each other.   Jasminum Officinale   Jasminum Officinale Jasminum Officinale

Even though I am English, I have never liked the taste of ordinary tea (not black, not green, not red, not Earl Grey, nothing).  And I don't like herb tea that you buy dry in packets.  However, making a herb tea from fresh herbs grown in my garden is a different matter altogether.  They are milder on the throat, smooth, and altogether natural in taste.  You can drink a lemon verbena tea, or lemon balm tea, or apple mint tea, or get adventurous and put lemon verbena together with lemon balm and a an amount of applemint to make a lovely, refreshing, calorie-free, drink.  These herb drinks are equally as nice warm or icy cold.  Those three herbs grow so easily in my garden here on the Pennine Mountains although I do have to protect the lemon verbena over winter.  Apple mint - a hairy herb Lemon Balm Lemon Verbena    Herb leaves stripped off stalks and steeped in boiling water for several minutes A refreshi...