!2th March 2016

'What Works in the Garden'. Talk by Janet Sleep.

Janet explained that she would be considering ten themes; that this was a large number, but she knew that most of us would have a good understanding of each of them already.

She also said there would be a test later!

Janet briefly described her introduction to gardening, noting that she had contracted the soil-borne disease at the age of twenty seven. She claimed that she was always learning something new, and thus included the recognition that the gardening fraternity may contain nuts.

Her gardening gear depended on a warm jacket with big pockets and a sheepskin hat with a brim, with the fluffy side inside. Favourite garden tools were traditional steel with wooden handles, a Wilkinson Sword 'Swoe', and Felco secateurs.

Janet took a basket into the garden with her, containing her tools and a small notebook in which she recorded the name and planting position of every plant,

Themes:

Structure first, colour second

Janet showed slides to support her case for treating plants as well as hard landscaping and artefacts as part of the structure, citing topiary, tall grasses and unclipped herbaceous 'hedges'.

Beware of pairs

They don't stay matching!

Isolate thugs of the desired kind

Janet suggested growing thugs together and making use of solid path edges or walls to constrain them, followed by prompt seed removal ( see below) and the use of weed- killer on any seedlings in adjacent paving.

Be ruthless - cull, preferably when in flower, otherwise in timely fashion  

Culling also applied to poor colours of  self- seeded plants, such as aquilegia. Flowering stem should be removed promptly. Whole plant should be removed as does as possible.

Better versions always

Janet recommended that plants with an Award of Garden Merit, in the Plant Finder, or a knowledgeable nurseryman were likely to be good sources of the best varieties of plants.

Don't forget old friends

Things your parents grew!

Don't let prejudice get in the way

Things your parents grew!

Let serendipity be your friend

Unplanned juxtapositions of self-sown or unexpected plant associations might be worth keeping. Spend out where it really matters: eg on garden structures that really work, or the right tool for the job

Janet said she considered it better value to get an arch etc., made by a blacksmith or engineer, noting that clematis grow better on an arch than a wall.

Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen.

We didn't think that meant us, but when Janet asked us to identify her ten themes, we were able to remember about eight of them!

JANET'S WONDERFUL GADGET WAS A STIHL HSA 25 SHRUB SHEAR.

(Sue Bulbrook and I individually found low prices on the Internet and used them to negotiate £90+ prices from our favourite garden machinery firm: GTEngineering. Dereham. There are cheaper makes, but remember Janet's words!)

See longer summary of Janet's talk in next Newsletter.

Chris Davies

List of Plants from Talk 

Structure first, Colour second

Cotoneaster microphyllus thymifolius

Stipa Gold Fontaene  - Taxus baccata 'Icicle'

Chionocloa rubra - Persicaria polymorpha - Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

Indigofera kirilowii

Euphorbia nicaeensis

Ozothamnus Ledifolius

Thugs

Chionochloa conspicuaSilene uniflora 

Vinca

Ampelopsis quinquefolia

Anemone × hybrida

Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'

Phormium tenex ‘Variegata’

Philadelphus 'Belle étoile'

Alkanet

Rheum

Geranium pyrenaicum – Geranium Stephanie (not a thug)

Do Different – Think otherwise

Jasmine 'Fiona Sunrise'

ACER negundo 'Kellys Gold'

Catalpa bignonioides

Campsis radicans

 Old favourites

Libertia grandiflora

Rosa glauca

Serendipity

Aquilegia canadensis

Fuchsia   Lena

                Tom West

Chrysanthemum    Sweetheart

                              Mary Stoker

Hydrangea     Rendezvous

                        Cocktail

Kniphofia-rooperi

Pampass Grass  - Cortaderia

Calamagrostis, Aster Little Carlow

Pennisetum macrourum

Blue Dahlia

Pink Dahlia  - Bishop of Leicester / Salvia leucantha

Euphorbia palustris

Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'

Ligularia Britt-Marie Crawford

Nandina domestica 'Plum Passion'

Tulipa sprengeri

Euphorbia polychroma 'Midas'

Iris Pumila

Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' (No rockery in Chimney pots)