The end of March

This weekend saw Mother's Day and British Summer Time coincide.

As usual my Mother's Day treat would be a garden visit, but since two of my favourites, 

Helmsley Walled Garden

http://www.helmsleywalledgarden.org.uk/ 

and 

Scampston Walled Garden

http://www.scampston.co.uk/gardens.html 

were not yet open it had to be RHS Harlow Carr. Again.

Not that I minded but since we had a lecture booked early Sunday morning on

"The discovery of the king in the car park" I decided Saturday would be more enjoyable and leisurely and so off we went.

One of the joys of garden visits is that in a well designed and planted garden there are always new arrivals, and not just plants, to see and enjoy. And ideas to copy!

And so it proved this time.

New willow sculptures in the form of poppy seedheads had been sited in a bed already prepared for planting.

Just imagine how these will look surrounded by flowers.

Many years ago I did a one day willow weaving course at Harlow Carr which taught me, amongst other things, to appreciate the skill and artistic interpretation needed to produce something which looked identifiable. In my case a very sad looking willow goose to which the dog took an instant dislike.

There are more willow constructions which I loved 

The battling hares

The drinking deer

The boundaries created within the vegetable garden 

and used to increase the soil depth within the raised beds.

  

      


       Even willow supports in the raised beds.                                                                                                                                                      

                and I adored the shape of these hanging baskets. 

Wonder if I could copy those?

Another discovery

On another of our walks around York I discovered a wonderful little garden,

completely new to me. Tucked away behind a high wall and backing onto the ancient city walls it looks absolutely amazing.

Not the best time of year to visit and closed on Sundays I managed to get a great view from the walls. It lies outside St Anthony's Hall on Peasholme Green.

The entrance is through a metal gate on the far side of the photo.

It does not appear to have a designated website so this is the best link I could find.

http://sensorystories.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/scents-and-sensitivity/

I think the impact comes from its size, which is unbelievable given the central site.

I viewed it from the walls and could not believe how, from the far side, it is totally hidden from passers by. It's a little oasis in what is a very busy routeway into and out of the city centre.

There's plenty of colour, even at this time of year and a terrific collection of hellebores which looked fantastic in the woodland area.

Designed and planted as a sensory garden by students from Bishop Burton college in 2010 you really need to get down there and in amongst the plants.

I'm sure its success lies not only in the appeal to those who are visually impaired but to those of us who occasionally need a refuge from everyday hustle and bustle. Just looking at it gave me a sense of calm and peace. And I wasn't even in it.

Excellent job; good design and well executed.

Although it is next to the Quilt Museum it gets only a passing mention on their website.

So if you would like to visit, the directions are here:-

http://www.visityork.org/York-Quilt-Museum-and-Gallery/details/?dms=3&venue=1502666

I wonder how many people scurry past this on their way to or from the car parks or shops.

                     Needless to say this is on my "Return visit " list. 

  Preferably when it's open next time!

Pots and Seeds and Things

So guess what I've got on my window ledge.

Correct. 

So pleased with these and can't wait to use them.

It's been a good garden related week so far. 

Last night was the gardening club with a fantastic turnout for the talk given by

http://www.thecottageherbery.co.uk/

Kim and Rob talked about their gardening achievements of the past 38 years and showed wonderful images of their home and nursery. 

I love the concept of cottage gardening, mixing flowers, herbs and aromatics together.

It was some time after I first started gardening that I realised that what I was doing in my own garden came under this heading.

There is nothing better, or more satisfying, than seeing fantastic plants you've planted, giving of their best and being able to breathe in their scent. 

For me, it's a total fix.

Last night's plants for sale were all organically and ethically produced and absolutely beautiful. Sadly I had to pass on them as I still have no outside space, which should be remedied next month. 

I did however weaken and buy some seeds for sowing later this year.

One packet was the wild blue chicory (Cichorium intybus)  

This reminds me of France, near where we lived. Can you imagine a field full of these glowing in the bright sunshine? Just stunning. 

My other purchases were:- 

An unusual Nasturtium called "Indian Ruby"

exclusive to this nursery.

Image taken from www.thecottageherbery.co.uk

This I shall have in hanging baskets where it will look great. No doubt some of the flower heads will find their way into my salads. The colour is terrific and I think so much better than the normal orange hued ones.

Together with Lathyrus odorata 'Cuprani' otherwise known as the Italian Wild Sweet Pea.

This I chose because I adore sweet peas. I particularly love these dense deep purple tones contrasting with the lighter mauve. A classic and essential in any cottage garden. 

Such a positive presence and a real show stopper in scent terms.

Another of my favourite cottage garden plants is Alcea Rosea.

The ones on offer last night were Charters Double hollyhocks so a packet of those went in the basket too.

It always annoyed me that, in France especially, these would grow outside gardens, in rubble, in gravel against walls and without any apparent care.

And what annoyed me even more was that they would be rust free. In my garden, that was always problematic - but I'm afraid in spite of all that they remain on my "must have" list. I can forgive them most things!

Maybe a bit of an eclectic collection but they'll all look stunning and smell great.

Our new home has no garden but a small courtyard. Currently this is completely paved apart from a narrow strip of sorry looking soil - all of which will clearly have to change.

So this summer I shall be limited to Nasturtiums in hanging baskets - and maybe the others grown on in pots. 

If I can surround myself with flowers and scents, I shall be very happy.

The makeover will have to wait.

Green is the theme

I think it's about time I made good my promise and wrote about green walls, especially since I now see that M&S have taken this idea on board.

This kind of planting is simply spectacular and I just love it. I think it's one of the greatest gardening achievements since the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. 

M&S are dedicated to incorporating green walls (and roofs) on all new buildings, not just for ecological reasons but on the basis of sound economic sense. 

Both green roofs and walls are instrumental in controlling the climate inside the building and in the greater outdoors  - with reduced internal heating and air conditioning costs, not to mention externally reducing rain runoff and mitigating flooding. 

All this and looking pretty damn good too. Definitely a win win situation.

This is the new Sheffield store. Not just walls but trolley and bike shelters have had the green treatment too.

If you want to read the M&S mission statement on sustainability go to:-

http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/publications/2010/biodiversity-pages-20.pdf

It has a foreword written by the wonderful and wonderfully named Dusty Gedge.

A highly commended strategy. Maybe more stores will follow where M&S lead.

Although not a new idea (the concept dates from 1938) it came to prominence in the late 1980's, in France, being showcased by Patrick Blanc.

For a potted history of the great man himself go to:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Blanc

Trained as a botanist, he created a garden at Chaumont sur Loire (the French version of the Chelsea Flower show) in 1994 having first built a trial green wall at the Museum of Science and Industry in Paris in 1988. 

Still experimenting, he went on to refine his ideas and patent his systems.

This is the green wall inside the Hotel Pershing in Paris, built in 2001 and photographed in 2005.

My camera could not capture the sheer size and impact of Blanc's creation

but it still manages to

convey the complexity and scale of 

the planting

and 

impart the magical feel of the space.

His wall still looked good in 2010.

For better imagery and to be totally amazed and impressed look at the hotel's website:

http://www.pershinghall.com/

You have to admire the sheer technical skill involved in creating a green wall. The actual mechanics of watering, feeding and maintaining of plants on the vertical is just mind blowing. 

Imagine having to choose the plants for a specific site, designing what will go where and complement its companion and then actually doing the planting.

Wow!

Not a career for someone who is easily intimidated or suffers from acrophobia. 

When you look at the sheer size of some of his later creations they are just 

logistical nightmares. 

This is the newest 

Aboukir wall Paris

Just look at his planting design




How fantastic. 

And how clever.

Getting organised?

I love looking through garden magazines, especially the ones with what I think are brilliant ideas.

Where would we be without these to tell us of new products or what's in and what's out?

I am not naturally a tidy person and one of my new year's resolutions was to try to be more organised, especially with my garden bits and pieces.

My main bugbear is usually easily accessible plant labels, something to write with which still writes, string and of course scissors that are still capable of cutting.  I've idly thought someone should come up with some sort of collection point or filing system for these and at last someone has. And in very stylish form too.

Sophie Conran for Burgon and Ball - Image from on line catalogue

I just love the finish and colour of these pots and am sure they will inspire me to be super efficient. At the very least I shall know where everything is and all is easily visible.

Ever the eternal optimist I shall be using them to store my small garden knick knacks. In spite of not having a propagator, greenhouse or cold frame I aim to set seed in the hope I shall have somewhere to pot them out. If not, the garden club will be having a windfall.

The other items I looked at were a small garden tools caddy and a new potting table. Since I need to organise somewhere to pot up first - like a shed -this latter item is not high on my list of priorities but just look at the caddy.

Burgon and Ball catalogue

I know it says string on the side but think that could be easily lost, if you have secateurs, trowel, dibber etc in there. I think for me the little pots will work better.

But what a joy to just pick it up with all those little tools in. Getting quite giddy just thinking about being organised.

For me, a lot of the joy of gardening is dreaming about what you could have
and planning for that fortuitous event.

So I shall order these and hope to have somewhere to keep them soon. 
And somewhere to use them.

Has Spring arrived?

Looking around there have been lots of clues that Spring has arrived in our neck of the woods, somewhat early this year. 

We have been fortunate in that our winter here has been very mild, with, so far, little frost and only one sprinkling of snow. And guess what? Our lovely little wild snowdrops are popping up everywhere.

Although traditionally thought of as a Spring flower, there are Snowdrop varieties which will flower from November through winter and into Spring.

Always a welcome sight and one that cheers the spirit is the little snowdrop with those wonderful delicate looking nodding heads. 

How beautiful they look against the rest of the drab floorscape and to me they always represent an annual treat and a triumph of nature. 

Just love them!

Especially when light levels are low they gleam in the gloom but look so vulnerable and delicate. You can see why some people become addicted to them.

A dear old friend of mine is a bit of a Galanthophile and although having only a tiny courtyard garden manages to grow oodles of snowdrops in pots. 

Pride of place this year has been given to her last extravagant purchase - Galanthus reginae-olga 

bought in memory of her mother, who sadly was not Queen of Greece but a lovely lady called Olga.

When she told me what each plant had cost her I was speechless. Seems there is a bit of a thing about snowdrops with keen collectors paying huge amounts to have the latest discovery which brings the exclusivity and value that only rarity can imbue.

I was appalled to hear about increasing numbers of snowdrop thefts throughout the country. 

Can you believe there are people who do that ? 

This is a very anti-social action - not only are all of us being deprived of the pleasure of seeing these beautiful flowers but it is an act of sheer vandalism and greed.

Can you imagine not being able to see sights like this?

I thought this kind of behaviour went out in the wake of Tulip mania in the mid 1600's when again collectors paid huge sums to acquire rare bulbs.

It will no doubt get to the stage when some snowdrop owners take drastic steps to either alarm their collections or no longer allow public access to them.

How sad that would be, and I for one would be all the poorer for not being able to see these harbingers of Spring.

A green and pleasant land?

There has been much suffering and damage caused this year by flooding, both locally here in Yorkshire and elsewhere in the UK.

Going back many years, we lived in Sinnington, bordering the River Seven.

Idyllic, isn't it?

What was then the Yorkshire River Authority came every year and cleared the river course, coppicing willows and cutting back brash which had rooted over the previous year. When this body was swallowed by the Environment Agency that annual housekeeping ceased. 

Was it coincidence then that the village suffered the worst floods in its recent history after that? 

Although we were lucky enough not to be flooded our house was marooned by flood water which was fast flowing, turgid and unpleasant. The back flow into neighbours' homes was indescribable, with water oozing through walls and floors as the water inexorably found its way in. 

The problem of foul water in their homes took months to recover from, in terms of ruined fittings and furniture, re-wiring, re-flooring, re-plastering and last but not least getting rid of the noxious smell. 

Not so idyllic then.

Having seen at first hand the devastation caused to ordinary people's lives I have enormous sympathy for those who remain affected by flooding.

Whilst not suggesting the Environment Agency is totally responsible for the 2014 Somerset levels nightmare, I feel there are questions to be asked.

What was their process of monitoring river courses, ensuring these were free flowing, and able to carry the anticipated volume of water ?

Were houses built on flood plains, and if so, why and how was planning granted?

It's not just the big obvious issues which contribute to flooding.
Increased turbulent weather conditions behove all of us to alleviate flash flooding where we can. It's not someone else's problem, it's mine and it's yours.

In many towns, front gardens are concreted over to create parking. Repeated house after house and street after street, this amounts to idiocy on a massive scale.

This method of hard landscaping forces all rainwater immediately into the drainage system. When a heavy downpour occurs the system is overwhelmed. As a result, localised flooding occurs and the risk of urban flash floods is increased.

A more environmentally friendly way is to oblige householders to provide hard standing with a permeable base whereby water is allowed to soak slowly away into the drains. Equally up to the job and a sustainable way of disposing of runoff.

Alternative and inexpensive ideas to replace domestic concreted car parking areas are listed on 

http://www.susdrain.org/

together with a list of recommendations we should all adopt.

This website promotes sustainable drainage systems 
(SuDS for short) and needs to shout its message from the rooftops.

These ideas, all practical, achievable and not necessarily expensive, are things everyone can do to slow down the runoff rushing into the drains. 

Anything which will hold back and delay water being absorbed into the system is of benefit and awareness needs to be raised of how every individual can help.

If these ideas are adopted wholesale the impact can be nothing short of incredible.

Part of the re-thinking about drainage is the promotion of green roofs.

Even a small garden shed roof can be both practical and a thing of beauty, especially if you want to encourage insect life.

I love Nigel Dunnett and his pioneering work on green walls and roofs in the UK and his profile makes fascinating reading

http://www.shef.ac.uk/landscape/staff/profiles/ndunnett

If you can buy, beg or borrow do read and draw inspiration from his book 

Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls 

co-written with Noel Kingsbury.

 Brilliant....... and made me want to go out and plant a green roof immediately.

Apart from being aesthetically pleasing green roofs can provide wildlife habitats and help mitigate extremes of our changing weather patterns.

I am seriously sold on the idea of greenery anywhere and everywhere - either on the roof or up the walls. I'll look later at living walls with the prime exponent of this art, Patrick Blanc, another of my heroes.

Just think, if we all adopted some of SuDS ideas, how much more green and pleasant would our green and pleasant land be?

Believe I've just added a shed to my garden wish list. With a nice roof.