Louisa's Potting Shed

IN FLOWER ON JANUARY 1ST 2012

2012-01-01T10:28:00.001Z

Some of the plants in flower this morning.

Galanthus 'Richard Ayres', Iris unguicularis 'Walter Butt', Coronilla glauca 'Citrina', Correa x harisii, Coronilla valentina, Polygala x dalmaisiana, Lonicera x purpusii,Chimonanthus praecox, Helleborus orientalis 'Early Purple', Narcissus 'Cedric Morris', Helleborus odorus x multifidus istriacus, Viburnum bodnantense 'Dawn', Parrotia persica, Camellia sasanqua 'Narumi-gata', Daphne bholua 'Gurkha', Viburnum farreri candidissimum.

STILL FLOWERING IN NOVEMBER

2011-11-04T17:55:00.000Z

Dianthus amurensis has been flowering constantly since late July. It still looks fresh in November.
Cobaea pringlei and Cestrum parqui started late - probably due to the cold winter but have made huge growth all summer and are still going stong..

SHADE LOVING PLANTS FOR JUNE AND JULY.

2011-06-30T16:33:00.000+01:00

These plants do not require too much moisture and are growing strongly now.

Ligularia intermedia - BSWJ606a and Pseudolysimachion kiusianum set off the splendid

Veratrum ‘Irish Green’ a gift from the (equally splendid ) Margaret Owen.

EMERGING FOLIAGE

2011-03-30T19:05:00.002+01:00

Some of the new foliage unfolding at the minute deserves a closer look.

ROY LANCASTER AT STONE HOUSE COTTAGE GARDEN.

2010-11-23T08:43:00.003Z

Thanks to Roy Lancaster for this article in the September issue of the RHS publication 'The Garden'.www.shcn.co.uk/roy1.htm

WOODLANDERS IN AUGUST

2010-08-18T08:44:00.001+01:00

Woodland plants seem to be associated with spring but here are three that are at their best now.

They all prefer some moisture as well as shade.

Briggsia kurzii is a hairy leaved creeping rhizome from Sikkim. It grows to about 18" and the flowers resemble a yellow foxglove.

Roscoea 'Red Gurkha' has stout red flowers now. The foliage does not appear until quite late in the spring which makes it a perfect partner for a summer dormant plant.

Anemonopsis macrophylla is an elegant Japanese perennial and flowers for some weeks during July and August. Like the others it likes to be moist in the summer but never too wet during the winter months.

BORDERS AT STONE HOUSE COTTAGE IN JULY 2010

2010-07-25T08:45:00.000+01:00

INDIGOFERAS

2010-07-06T19:20:00.000+01:00

These beautiful shrubs never fail to delight me. They are shrubby legumes with bright pink flowers and delicate pinnate foliage.
They prefer full sun and a well drained soil.
The first to flower here is Indigofera hebepetala, it makes a wide spreading shrub and flowers on bare wood in early May. It looks a bit like a miniature Judas tree.

Indigofera pendula comes out later and is a more fastigiate grower. It has pinky-lilac flowers that hang from the branches for many weeks.

Indigofera subverticillata beats the lot.
It starts in June and seems to go on all summer and into the autumn. The flowers are pink but fuller and with a hint of peach. Mine is 8' high and was undeterred by last winter - but I do grow it against a wall.

COW PARSLEY TIME.

2010-05-19T19:51:00.007+01:00

Three of my favourites are at their best now.

Smyrnium perfoliatum is biennial but it takes a little time to get a colony established.

If you can get hold of a pot of seedlings plant them as they are and leave them alone.

It is the greeny-yellow colour of a Euphorbia and stands at about 2’ high.

Chaerophyllum hirsutum ‘Roseum’ is far better behaved. It is perennial and has soft lilac mauve flowers. If you remove the spent flowers you are left with the delightful ferny foliage scented of apples.

Zizia aurea is also perennial, but shorter with neat yellow flowers and a tidy habit. It does not have the same presence as the other two but is an easy and reliable plant.

MARCH 2010

2010-04-01T17:13:00.004+01:00

Despite the slow start three plants have given me great pleasure over the last few days.

Cardamine glanduligera comes into flower almost as soon as it emerges from the soil (usually in late February). It creeps fairly rapidly - but never becomes a pest as it disappears below ground in mid spring. It is yet another superb plant from Elizabeth Strangman of Washfield Nurseries.

The foliage of Veratrum dolichopetalum seems to appear before the rest of the family and is at its best right now.

The widow Iris - Hermodactylus tuberosum -is perfectly happy to naturalize in long grass with Narcissus and Scillas.

WINTER LOSSES?

2010-03-25T07:48:00.000Z

O.K so this winter has been cold.

However, the temperatures here have not dropped nearly as low as they did in the 2000 - 1 winter.
It has just been consistently cool for a long time.

Obviously some plants have died, and some just look battered and will probably recover.

From past experience Pittosporums have an unpleasant habit of looking sick, rallying and then succumbing ostentatiously long after the cold weather had been forgotten.

By July the winter should be just a memory - and not a large corpse.

If in doubt chuck any ailing Pittosporum on the bonfire right now.

Some young plants have a better chance of survival (like Cistus) some plants develop immunity to cold as they age

Is it all bad?

I suspect not.

Losses mean opportunities to try new plants, to revamp areas that were becoming tired and, more importantly, to decrease the slow increment of evergreens.

W are all prone to buy them and a succession of mild winter means they will prosper and subtly upset the balance between evergreen and deciduous. Too many evergreens in Britain gives an unnaturally 'heavy' look at odds with nature.

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STARS OF 2009

2009-11-29T17:46:00.031Z

There are few thrills at this time of the year time of the year, Sarcoccoca wallichii and the lovely Narcissus Cedric Morris being among the exceptions. Although the summer of 2009 seemed an endless roll of wet days and low temperatures there were some plants that performed spectacularly, provided you could brave the global warming and get out to admire them.

ROSCOEA PURPUREA 'RED GURKHA' is the latest 'must have' in the family with large brick red flowers. It too likes part shade and never wants to dry out during it's growing season.

DEINANTHE CAERULEA is an easily grown chinese woodlander that likes a cool moist spot, and hates to be burnt by hot sun.

ORYZOPSIS MILACEA is a graceful, airy grass that begins to flower in June and goes on looking good right through until February. It probably prefers a hot summer but did look superb dripping the incessant moisture of last summer.

CLIMBING ACONITUMS

2009-08-27T18:27:00.004+01:00

The climbing aconites have loved this years wet summer and are looking their best now.

Aconitum austroyunnanense appears late but has shot up 12' into a variegated philadelphus and is covered in bright blue flowers.

Aconitum pseudo laeve is more of a loller than a climber, it has reached about 3' and leans against adjoining shrubs.

The pick of the bunch for me is Aconitum bulbilliferum. I only bought it this year, but it has grown to at least 8' and is covered in hooded claret coloured flowers.

All my plants came from the fantastic Crug Farm nursery and all of them seem happier growing in cool moist shade.

They give a late summer lift to any shrub that is looking a bit dull at this end of the season.

CLIMBERS LOOKING GOOD IN AUGUST.

2009-08-13T16:56:00.017+01:00

It is often said that August is a 'difficult month' and so it is cheering to have some climbers that peak now.

Itea illicifolia is an evergreen lolling shrub that grows happily against a north wall, albeit a light one. The splendid catkins seem longer than ever this year after three wet summers. If you have the energy try to visit them in the late evening to enjoy the fantastic smell.

Codonopsis grey-wilsonii is a delicate herbaceous climber and probably the most 'weedable out' plant you could grow. The fine thin shoots appear quite late in the spring and only need a gentle nudge towards the host plant. Plant it in shade and make sure it doesn't dry out.

When the flowers appear they are quite out of proportion to the stems and deserves the closest inspection.

Campsis 'Mme Galen' is no shrinking violet but an exotic 'in your face' orange.

It likes as much sun as it can get but seems oblivious to winter cold, and will flower throughout the last weeks of the summer .
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SPECIES CLEMATIS.

2009-07-06T14:22:00.004+01:00

Some of the smaller flowered clematis are at their best now. The flowers are not showy and they seem to display themselves best if grown through a host shrub rather than on a wire or trellis.

Here are three I am enjoying at the moment.

GLADIOLUS BYZANTINUS

2009-05-28T08:18:00.001+01:00

Like Dame Edna I am very proud of my Glads.
I grow Gladiolus byzantinus in a wild flower meadow. The purists would be horrified as it comes from southern Europe, but grows happily in long grass along with the equally alien Camassia from North America.
I love it now with buttercups, oxe-eye daisies and Lady's Smock.
I have ,at last, managed to establish yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) which greatly reduces the vigour of the grass.

UNDERSTATED CHARM?

2009-03-25T18:18:00.004Z

Two plants which are giving me great pleasure now are the diminutive North American woodlander Scoliopus bigelovii and the suckering shrub Oemleria cerasiformis.
You would probably fail to notice either of them in high summer but at this time of year they stand out.
The Scoliopus only grows to about 6”, has beautifully veined flowers, and neat hosta- like foliage. It seems happy in moist shade.
The Oemleria cerasiformis is an 'easy to grow' 6’ shrub and is probably not worthy of a prime position.
It looks quite dull by April and spreads with a little too much enthusiasm. Plant it in a hedgerow where you can admire it when it is at it’s peak, and then let it fight it out with tough neighbours the rest of the year.

SPRING IN DECEMBER

2008-12-05T09:16:00.003Z

Spring for me begins in late November or early December, depending on the season and my energy levels.
It begins when the last of the years leaves have been cleared from the beds and the grass has had its final cut. In only a few more days the snouts of the emerging daffodils will be damaged- even with the blades set high. Suddenly you can see the snowdrops coming through, and the buds of the early Hellebores are already showing their colours. In the winter flowers deserve to be examined with far more attention than they get in the height of the summer and so often the scent is staggeringly powerful.
Next year no plant will have to be propped up after is has toppled, no slug will have a chance to do any damage and ,however dry it might be, nobody will persuade me that water is a ‘scarce resource’ in England.
Gardening is all about looking forward.

CARMICHAELIA AUSTRALIS

2008-07-19T07:19:00.002+01:00

I was sent a seed of this spectacular plant some years ago. It seems perfectly happy here outside - in a moderately sheltered corner.
The stems and leaves are completely flat - as though they had been crushed by a vast roller. In July it is covered with masses of violet pea-like flowers. It has reached about 5'and I just love it!

SPECIES CLEMATIS

2008-07-06T16:05:00.006+01:00

The elegant shape of the flowers gives them a style that puts them head and shoulders above the 'dinner plate' hybrids. They seem easy enough to grow - given enough moisture. I grow them from seed, which is a laborious process, but worth the effort.

PARIS FARGESII V. PETIOLATA.

2008-03-27T18:23:00.002Z

This stylish woodland plant , enjoying moist acid soil, is looking superb now.
It has the effect of making it's neighbours look a little vulgar!

JANUARY 2008

2008-01-17T19:17:00.000Z

There is a lot more action in the garden now and a surprising number of different snowdrops are already in flower.
On the shrub front, the old January stalwarts are flowering even better than usual - after so little cold weather.

A really sharp snap will kill Correa x harisii - but if it stays alive, it will flower continuously from November until spring. It is worth giving a sheltered spot.

The deliciously scented Daphne occasionally takes a battering - but, so far, never a terminal one.

Lonicera elisae is a little dull, and would scarcely be noticed at any other time of the year, but in mid-winter even this most insignificant flower gets due attention.

FLOWERS IN NOVEMBER

2007-11-11T16:17:00.000Z

Without a doubt November takes the prize for being the most depressing month in the garden. Everything seems dank and dismal and I am longing for a slight frost to put paid to 2007.

However, I am slightly cheered by the yellow flowers that have arrived at last on my Amicia. They always take me by surprise as I have been admiring the pink/grey bracts for the last few weeks and always forget their rather unlikly finale.

The Acanthus seems hardy here but only seems to flower when the first frosts come late.

Reineckia never fails to perform but is such an insignificant thing that it is only noticed in the bleakest weather!

ROSCOEAS

2007-08-17T19:36:00.000+01:00

Last year the shadier areas of the garden were parched, this year they have been drowned. Neither season diminished the slugs and snails hearty appetites. By August, whatever the weather, these areas tend to look a mess!
The Roscoas come into growth late and cheer up any shady corner with fresh green foliage and showy flowers in late summer.

DREGEA SINENSIS

2007-08-09T18:54:00.000+01:00

This easy summer flowering climber seems to have a mistaken reputation for tenderness. It is at its best on a sunny wall and can be cut hard back during the winter. It begins to flower in late June or early July, producing panicles of white flowers with a hint of pink.
The flowers have a curious and evocative scent. Each time I sniff I am strongly reminded of the smell of a child’s swimming bag, opened after spending a couple of days under the bed, – of damp towels and soggy rubber.

SOPHORA DAVIDII

2007-05-14T19:28:00.000+01:00

This charming small shrub has fuzzy grey foliage and is smothered in blue pea flowers in early summer. It seems perfectly hardy and just needs to be in full sun.

CLIANTHUS PUNICEUS

2007-04-23T19:32:00.000+01:00

The exotic lobster claw plant is flowering well after our mild winter - it must have reached 6' on a sheltered south facing wall.

ILLICIUM SIMONSII BWJ 8024

2007-03-06T19:12:00.000Z

This, seemingly hardy, evergreen shrub is flowering now at the beginning of March.
The beautiful waxy yellow flowers have a strong fragrance reminiscent of Magnolias.
My plant was grown from seed collected by the legendary Bleddyn and Sue Wynn-Jones of Crug Farm Plants

CLEMATIS NAPAULENSIS

2007-01-30T18:55:00.000Z

Clematis napaulensis is a delightful climber and has flowered here happily at the end of January for the last 12 years. It aesivates in June (sheds it's leaves and goes dormant).It comes into leaf again in the autumn and the fresh new foliage shows off the lovely cream flowers and purple stems.

SARCOCOCCA WALLICHII BSWJ 2291

2006-11-27T09:17:00.000Z

Few plants seem as though they mean to flower in November - you may find a few washed out roses, an unfrosted Salvia or a freak clematis but these seem as out-of-season as strawberries in Tesco at Christmas.
This wonderful shrub ,collected by the incredible Bleddyn Wynn-Jones in Northern India, looks pristine (even now) and even flowers against a shady, north facing wall. The white flowers smell delicious.

DESMODIUMS

2006-09-15T19:17:00.000+01:00

These superb wall shrubs have flowered well this year. They enjoy the heat of a sunny wall behind them to encourage flowering. All seem hardy here - including the, reputedly tender, Desmodium praestans which survived -26 in 1981!

MONARDAS

2006-07-29T08:26:00.000+01:00

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Monardas are the mainstay of my late July border.
Sometimes referred to as 'the punk hair-do plant' they seem to enjoy my well-drained soil which gets some water during the summer. Dead heading extends their flowering season well into August.

COUNTRY LIVING ARTICLE - August 2006

2006-07-19T20:40:00.000+01:00

WISTERIAS

2006-06-22T19:42:00.000+01:00

Although the spring was cold and wet at least we were spared a late frost and both the standard and the wall trained Wisterias were spectacular this year.

LONICERAS FOR SOME SHADE.

2006-06-21T21:11:00.000+01:00

I find it hard to get these ones to flower well but the wet weather in May seems to have suited them.

LONICERAS IN JUNE.

2006-06-21T21:01:00.000+01:00

You can't have everything! They don't smell but these exotic honeysuckles are flowering well on sunny walls.

EPIMEDIUMS

2006-04-30T20:12:00.000+01:00

I love the spidery flowers and the fabulous foliage of epimediums. These ones are all out at the moment.

EARLY FEBRUARY 2006

2006-02-10T19:24:00.000Z

Even after a frosty start there are a few plants already flowering outside now!

DECEMBER 20th - NARCISSUS MINOR 'CEDRIC MORRIS'

2005-12-20T21:32:00.000Z

This wonderful daffodil, named in the 1950's by Cedric Morris, is always in flower before Christmas. It reaches only about 20cm and seems to go on performing for weeks.
A great foretaste of spring in December!

DECEMBER

2005-12-18T20:26:00.000Z

I hate to see dank, dead foliage and loathe the decay of last years growth rotting in situ.
Instead I get huge satisfaction from a bed cleared of last years debris and well mulched in anticipation of next spring

OUT NOW! -OCTOBER-Senna corymbosa

2005-10-15T19:43:00.000+01:00

Although I have grown this outside for a number of years it doesn't always seem to flower well.
This year it has reached about 3' and has been covered in bloom - but only during October.

OUT NOW! -OCTOBER- Cestrum x cultum 'Cretan Purple'

2005-10-15T13:15:00.000+01:00

This new plant (to me! ) has been flowering for the last few weeks and will probably continue until the frosts. It will be interesting to see if it survives the (predicted) arctic winter we are, apparently, expecting!

OUT NOW! -OCTOBER- Mandevilla laxa

2005-10-15T13:03:00.000+01:00

At last my Mandevilla laxa has flowered! Native to Argentina this climber has a reputation for being tender. However I have grown it outside here for a number years and it has survived many hard winters - but has never flowered! I think this was more to do with the fact that it became overcrowded during the year and so did not get quite enough direct sun. This year I forgot to prune it and after last years' mild winter growth begun at head height. It must have grown 2 metres during the season and has draped it's tall neighbours with these large exotic white flowers. Alas! The scent is elusive - a step ladder would be required to discover it!

OUT NOW! - OCTOBER- Clematis 'Caerulea Luxurians'

2005-10-08T08:38:00.000+01:00

Clematis 'Caerulea Luxurians'
A pale blue relation of the well known Clematis 'Albo-Luxurians'- each pale blue sepal ends in a soft green tip! This plant seems to have been flowering for at least three months and shows no sign of stopping. I hope to have plants for sale next year.

Autumn at Stone House Cottage

2005-10-07T19:06:00.000+01:00

I particularly dislike this time of year. It exhausts me.
Wherever I look the garden reproaches me with jobs that should have been done already or jobs that are so physically daunting that I haven't had the energy to begin.
Plans made during the summer - so easy to jot in a notebook - now require digging,sawing, humping and heaving. Huge holes are appearing in the borders where plants I have got bored with have been turfed out and the exciting replacements look far too small and forlorn in their places. Will the gaps ever fill up?
However there is still a lot of colour in the untouched borders, the grasses are looking superb - especially in the morning after a heavy dew.

Cotswold Country Gardener Article - July 2005

2005-08-29T11:29:00.000+01:00

I've uploaded renowned tree expert Tony Russell's delightful article about the garden. Many thanks to Tony and the Cotswold Country Gardener for such a great write up.

Click on the thumbnails to read the article.
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