Hamamelis – Witch Hazel – A well needed winter colour explosion
The Hamamelis is a truly understated gem of a plant.
Whilst the garden bursts with life during the spring and summer months the unasuming Hamamelis sits there waiting for the onset of the winter chill.
And as promised, whilst all the other colour and scented plants move westwards or back underground – the Hamamelis sets out do what it does best – that is – to bring an explosion of warming colours to an otherwise colour and scent descalate garden. A number of cultivatars exist, each with its own unique colour, scent and form – these plants are outstandingly beautiful and leave the minds senses in rapture, especially on crisp, frost or snow covered mornings – the plant is a real investment and will give you years of lasting pleasure.
There is a Hamamelis open day organised by the garden designer Arabella Lennox-Boyd at Gresgarth Hall on the 13th Feb – its definately worth a look in, some of the many vaireties on display are as Hamamelis x intermedia: Hamamelis Ruby Glow, Hamamelis Westerstede, Hamamelis Orange Beauty and a Hamamelis Diane.
For help and advice, please contact www.floraselect.co.uk
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Gardening with Containers and Garden Planters
However big or small, any sized garden or balcony can benefit from a container or two. They create leafy pools of interest outside doors and bring colour and scent to patios and terraces, ideal for creating a relaxing environment.
If your home decor is sleek and modern, you’ll want contemporary planters that enhance and compliment your living style. Over recent years the selection of garden planters has greatly improved, with very simple styles becoming increasingly popular. These garden planters are influenced by architectural trends, with modern interpretations of classic and traditional styles.
New materials and design concepts transform traditional outdoor planters into unique focal pieces, making a bold statement in your outdoor living space. Many designers and architects have turned their design collections to include outdoor decor and have created beautiful and practical modern garden planters. Sleek, clean lines in materials such as galvenised zinc, polystone and polyterrazzo, and fibreclay are all available in sleek, modern designs. From square garden planters, to round garden pots and large tank planters, metal, fiberglass and fibreclay are readily available.
Containers give the opportunity to combine contrasting plants in small areas. Or use as a focal point, planted out with a stunning architectural plant to create interest. By matching a black, square garden planter with a striking accent plant like the Astelis chathamica Silver Spear, a unique, clump forming grass-like perennial with elegant, silvery-scaly leaves, you can create a wonderful focal point. Equally fill a large tank planter with bamboo plants, garden grasses, trees and shrubs or climbers plants to soften the appearance of walls, fences and other hard surfaces all year round.
For more information on garden planters and containers and for expert advice on what to plant contact sales@floraselect.co.uk
Canna Lilies
If you want a bright, happy, tropical look to your garden but you don’t live in the tropics, think about planting canna lilies. No other plant has the same magic of the big, bold, tropical leaves and flowers. Canna Lilies, or otherwise known as ‘Indian Shot’ are undergoing a new wave of popularity and are back in high fashion. Bring a touch of tropical excitement to your garden with the bold colours and attractive foliage.
Originating throughout tropical and subtropical areas, these are vigorous plants which bring beds and borders alive with their brightly coloured, long flowering blooms and attractive foliage. Grown for their large, paddle shaped leaves and upright, reed-like stems which bear brightly coloured, attractive lily-like flowers from June to October.
Canna Lilies prefer to be grown in full sun in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil and feed well. They look great planted in the border and stunning planted up in containers both outdoors and in cool conservatories.
They will survive outside in winter provided they are mulched thickly and planted in free draining soil. Alternatively lift and store in a frost free place over winter and plant out again in spring.
Canna care: Most cannas like a sunny position, but off-white flowering varieties prefer dappled shade. They grow well in moist soil enriched with organic matter such as compost. Fertilize in late winter. Cannas also respond well to applications of well-rotted cow manure. Remove spent flower heads to maintain an attractive long-flowering display. Only cut off up to 15cm, as new flowers will be forming lower down the stem. At the end of the flowering season, cut old stems down to within 2cm of the ground. Leave new young shoots – these will flower early next season. Lift and divide the clumps every three years.
Recommended Cannas
Canna Lucifer has a bold, fiery red flower with golden-yellow edges above green foliage. A dwarf Canna, growing up to a height of 90cm, Lucifer is ideal for low beds or specimen planting in containers.
Canna Black Knight, with dramatic dark burgundy leaves and tall stalks of deep, red orchid-like flowers. Growing up to a height of 2 metres this Canna will provide an exceptional tropical appeal to any garden.
For help and advice contact www.floraselect.co.uk
Clematis armandii-Evergreen Clematis
Just announced by the Horticultural Trades Association, The Evergreen Clematis has been named ‘Plant of February.’ Brighten up your garden after a dull winter, with this sensational, early flowering Evergreen Clematis, Clematis armandii. With evergreen foliage and hawthorne blossom like fragrance, the Clematis armandii will make a valuable addition to any spring garden.
The handsome, dark, mid-green leathery leaves, stay looking attractive all year round and in early to mid spring, the vine is covered with a blanket of delicate, white, almost translucent flowers. An exceptional flowering vine, Clematis armandii will cover a trellis, fence or pergola with a graceful blanket of delicate floral beauty. A vigorous climber making an effective year round screen, grow this evergreen clematis in a sheltered position away from cold winds.
A vigorous climber with the ability to climb vertically and horizontally, transforming a dull landscape. Reaching a height of 3 metres and spread of 2metres very quickly . Clematis armandii prefers cool, well-drained, loamy soil, plant in a sunny position for the best flowering results.
If you buy just one plant this season, make it Clematis armandii and transform a dull landscape with the beautiful scented blooms and glossy evergreen foliage.
Help and advice please contact: www.floraselect.co.uk
Choosing Garden Planters for your Garden
Over the last 30 years we have enjoyed an explosion of varieties of garden planters that brighten up our gardens. In the 80’s and 90’s terracotta went from becoming a functional pot to an intended feature with the advent of multi-shaped, sized and highly decorated varieties. These burst onto the scene and we have never looked back.
Although terracotta remains a firm favourite in a traditional garden, the new and contemporary styles and materials have encouraged us to be more adventurous in our summer retreats, even if it is just to inject an interesting corner of excitement.
The introduction of these new materials has given us a desire to become more daring in our outlook.
Metal Zinc coated galvernised planters create a modern feel to any garden and if a shaped box, a beautiful palm or grass, are added to a cubed pot, the contrast in the green foliage and the silver planter look stunning. The trough varieties look particularly striking with herbs, which have the added advantage of helping you in the kitchen too.
Polystone planters is a newer variety of material, which is made from fibreglass mixed with powdered stone , giving the appearance of smooth solid stone but the benefit of being lightweight and therefore easier to move. This look, coupled with a contemporary design, combine the traditional and modern creating a stunning addition to any patio.
Polyterrazzo planters are again made with fibreglass with a granite chip mixed in to give them appearance or the much heaver concrete versions . These are usually available in black and white and create a stylish look with a bay tree ball or spiral box, placed in a cube or tower planter, either side of a door at home or in front of a restaurant.
Fibreclay Planters are made from liquid clay pored into a mold with jute matting to give it strength. The look is quite natural with the advantage of a large range of colours and light weight compaired to terracotta
Which ever are chosen, you will not be disappointed as these hard wearing, beautifully designed pots that will be impressing you for years to come. If you need any help or advive please contact www.floraselect.co.uk
Worlds First Dwarf Buddleja (also spelt Buddleia) – Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’!!
Floraselect are delighted to announce a new and exclusive to the UK market, the first true dwarf Buddleja! Buddleia Lo and Behold ‘Blue Chip’, bred by Dennis Werner of North Carolina State University is an attractive, hardy, free-flowering miniature Butterfly Bush. This stunning new variety will brighten up your garden with its countless blooms of gorgeously sweet honey scent. The new miniature Buddleja; ‘Blue Chip’ has stunning, short spikes of lavender-blue flowers bursting throughout the late spring and summer months. It’s genuinely dwarf, only reaching 1mt in height, so it’s compact enough to plant in a terrace or patio pot or add to other shrubs within a garden border. Buddleia as a species can be invasive, but you will love our new Buddleia ‘Blue Chip’, with all the charm of a full sized Buddleja, but without the upkeep and unexpected seedlings (the cultivar rarely produces seed which limits seedling proliferation). Buddleja ‘Blue Chip’ is easy to maintain, just remove spent flowers to watch it blossom continuously throughout the summer. Buddleia also has benefits for increasing garden diversity as it’s blossom encourages Butterflies and Bees to visit the garden which will also persuade the small bird species to investigate.
If you love butterflies, low maintenance gardening and a beautiful scent, then this is the plant for you. Buy now from www.floraselect.co.uk for £15.95 in a 3lt pot.
Solanum jasminoides Album
On the look-out for a late flowering wall shrub? Look no further, Solanum jasminoides Album is a great choice for a large dollop of Autumn colour. Related to the more common Solanum crispum, which is more tree-like, and has blue flowers Solanum jasminoides Album, also known as winter jasmine, is a much more elegant proposition. A sheltered spot is preferred, it will need to be trained against a wall as it is not a true climber. Once established, it will flower throughout summer and well into autumn.
Home Made Quince Brandy
This recipe, is one of several learnt at the kitchen tables of various friends and neighbours here in Andalucia, (Andalusia). It appears that most, if not all Spanish people, the women in particular, have sweet tooth syndrome for I’ve yet to meet a Spanish women who will drink freshly squeezed orange juice without adding spoonfuls of sugar. No wonder diabetes is such a huge problem here!!! All my Spanish friends make this and cherry brandy with heaps of sugar or honey added. I prefer it straight as it comes but you may prefer different. My Spanish friends also include extras such as chunks of fresh ginger or a segment or two of lemon or orange but, having drunk copious amounts with them, I prefer to make it as simple and as straightforward as possible. After all, you can individualize your glass afterwards with a dash of ginger ale or such-like. Anyway, however you choose to make it . . . Enjoy!!!
You will need:-
1. 2 bottles of brandy. I always use the cheapest available.
2. A 21/2 (two and a half) litre glass jar. The one I used in the picture comes from Ikea and cost just a few euros.
3. 3 or 4 sticks of cinnamon, more or less according to taste or whatever amount you have in the cupboard.
4. 2 or 3 Star Anise.
These ingredients can be increased in order to make a greater, say double the quantity. I usually make a 5 litre amount; you’ll be surprised how quickly it goes down.
Method:-
1. Wash 6 or so, good quality quinces and cut into quarters but do not peel or core them.
2. Place into a glass jar . . the more beautiful the jar the better.
3. Pour 2 full bottles of brandy into the jar or sufficient to fill the container.
4. Arrange 4 or so cinnamon sticks and around 2 or 3 star anise amidst the quartered quince and brandy mix.
5. Cover with a seal tight lid and leave, if you can, in a dark cupboard for a minimum of 7 weeks.
6. After about three weeks have a tiny little snifter to see whether you want to add in some brown or white sugar, honey or other sweetner. I prefer to leave as is but if you want a sweeter result then add in a spoonful or two of any sweetner that takes your fancy.
Cydonia oblonga Quince Tree is a small deciduous fruit tree related to the apple, its leaves are large, oval with a soft feel, the golden coloured fruit is pear shaped and has an intence candy-like smell.
Growing a Clematis cirrhosa
The Clemitis cirrhosa is the no1 search for individual clematis online in the UK and its easy to see why it is so popular. The beautiful flowers and foliage provide excellent coverage over the spring and summer months. A fantastic climbing plant for covering over unwanted views or perhaps acting as a way of feeding onto trellis or pergolas.
A Freckled Clematis Cirrhosa
Do not underestimate the potential coverage from a small clematis plant they have been even known to follow something as narrow as a washing line so regular pruning to suit your desired growing style is reccomended. Keep this plant in well furtile soil and you will have a fast growing plant. A good mulch and slow release fertiliser would also help this flower prosper in your garden.
Visit Flora Select and view there range of Clematis Cirrhosa
Topiary Plants
The name of topiary comes from a Latin name which was given for ornamental landscape gardeners – topiarus the creators of topiarus topia places. Topiary is still going strong today in the British country gardens and has with the advent of several different shapes , sizes and designs of garden planters has been reborn in many inner city small gardens and yards as an excellent added feature to your garden.
topiary plants are very inexpensive also these days plus with the advances in garden pruning equipment they have become a fantastic way off adding an instant classical feature to your garden. A Good Quality pair of clippers range from as little as £12 to purchase online.
One of the most important points to consider and maintain is the sharpness of the cutting edge. When these tools are new, they are very sharp and will all generally function well. Inevitably however, they will loose their edge and their continuing performance depends on the care the end user takes in maintaining them. One could quote the old saying here “A craftsman is only as good as his tools”or even “A poor craftsman blames his tools!”
We would recommend you read up on topiary and don’t just start out hacking away at your new purchase it is well worthwhile taking it slowly and picking the right design for your creative topiary masterpiece.
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