Plant some Autumn and Winter Interest in your Garden - Cyclamen coum

Woohoo!

I've got that Friday feeling again! Oh, maybe that's because

IT IS FRIDAY!

If you've been following my Friday Plant File then should know all about

Rhus typhina

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy' and

Carex buchananii

What's that you say? You don't know about them! Well, shame on you and get yourself to my archives to read up on them! Only joking...you don't have to if you don't want to! (Although, you will learn about a few plants that will provide you with good Autumn and Winter colour!)

For those of you wanting more, today I'm going to look at bulbs that will flower along side these plants during their most attractive time of year -Autumn/Winter.

Today's plant is:

Cyclamen Coum

Deciduous or Evergreen: N/A

Design Function: Ground Cover

Form and Shape: Rounded mound

Texture of Leaves: Round, veined and glossy

Colour of Foliage: Dark green and variegated

Colour of Bark: N/A

Colour of Flowers: Pink,Carmine or White on tall (3-4inch) stems

Main Season of Interest: Midwinter to Early Spring

Horticultural Information:

Country of Origin: SE Europe/W Asia

Soil Type preferred: Humus-rich and well-drained

Aspect preferred: Sheltered

Height and Spread at 5 years: N/A

Height and Spread at maturity: 8-10cms

Common Problems: Will rot in wet conditions

What I personally think about Cyclamen coum

These bulbs are really attractive during months of the year when not much else is flowering. Their cheerful little flower heads will brighten any dark corner of a garden and work well planted under trees or somewhere with protection from the rain. Cyclamen coum will, if in a good situation, naturalise beautifully and you can create a lovely woodland feel.

Cyclamen coum can usually be found in the alpine or rockery plant section in garden centres and shouldn't be mistaken for the "mini cyclamen" that are for sale in the bedding plant areas. Although these bedding varieties look very similar, they are not frost hardy and will most likely perish after the autumn, leaving you with a rotting pile of leaves.

Friday's Plant of the Week- Carex buchananii

Another week is coming to an end and so we need to add another plant to your file.

This week I've chosen a grass to look at which can be planted with our previous plants; Rhus typhina, Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea' and Sedum spectable 'Autumn Joy' to provide you with a fantastic display of autumn interest.

This Friday's plant is:

Carex buchananii

Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous

Design Function: Ground Cover, Architectural

Form and Shape: Round, spiky mound of arching leaves

Texture of Leaves: Smooth with course edges

Colour of Foliage: Bronze

Colour of bark: N/A

Colour of flowers: Brown

Main Season of Interest: Autumn

Horticultural Information:

Country of Origin: New Zealand

Soil Type Preferred: Moist, well-drained

Aspect Preferred: Sun or Shade

Height and Spread at 5 years: 75cm x 90cm

Height and Spread at Maturity: 75cm x 90cm

Other notable Cultivars of Species: Carex oshimensis 'Evergold' (Gold-green striped leaves)

My Personal Opinion of Carex buchananii

In the past I've never really been a fan of grasses. I always thought that they were too messy! However, I planted Carex buchannii in a gravel path and it has performed beautifully. It takes the harsh edge away from the path and creates a more relaxed, informal atmosphere to the garden. It also looks fab all year round, which is a bonus. I believe you can plant it next to pretty much any thing and it will enhance whatever it is surrounded by. Easy to care for, this grass just gets on with things!

Hey it's Friday!! It must be time to learn about a new plant!

Okay! The end of another week!

What plant category do you want to look at today?

We've looked at Rhus typhina and Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea', so how about we choose an herbaceous perennial to add to them?

For those of you that get confused about annuals, perennials, herbaceous, etc - basically an annual only grows for ONE year. It may set seed and you might get NEW plants the following year but that original plant will only live for ONE year. A perennial, or Herbaceous perennial, will live for MANY years. The growth of the plants will die down during winter an the roots will become dormant during that time ( think of them like hedgehogs hibernating over winter). Once the weather warms up a bit in the Spring, they will begin to grow again. As our winters are becoming milder though, many herbaceous perennials are forgetting to "hibernate" and as a result can look a bit untidy in the spring. If you have plants like this you can cut off the dead leaves and flower heads. Don't worry if this is a majority of the plant it will re-grow and look lovely because of its hair cut!

Back to Plant File Friday!

Today's herbaceous perennial is:

Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy'

Deciduous or Evergreen: N/A

Design Function: Ground Cover, Attractive to wildlife

Form and Shape: Mound

Texture of Leaves: Fleshy, serrated-edged and glossy

Colour of Foliage: Pale blue-green

Colour of Bark: N/A

Colour of Flowers: Flat flower heads of deep red-brown

Main season of Interest: Autumn

Horticultural Information:

Country of Origin: Europe, N Africa, W & N Asia

Soil Type preferred: Well-drained but will grow in any type

Aspect preferred: Sunny

Height and Spread at 5 years: N/A

Height and Spread at maturity: 45-60cm x spread as permitted

Common Problems: Prone to mildew in prolonged wet periods

National Collection: Mr & Mrs R Stephenson, Northumberland

My personal Opinion of

Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy'

This perennial is great for attracting wildlife to your garden, especially bees. It flowers late in summer and Autumn and so gives you a display when not much else is doing anything. The colour of the flowers perfectly complement a wide range of other plants and so makes an excellent companion plant. It does suffer though if an autumn is particularly wet - suffering from mildew and possibly the stems will be flattened to the floor with the weight of the wet flower heads. That said though, its worth the risk of planting as the advantages far out way the disadvantages for this plant.

Think about What you Want - How to Create a Design Brief

So...What Do YOU Really Want???

Today we're going to look at creating a design brief for your garden design. It will enable you to focus on what you really want from your garden and how it can be put to best use to suit your needs.

Although it may be tempting to add lots of different elements to your garden, you will need to try to refrain from doing this. Some things may be unpractical and will just make the garden look cluttered - and quite frankly - UGLY!

Give yourself a mini interview - and take notes about the answers you give yourself. Do this in your head or at least make sure you are alone - otherwise your friends and family may become a little bit worried about your behaviour!

Ask yourself questions, not just about the garden, but about how you feel, what your hobbies, interests, likes and dislikes are. It will all help to build ideas and possibly themes for your garden.

Some important questions to consider are:

Who will mostly be using the garden, and at what times of the year?

Do you or your family go away for long periods at a time?

Are there any particular requirements for individuals who may use the garden ( disabilities, etc)?

Will children be using the garden? Now or in the future? Depending on their age you may consider play areas, storage for toys, football pitches. You will need to give careful consideration to safety in the garden. Be aware of toxic plants and consider whether water is absolutely necessary in your deign.

Do you, or family, have any pets that will be in the garden? Again, now or in the future? ( I have a rabbit that has the run of the garden and he can be a pest at times, eating all of my favourite plants and leaving the weeds!)

Do you have preference for a particular style? Maybe a formal or informal design? This could be influenced by looking at the house and its environment.

Also ask yourself what you like and dislike about your current garden. Look at what you would like to keep or definitely want to get rid of. You may find it useful to flick through magazines to get an idea of what design ideas you like. Visit friends gardens and copy their ideas if you like them.

Are you just wanting particular colours in your garden? Or have you favourite plants that you want to make a feature of?

How is your house decorated? Chances are that if you have a modern house then you will be happiest if your garden reflected this design. Similarly if your house is of a certain period, reflecting this outside will encourage a balance and unity between the house and the garden.

Do you want to have a lawn? It is labour intensive to keep one and if you go away a lot, you may find it a struggle to maintain. Think about all elements that you want to include in your design. Will they involve a lot of time to maintain them, or will someone else be doing the maintenance?How much storage do you require in your garden? You will need to allocate ample space for storage but try to blend it into your design so that it is not obtrusive.

Importantly, you will need to decide how much space you would like for seating. Are you a party animal who has lots of people over at a time, or do you want your garden to be a place of quiet solitude for you to escape to?

Start to consider what plants you would like to include. You do not, at this stage need to have an inclusive list, but have an idea of what type of planting you desire. The different types of planting should include screening, hedging, trees, structural shrubs, seasonal interest and ground cover. For ideas you can take a look through my archives at "Friday Plant Profiles" (I'll be adding more soon!). Include in your list, plants that you already have and want to keep. Add a note after each one to remind you that you already own them! Site requirements may dictate what type of plants you can have, sunny, shady, etc, so focus on plants preferring those requirements and you won't go far wrong.

Do you want to add art or sculptures to your garden? A well chosen piece of artwork can add lots to a design but you will need to make sure it practically fits your specification. Visit gardens that interest you and study which features, art, plants you like the most.

Seek inspiration everywhere!

Lastly...before you go absolutely crazy with ideas...try to consider a budget for all of these wonderful things you are planning to do! It's no good designing a masterpiece only for it to remain on paper for the rest of its life because you never quite manage to win the lottery. Be sensible with your ideas and budget and then you can actually make this design happen!

As you continue the design process, don't be scared to change you're mind. If, as your design develops, you decide that actually having an Olympic sized swimming pool isn't the best use of space, change the design and have a jacuzzi instead!

Take your time to really think about everything and you will come up with some really good ideas that we can then start to develop.

Top Ten Favourite Shrubs - Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

It's Plant File Friday day again!!!

So last week we looked at the profile of a small tree - Rhus typhina. Trees are great in any garden as they add height and structure and help to form the backbone of a garden. You can also plant them alone and make a feature of them.

Today, lets look at a shrub that you can plant with the Rhus typhina and start to form that backbone!

Latin name:

Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

Deciduous or Evergreen: Evergreen

Design Function: Structural, hedging

Form and Shape of Shrub: Round

Texture of Leaves: Smooth

Colour of Foliage: Maroon

Colour of Bark: Dark Reddish-Brown with thorns

Colour of Flowers: Yellow followed by Deep Purple Berries

Main Season of Interest: All year for foliage / Spring for flowers and berries

Horticultural Information

Country of Origin: Japan, China

Soil Type preferred: Acid or Neutral

Aspect preferred: Suits any aspect

Height and Spread at 5 years: 1.8m x 1.8m

Height and Spread at maturity: 1.8m x 1.8m

Common Problems: None Known at present

Other notable Cultivars of Species: Berberis thunbergii 'aurea' (foliage), Berberis darwinii (flowers/fruit)

National Collection: Mr R.J. Gregory, Nottinghamshire

My personal opinion of Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea'

I love this shrub! I'd have to say it's in my top ten all time favourite shrubs. Hence why it's the first one I've listed here! This shrub is so versatile and can be used in the back of borders to add backbone and structure or as a hedge. As it's prickly it works well as a security boundary. Anyone trying to scramble there way through a hedge made of Berberis thunbergii is seriously going to feel it! Being evergreen the leaves stay all year round and even in the thick of winter you can have a stunning display of bright red leaves. Not only is it attractive to look at, but it doesn't need much care. Apart from an annual prune to keep it in shape, and regular watering/ feeding when it is young, you can leave it to pretty much get on with it. It's fab! The flowers are quite an acid yellow which are quite welcoming in Spring and are followed by masses of berries which the birds absolutely love. I use this shrub a lot in my planting plans.

How do you feel? The final part of site analysis!

Have you recovered from our mammoth session yesterday? We're nearly done with the site analysis but there's still some things to consider. So, if you're ready to crack on then let's get going again.

It is important in any garden to understand its climatic conditions. It will directly influence many of your design solutions, adding screening and shelter for plants and people, or helping decide which plants to use.

The climate is directly influenced by the location of the site. A garden close to the sea would create a fairly mild climate (depending on the orientation of the coastline) as you rarely get frosts or snow close to the sea. If you were situated very close to the sea, it is more than likely that you would suffer from strong winds and salt spray, which would affect the climatic condition of your garden. Built up areas and towns can offer a warmer climate for gardens than rural situations, as the neighbouring buildings create shelter. However, you need to be aware of wind funnels that sweep between buildings and can cause quite a lot of damage to any plants in their path. When you're searching your garden for clues to what your climatic condition may be, make sure you check for signs of wind damage, which will conclude that you have a wind problem in your garden - unless it's blowing a gale, in which case, you'll be able to tell how windy your site is without studying the plants! You can recognise wind damage on plants by scorched markings on leaves, which would, in severe cases turn the leaf brown and dry up completely. Larger shrubs and trees may be growing in a different direction if they are subjected to strong winds over a long period of time. What is the typical amount of rainfall in your region and does that affect how dry your garden is? If you have a particularly dry site, you will need to consider plants that will tolerate drought better. The other extreme would be excessive rainfall, and this can have a damaging effect on plants and soil. In heavy, long lasting down pours, soil could be pounded to such an extent that it is made smooth and in this case, water has difficulty penetrating the surface. Check your soil after a heavy downpour. Dig down a little and see how far the water has soaked down. This will give you a good indication to what your drainage is like.

If your garden suffers from heavy frosts then you will need to carefully decide which plants to grow. Trying to grow a banana in the British countryside is unlikely to work! Built up areas and coastal regions rarely suffer from frost and if you have a garden located in such a place, then you can be more adventurous with your plant choice.That's if you want to be, of course!

Recognising climatic conditions is fairly simple - just remember that everything in your garden is linked - climate, soil type and environment are all contributing factors to the condition of your garden.

Okay, so now you are beginning to learn a lot about your garden. You will need to also know whether your garden has any problems with drainage. Look at existing patios, paths and steps. Are there any signs of bad drainage? You may need to run a hose over them if it's a dry day to see if there's any pooling of water. This would suggest that the fall of the patio, or steps, etc, is not at the correct level and water is unable to drain away. If areas are green with algae and slippery then you've likely got bad drainage in that area. Don't forget to check flower beds for drainage problems too. Many drainage problems could be related to poor soil conditions and can be easily rectified. Built up, raised flower beds may not have adequate drainage in their walls and this will also need to be rectified or plants will just 'sit' in water and their roots will become waterlogged and eventually die of suffocation. Lawns should also be laid at a slight angle to allow for surface run-off. If your lawn is covered in a lot of moss and creeping buttercup, then you have poor drainage. This can be improved by aerating your lawn and adding lawn sand at certain times of the year.

Whilst we are considering drainage and water, make a note of any water features that you may have in your garden. You will need to observe not just what it is - plastic pond, brick water fountain, etc - but also any types of wildlife present. Are there any fish or frogs present? If it is well positioned and maintained annually then there should be signs of life and the water should be clear. If it is not then you may need to consider a different option or position.

Consider also the views into and out of your site. How overlooked are you? Is their an eyesore outside of your garden that you'd rather not see? Is there a particular window in the house that you would like a better view from? Remember seasons will affect your views at different times of the year.

If your thinking big for your design and are planning on major excavation work, then you will need to locate any service lines or pipes that are in your garden. Chopping through a gas pipe could be dangerous and costly!

If your site is situated in a conservation area then you will need to check with local authorities what work is permitted to be carried out in your garden. Likewise if you have a particularly beautiful or rare tree in your garden it may be subject to a TPO (Tree Preservation Order) , and you will need to seek permission before you carry out any work to this tree. Make sure you're aware of any public right of ways through your property. I don't think ramblers would appreciate a brick wall suddenly appearing on their Sunday morning walk!

Whilst noting all of the plants that are currently growing in your garden you will need to make notes of which ones you'd like to keep, move, or get rid of altogether. Don't panic that you don't know any of their names. Take a good plant reference book out in the garden with you and work out what they are from that. If you are still having difficulties, take samples, making notes of what growing habits they've got. Then, take the samples to a local garden centre. They should have experts on site that will be able to identify the plants for you. Bear in mind that not all plants may be showing at the time of year that your analysing. Perennials and bulbs may be hidden below ground out of their growing seasons. Try looking at past photographs if you cannot remember exactly what you've got. If you're in a new garden, then it would probably be advisable to wait until you have experienced all seasons in your garden before making any final plans. You never know what might pop up when you least expect it!

Take a closer look at the plants whilst you identify them and check for signs of damage by pests and diseases. Again, you can use a reference book to identify any problems and then can decide what remedies need to be taken.

Finally... take time to consider how you "feel" in your garden. Although it is important to record all of the above details, it is also important to be aware of how you, and your family, fit into the space. Does it make you feel relaxed, energetic, claustrophobic? It is your garden and you need the design to fit your purpose. If you want a garden that the kids can play in but it currently has extravagant planting then you will need to consider what modifications are needed. Start to become aware of what you want your garden to do for you. This will help when we come to creating a design brief later on.

Plant File Friday - Rhus typhina

Do you fancy a break from all of that garden measuring?

I've decided that Friday will be known as Plant File Friday! It's a naff name, I know but until I come up with a better one, it'll have to do.

The purpose of "Plant File Friday" is to build up a file of plants that you can call upon in any situation. It will hopefully help you when it comes to planting designs.

Plant File Category:

Trees for small gardens

Latin Name: Rhus typhina

Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous

Design Function: Focal Point, Structure

Form and Shape: Large, shrubby mound. Almost bell-like in habit. Can be trained to be more "tree-like"

Texture of Leaves: Smooth, pinnate, long

Colour of Foliage: Green (vivid reds/oranges in autumn)

Colour of Bark: Deep Brown

Colours of Flowers: Dark Maroon, 'horn-like' spikes (female only) fruit

Main Season of Interest: Late summer, Autumn

Horticultural Information:

Country of Origin: East, North America

Soil Type: Light well-drained

Aspect prefered: Sunny

Height and spread at 5 years: 3.0m x 3.0m

Height and Spread at maturity: 3-4.5m x 3-4.5m

Common Problems: Roots can be invasive

So what do you think? I'd appreciate any comments about this plant profile. Tell me what you like and what other information you would like to see included in future plant profiles.