Autumn is a great time of year for collecting seed, and sowing it. Many tree and shrub species can be sown in autumn, in fact they need a winter chilling before they can feminists in Spring. This requirement for cold exposure is called cold stratification. Leave trays of sown seeds in a sheltered spotContinue reading “Sow seeds for great trees in future”
Category Archives: shrubs
Fine foliage
As the blooms open and fade, early summer blooms give way to the later summer show. While the often fleeting beauty of blooms enthrall us, foliage can command our attention over the seasons. New growths of Pieris japonica burn bright and cool to smoldering bronze before the green calm of green returns for winter. InContinue reading “Fine foliage”
Under planting in pots
The space beneath trees and shrubs trained as standards offers the opportunity for gardeners to add an extra layer of colour and interest. In our collection of pots that form our garden, I look upon these spaces with great interest, an opportunity not just to squeeze in more plants, but to select plants that willContinue reading “Under planting in pots”
Getting high in a small garden
I love trees, and the feeling of being surrounded by plants with their cooling foliage is one that stirs something deep within. A gentle stirring, that emulsifies thoughts and emotions into a delicious sweet custard, of serenity and calm. In a small garden, or in our case, a 20square meter piece of hardcore gravel ledContinue reading “Getting high in a small garden”
Even when it rains…
The weather may be horrible, a wet and gloomy morning. The day ahead can seem impossibly dreary and it is hard to face the drive to work. That’s how it felt today… As I descended the steps from the apartment rain drops gently shaking the feathery foliage of Mahonia eutybracteata ‘Soft Caress’ gently called myContinue reading “Even when it rains…”
Two little big surprises from seed
We made a list of all the plants that we are currently growing in our container garden. Some of the plants we brought with us from our old garden. Included in these are a number of plants that we raised from seed. When growing plants from seed, each one is genetically distinct from the others.Continue reading “Two little big surprises from seed”
Winter beauty smells so good – Winter Flowering Shrubs
Sweetness and spice… inhale! Ah yes… sniffing the delicious scent of witch hazel flowers is good for the soul. The fuzzy yellow flowers, or orange or red, depending on the cultivar, are borne with delicacy along barren stems as the darkest days start to stretch towards a brighter spring.The sweet spicy scent of Hamamelis xContinue reading “Winter beauty smells so good – Winter Flowering Shrubs”
Ciaran The Gardener 