Gardens in January

Happy New Year…You may have been expecting a picture of a beautiful winter scene. Well, I decided I would show you something a little different this month. The picture on the right is of the Otari Native Botanic Garden in New Zealand in January 2008. So what may you expect of a January in the Southern hemisphere?

To start it is smack bang in the middle of their summer. New Zealand’s climate ranges from a cool temperate climate in the deep south to almost subtropical conditions in the far north. Plants do not necessarily require the same conditions at one end of the country as they do at the other. The climate of the south island is most like that of Britain meaning that we are able to grow various plants from this island.

Cordyline australis (featured in the far right of the picture) is an NZ native plant. It occurs naturally on open ground in all but the driest and coldest of sites from one end of the country to the other. Therefore it is an ideal plant for our British climate and likes will tolerate most conditions.

Ornamental grass is also a strong feature on the New Zealand landscape. The grasses featured in the image to the top right are predominantly Carex buchananii. This type of Carex is found on the coast mainly in dry conditions. It is widely available in Britain, but tends not to do so well in the wet clay soil of the West Country in winter. However, if you are fortunate to have a sandy free draining soil give it a go.

Closer to home, one plant worth looking out for this January in the UK is Hamamelis (witch hazels) This frost hardy, highly perfumed shrub is an excellent choice for any winter garden. Its has a variety of sunset shades from yellow to deep red.

Gardens in December

December may not spring to mind as a month to spend any time in the garden but hopefully I can convince you that there still things to see and do and to leave the warmth of the fire. Yes it’s the month when we’d all like to be in the warm eating mince pies and drinking mulled wine but such treats can also be found in the garden. This is the time when we can all appreciate a winter gem. Nature’s palette is no longer a rich array of vibrancy but some plants aren’t told this and break the rule, these are our ‘winter gems’

The plant which is the focus for this month is called Chimonanthus Praecox or more commonly Wintersweet. This chinese shrub is not commonly seen because it doesn’t flower when it is young and therefore it is not shown in garden centres. It takes several years to finally start flowering, but when it does it has pale yellow flowers hanging from bare stems. It has an unusual see through appearance and boasts a sweet scent. It will eventually grow into big open shrub to a size of approximately 2 x 2metres. It likes a sheltered spot in full sun in well drained soil. I have planted this in both clay and sandy soil with good results by simply adding good organic matter (good home grown compost).

Other plants looking good this month are Taxus baccata (Yew) It is useful for making festive wreaths and garlands. Not forgetting variegated hollies (Ilex Xltaclerensis) which is both colourful and useful this time of year.

Chimonanthus praecox (above)

Things to do this month – Fork over vacant ground. Rake up the last of the leaves. Take hardwood cuttings; why not try Dogwood, Elder, Forsythia, Honeysuckle or Willow.

Gardens in October

October is a great month for colour. What probably springs to mind is the bronze foliage that will cover our landscape. Leaves of many popular trees and shrubs such as Acers, Hamamelis and Cornus go through what can be described as the traffic light sequence ending in red. However, we shouldn’t forget the golden colours of so many ornamental grasses and the bright colours of Dahlia’s and stylish berries of Callicarpa and Pyrocantha.

The plant which is the focus for this month is special to both my wife and I as it is the tree is had in the church at our wedding this summer. We wanted to be a little different instead of the usual flowers. We visited several local garden centres so we could both get a feel of what we would like at our wedding. We had in our mind a tree in flower. However; my concern was that it might not be in flower on the day. So we decided to go for something that had bold green foliage with an ornamental quality to it. We chose the tree Liquidambar or more commonly ‘Sweet Gum’. Liquidamber is a deciduous tree native to warm temperate Eastern North America. The tree makes a cone shape to a size approximately 15m x 10m. It flowers in March but more distinguishingly has striking green foliage from April to late August. This is followed by the traffic light transition ending in hot autumn red before it drops its leaves. The great thing about this tree is that it can tolerate a range of soil in sun or light shade. This tree would be quite at home in anything but a small garden. If you do have a small garden and you would like your patch of ground to resemble a landscape on fire then Euonymus Europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ may be the plant for you.
Liquidamber styraciflua (above)

Things to do this month –I find it’s a good time to give conifer hedges a final trim; this will neaten their appearance till at least April. It is now time to take tender plants into the greenhouse before it turns cold and in the vegetable garden sow sweet peas in pots and over winter in a cold frame.

Written by Paul Cantello, of Batello Garden Design and Landscaping -
Tel. 01934 412244

Gardens in August

July was such a great month for colour in the garden, and so is August. We’re into a time when most summer bedding plants are at their best. Individual properties across our area are dotted with rows of French Marigolds, Petunias and Busy Lizzys’ to name but a few. However, these plants will be lost when the first frost hits. If you wanted to try something a little different which isn’t too late for late summer interest and will look good in winter, try planting an ornamental grass border. Three great plants which will give you this interest are Miscanthus sinensis, Stipa tenuissima and Stipa gigantea. The stems of these plants will eventually fade in colour and have great architectural shape, so don't cut them back until the spring to get the most interest from these plants.


One plant that is in full bloom at the moment and stands out from mid July and August, especially in our region, is the Crocosmia. The common wild variety is better known as Crocosmia X crocosmiiflora. You’ll either love it or hate it. It has orange flowers and spreads like wild fire. Despite this it is still a popular cottage garden plant which blooms throughout July and August. It should come as no surprise to you that there are countless varieties which are far less invasive and sometimes considered more attractive in habit and colour. Take for instance Crocosmia Lucifer’(pictured right) it’s orange/red in colour and far more erect in nature to it’s invasive cousin Other colours include gold and yellow which work well if you are trying to create a hot coloured planting scheme.

Things to do this month – Still keep those weeds at bay: 10 minutes of hoeing everyday is both good exercise and is a simple way of keeping your garden under control. The most important thing to do this month is to pick your crops. Harvest runner beans, lettuce, onions, garlic and outdoor tomatoes.

Gardens in August

July was such a great month for colour in the garden, and so is August. We’re into a time when most summer bedding plants are at their best. Individual properties across our area are dotted with rows of French Marigolds, Petunias and Busy Lizzys’ to name but a few. However, these plants will be lost when the first frost hits. If you wanted to try something a little different which isn’t too late for late summer interest and will look good in winter, try planting an ornamental grass border. Three great plants which will give you this interest are Miscanthus Sinensis, Stipa Tenuissima and Stipa Gigantean. The stems of these plants will eventually fade in colour and have great architectural shape, so don't cut them back until the spring to get the most interest from these plants.

One plant that is in full bloom at the moment and stands out in August, especially in our region, is the Crocosmia. The common wild variety is better known as Crocosmia X Crocosmiiflora. You’ll either love it or hate it. It has orange flowers and spreads like wild fire. Despite this it is still a popular cottage garden plant which blooms throughout July and August. It should come as no surprise to you that there are countless varieties which are far less invasive and sometimes considered more attractive in habit and colour. Take for instance Crocosmia Lucifer’(pictured right) it’s orange/red in colour and far more erect in nature to it’s invasive cousin Other colours include gold and yellow which work well if you are trying to create a hot coloured planting scheme.

Things to do this month – Still keep those weeds at bay: 10 minutes of hoeing everyday is both good exercise and is a simple way of keeping your garden under control. The most important thing to do this month is to pick your crops. Harvest runner beans, lettuce, onions, garlic and outdoor tomatoes.

Gardens in July

I must apologise for not writing an article in June. It’s a very busy time of year for gardeners; I spent most of my time working outside and I hope you have had time to spend in your gardens during what was a relatively dry June. July will be a very special month for me as I will be getting married; it will be start of exciting and new things to come. The same could be said of plants in the garden at this time. Many common border perennials are at their best in July. The early part of the month sees the dominance of radiant colours and fragrances of roses. By the end of the month more exotic additions, such as Canna’s, Cosmos and Sun Flowers, begin to bloom. There are so many plants which could be mentioned in July, but the one I would like to focus on is Hemerocallis, you may know it by its common name of Daylily. The name says it all. Each individual flower is only in bloom for one day. In fact the Greek word Hemerocallis means ‘beautiful for a day’. Although each bud on this far eastern plant flowers are short lived, new buds keep developing throughout the summer. The daylily prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade In my experience it can grow happily in both free draining and clay soils. In fact the common orange daylily is currently awaiting listing as a noxious weed! But don’t let this put you off, there are many varieties of more unusual daylilies which will add a sparkle to any border.


Things to do this month – Keep those weeds at bay:10 minutes of hoeing everyday is both good exercise and is a simple way of keeping your garden under control. In the vegetable garden once early crops are used, prepare the ground for new plants: sprinkle fertilizer and fork it in. Vegetables to sow in this space now are carrots, lettuce, spring onions and turnips.

Garden in May

Thank you April, hello May. May is the month of great change in the garden. There is something new to see everyday, even if it is the relentless growth of weeds amongst your specimen plants. I always associate the month of May with the flowering of Wisteria. This classic early flowering climber which is predominantly known for its long trailing lilac-blue flowers can grow to 10 metres. A great example of this plants superb flowers can be found at Cannington College (now Bridgwater College) The historic walls of this old Priory are literally smothered with this plant and when I studied there, their use to be a wisteria weekend in May, which I’m sure is still happening and is definitely worth a visit. Plants of interest this month include the Judus tree, bearing mauve/pink pea like flowers which grow straight out of the branches. This great specimen tree is ideal for any garden in our part of the country. More common plants which you will be able to spot along our road sides and coastal spots are Tamarix tetranda (Tamarisk) and Sambucus nigra. (Elderberry)

Things to do this month – In the middle of May and onwards plant out bedding plants, pot grown dahlia and tender exotics. It’s also a good time to clip beech, box and cypress trees. In the vegetable garden sow swede, beetroot peas, Swiss chard, radish, lettuce and spring onions.