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February

The Winter Garden.

Winter need not be a dull time in the garden.  In February a stroll outside should lead to a few pleasant discoveries.  Although this month cannot rival the gaudy displays of summer, it does produce much that is beautiful.  Snowdrops are always popular.  Some varieties will flower as early as December, but February is usually when displays are at their best.  Dutch hybrid crocus flower in March and April but the species and chrysanthus varieties flower earlier and will add colour to a February day.  This is especially true when they are in a sunny position, where they will open wide to reveal the full extent of their beauty.  Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are a favourite of mine.  With their glossy yellow flowers and frilly green collars, they will multiply and form a carpet under shrubs and trees.  It is worth collecting the seed and sprinkling it where it will not be disturbed, for example at the base of a hedge.  After about three years, young aconites will start to appear.  For quicker results, you can plant bulbs in autumn or, even better, plant ‘in the green’ in spring.  The same applies to snowdrops. 

Many people associate bulbs with spring and concentrate on planting them in the autumn.  Taking the broader definition of bulbs, we sell many in winter and spring to give colour later in the year.  Now is the time to be buying begonias, dahlias, lilies, alliums, gladioli, agapanthus, canna, alstroemeria and many other summer treats.  Begonias and dahlias cannot be put outside until the weather is warmer.  They should, however, be started indoors in pots or trays.  With the dahlias, you can take the first shoots and use them as cuttings to produce extra plants. 

Of course, not only bulbs bring life and interest to the winter garden.  Many camellias are in flower at this time.  Although not suited to our local soil, they make fine container specimens.  Use lime-free (ericaceous) compost and ensure there is adequate drainage.  Most varieties are perfectly hardy but do not like their roots being frozen.  I find that lining the inside of a container with scrap pieces of polystyrene gives good protection.  Viburnums varieties such as bodnantense and farreri will have been in flower from before February.  They perform well in the garden and make excellent cut flowers.  A few twigs cut from the bush bring a wonderful fragrance to any home.  Fragrance is an important aspect of gardening.  Christmas box (Sarcococca) is a dwarf evergreen shrub with shiny leaves and small, but heavily scented, white or cream flowers.  It is prized by flower arrangers.  Other plants of interest include heathers (several varieties of Erica flower in February) and hellebores, as mentioned last month.

A garden should give pleasure for all twelve months of the year, including the shortest month of all.  With a small amount of effort, your garden can be like that

January 2012.

A Happy New Gardening Year to you all.  This is not a busy time in the garden, but there are welcome signs of life.  Many of the bulbs, put in last autumn, should be starting to come through soon.  Shrubs like Viburnum and Hamamelis, to mention but two, are in flower.  Indoors it is time to be making a start.  Early potatoes need to be set out to chit in a cool, light but frost-free place.  As usual, at Hilltop, we have plenty of varieties to choose from, all sold loose; so you can buy the exact amounts you want.  If you still have some National Garden Gift Vouchers left from your Christmas presents why not have a go at a bit of propagating.  Now is the time to start raising a few plants of your own.  Not only is it more satisfying than buying established plants but you can save money.  Hardy annuals, vegetables and many herbaceous plants will germinate on a windowsill at ordinary room temperatures.  Other plants such as tomatoes and some half-hardy annuals need a little more heat.  The simplest propagators do not contain a heating element.  They have a clear plastic lid, with ventilators.  In many cases these are all you need if the room is reasonably warm and there is a radiator nearby.  It is a good idea to use a thermometer pushed into the compost to keep an eye on the temperature.  The seed packet normally tells you the ideal temperature for germination.  The next step up in propagators is to have one with a built in heating element, but without any means of adjusting the temperature (except to switch it off or open the vents).  These normally operate at about 18C (65F), which is fine for many plants.  For those seeds requiring a higher temperature you need a propagator with thermostatic control.  The exact temperature you achieve will be influenced by external conditions, so still us a thermometer when setting up.  Propagators are also useful for getting cuttings to root.  Some plants root more easily than others so start with easy subjects like fuchsias.  With experience you will find yourself succeeding with all sorts of different plants.  Do not expect to achieve 100% success, even the experts don’t manage that; just do a few extra cuttings to allow for the inevitable failures.  If you are more successful than expected you can always give your extra plants to the person who gave you the Gift Vouchers.

December

Christmas and the end of another year are nearly upon us.  For many there is so much to be done with present buying and preparing for the “Festive Season” that gardening often gets neglected.

This autumn has been so mild that gardens have continued to look good into early November.  Spring, summer and early autumn, especially when the weather is kind, are the times when we can really enjoy being outside with the plants.  This year, if the mild weather continues, this should prolong the pleasure of being outside and encourage us to tidy up the garden and plant for next year.    Each season has its atmosphere and beauty.  The seasons help to give gardening a special character.  Winter can produce some unique effects, with frost, mist and low sun, and it can really show up the structure of the plants and garden.  Summer may have more colours but this time of the year need not be dull.  The ever-popular pansies, violas, primroses and cyclamen can really brighten things up at ground level or in containers and baskets.  Bulbs such as snowdrops, winter aconites, anemone blanda, crocuses, dwarf irises, and early dwarf daffodils can also be used.  In addition do not forget winter flowering heathers.  Ground level planting gives a good base to a garden border, but if you really want to make things more interesting think of layers going up in height.  At a slightly higher level we can use a dwarf shrub like Sarcococca (Winter Box) and winter flowering perennials such as Bergenias and Hellebores.  Dwarf conifers, whilst not producing flowers, help to add shape and the foliage helps to show off the colours of the other plants; conifers and heathers go very well together. At the next level up we have plenty of winter flowering shrubs to choose from.  The Viburnum family includes both evergreen and deciduous varieties, which flower during the winter and early spring.  Some Skimmias carry very noticeable coloured flower buds, which open in early spring.  Mahonias have long racemes of yellow flowers.  Many winter flowering shrubs have the bonus of being fragrant (It’s their way of attracting pollinating insects).  Colour can also come from berries and the plants stems.  Cornus (dogwoods) and certain types of Salix (willows) can really catch the sun and appear to glow red or yellow.  Hollies, Cotoneasters and Pyracanthas are all well known for their berries.  The last two can be trained onto a framework or wall.  A small Winter Flowering Cherry (Prunus subhirtella Autumnalis) would make a fine top layer.  This is still an excellent time to be planting shrubs and trees, so if you want to get away from thinking about Christmas, get out there and have a go at rearranging a border.  If you do not know what to get as Christmas presents, some quality tools, a propagator or a cold frame might be very welcome

November

Hedges are good.  If you do not have at least one you should have.  They make a better boundary or barrier than a fence.  They do not fall down in a gale nor do they need painting.  They help to define and give shape to a garden.  They tame the wind rather than deflecting it a mini tornado.  They clean the air and reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  They are ornamental and provide a home for nesting birds, other animals and friendly insects.  They can be grown in many shapes and sizes to suit practically any situation.  A miniature box hedge surrounding a border can look very smart indeed as can be seen in many of this country’s greatest gardens. A beech, hornbeam or even privet hedge kept neatly trimmed makes a wonderful backdrop to a border, setting of the smaller plants in front to great effect.  It will also help to protect the more delicate specimens and, depending on position, provide shade for those that dislike the full sun of summer.  Hedges can be divided into categories namely formal, informal, evergreen and deciduous.  When you need a windbreak, deciduous hedges are more effective than evergreen ones in winter, because the wind passes right through them and, in the process, loses its energy.  An evergreen hedge ultimately give more privacy, but deciduous ones, even without their leaves distract the eye from what is beyond and give a pleasant feeling of being enclosed, without a feeling of claustrophobia.  In the case of beech and hornbeam many of the brown dead leaves stay on the branches throughout the winter.  One of the interests provided by a hedge is its changing appearance with the seasons.  Even evergreen plants change in colour, looking bright and fresh as new growth starts in the spring.  Autumn and winter are the best times to plant a hedge.  Autumn is when we stock the best range of young hedging plants.  Consider mixing different varieties in the same hedge.  Purple and green beech make excellent companions; country hedges contain many different plants such as field maple, hawthorn, blackthorn, dog roses, holly and many more.  Time spent preparing before planting is time well spent, as the hedge will certainly establish faster.  Dig a trench 15” deep and put in plenty of garden compost or rotted manure.  With evergreen hedges such as yew, box and holly you will need to trim the sides from the second year onwards.  The leader should only be cut when the desired height has been achieved.  With deciduous hedges they should be cut back by a third after planting.  This may seem a bit brutal, as you are losing so much height at the start.  It has to be done to ensure that the base of the hedge is bushy.  Repeat after a year and thereafter trim normally.  A hedge will take a little longer to establish than a fence, but it will certainly last a lot longer.

As you might gather from our advert this month, our minds here at Hilltop are not entirely on gardening.

I hope you like our Christmas display.  A lot of thought and hard work has gone into setting it up, but we have enjoyed doing it.  I hope it inspires you to create some interesting displays of your own at home.

October

Autumn Planting

Before the days of garden centres, most planting of trees and shrubs was done in the autumn.  Plants were often ordered earlier and then collected as they went dormant.  This ensured that they had the best chance of survival because they were transplanted at a time of least stress.  With the availability of container grown plants all year round people’s habits have changed so that today most planting is done in the spring.  Hardy stock planted now will be better established by the summer than any put in next spring.  The leaves are falling and new shoots have stopped growing for this year, so there is virtually no loss of moisture from within the plant.  All its energies go into producing new roots whilst the soil still has much of its summer warmth.  Lack of moisture is the biggest cause of plant failure at other times of the year.  The need for moisture increases as the year progresses.  The healthy growth of new shoots and leaves in spring requires a reliable intake of water from the soil and as the temperatures rise with summer, moisture loss through the leaves increases dramatically.  This water enters the plant through its roots, hence the importance of establishing a good root system early.  As a general rule the roots need plenty of moisture, but there must still be some air around them too.  The roots will grow to find the moisture they need, therefore let the water soak in so that it is around the lower roots.  They will then grow stronger and in times of drought when the surface becomes very dry they will be able to draw up the plants requirements from deeper ground.  An inadequate root system will not support a plant in times of stress.  We tend to fall in love with plants when they are looking attractive, which is one of several reasons why people get more enthusiastic about buying new plants in the spring.  The new foliage and fresh growth has a special appeal, along with the promise of more excitement to follow.  Although many gardeners concentrate their efforts on producing a good show in the summer, every season has its plants and autumn can produce results that are truly spectacular.  This is why each year people flock to Westonbirt when the maples are about to shed their leaves.  Plants that give excellent autumn colour include Virginia creepers, some of the ornamental vines like Vitis coignetiae, many of the trees such as Rowans and crab apples with the interest coming from fruit and berries.

September

Spring Flowering Bulbs

At Hilltop we have just had our Spring flowering bulbs delivered; now is the time to be getting serious about bulb planting. Bulbs in packs are generally available for sale when they are dormant, so think about what you would expect to see in flower in the Spring and they will be available to buy now.  Tulips are amongst the most popular of spring bulbs, but many varieties are not recommended for naturalising.  Species tulips are the exception and in fact give much better results when left undisturbed from year to year.  Several are self-seeding and will multiply with no effort at all. Varieties worth mentioning include “Honky Tonk” (soft yellow, pink blush, flowering height 6” at end April), “Lady Jane” (pink & white, flowering height 4” in March/April) and “Dwarf Praestans” (scarlet multi-headed, flowering height 6” in April/May.  All are short making them ideal for the front of a border, rock garden or container.  Using different varieties you can have flowers from February to May.  The reason species plants naturalise so well is because they are still basically the natural form of that plant.  Species Narcissi offer another huge choice.  Generally dwarf, flower form and colour vary enormously.  “Pacific Coast” is fragrant, multi-headed, yellow and 12”  all.  “Tete a Tete” is 6” tall, multi-headed, flowers earlier than most and is possibly the most popular of this group.  “Reggae” is 14” tall with a white and pink trumpet and is multi-stemmed.  For those who like to try something different we have a section called “Classic Combinations”; these are packs where two different plants complement each other when planted together. This can create a spectacular effect when planted in a group and can offer a good range of colour prior to herbaceous perennials coming through.  If you think next Spring is too far to plan ahead, then concentrate on Christmas.  Hyacinths started now should be ready in time.  “Delft Blue” is an old favourite”, however they are available loose, so why not try a selection...   If you don’t want any bulbs come and see us anyway, we should have something to help you look forward to the festive season. We have most of our Christmas decorations out by mid October, but usually have food and toys in a little earlier. We also still have some special offers on furniture, which may make an ideal present idea?

August

Wildlife Gardens

Summer is in full swing and taking time out of our busy lives to absorb our surroundings, is part of the pleasure of owning a garden with all the atmosphere and theatre that is played out within it. Most of this drama however is not only created by firework displays of Liatris or rippling sways of wind blown Crocosmias. It’s the antics and characters that are attracted into our gardens. Content bumblebees that are always busy collecting pollen wandering from flower to flower. Not forgetting the majestic glamorous visitors into the garden, the butterflies. These creatures with enormous sheet like wings seem ungainly yet the fluttering grace that enables them to pass from plant to plant is unbelievably breath taking and in my opinion an essential pleasure of gardening. This glimpse of wildlife coming into a tamed and nurtured habitat is in risk of coming to an end, for beneficial insects are dwindling in numbers. Even bees which are the primary pollinators of the world are dropping sharply. The honeybees have declined by nearly 50% and are in danger. What’s more worrying is there doesn’t seem to be any reason for this, the government has launched a project to find out what the cause is. Some people may think that losing bees wouldn’t affect them well look at it this way. It is estimated bees are responsible for one in three mouthfuls of our food and that insect pollinators contribute £440 million to the British economy through their role in fertilising crops. As gardeners our gardens can act as important stepping stones between natural habitats by offering abundant supplies of nectar. There are a few simple things that we can do to make your garden into the perfect insect sanctuary: 1. Use high nectar/pollen plants to attract all insects – Top nectar bearing plants are, Coneflowers (Echinacea) and Michaelmas Daisy (Aster).  2.Plant species in groups of three, because masses of flowers are easier to find.  3.Plant for nectar all through the season: Spring – Aubretia, Violia, Wallflowers and Primroses. Summer/Autumn – Buddleja (irresistable to butterflies), Sedum, Lavender, Honeysuckle, Aster, Scabious, French Marigold and Coneflower. Winter – Ivy .  4.Use different shaped and coloured flowers - Bees prefer blues. 5.Go Organic - unfortunately pesticides kill all insects.  If you want to go a step further you can put up a bumblebee nest or red mason tube home, butterfly houses are also available. Well I for one will not be stopping in making my garden into the most attractive garden for me and my friendly insects. I wouldn’t like to contemplate a garden without them. Would you!

July

Herb Gardens

Throughout the Summer months we often have the best selection of herbs available in our plant area. We buy them locally from a lady who grows them in 11cm pots (rather than 9cm); I believe this makes all the difference to the plants establishment due to its larger root system. It’s almost impossible to grow a bed or pot of herbs that doesn’t look fantastic. They are also very easy to grow.

Many are annuals such as basil, coriander, and marjoram; perennials such as mint, fennel and thyme; woody perennials such as bay, rosemary, lavender and sage; or even bulbs such as chives.  Our labels show the culinary OR medicinal uses.

You can grow herbs in a formal herb garden, (maybe with Buxus suffruticosa as a compact hedge);  scattered among ornamental plants in a  border, as pot plants on the patio or even hanging baskets.  I think they look best in unglazed terracotta pots, it’s easy to create a warm Spanish or Italian feel. Herbs are great near the back door, they smell fantatic on a hot Summer’s day and they’ll be within easy picking reach.  Herbs do best in a hot, sunny spot. In these conditions they’ll make the highest level of the aromatic oils that give them their smell and taste. They also prefer well-drained soil; like all plants they enjoy regular feeding throughout the growing season. Some perennial herbs, such as mint and lemon balm, are a bit too vigorous for their own good. To help keep them under control, try planting them in a big pot and sinking this into the ground. A great way to store herbs that you’ve harvested is to freeze them because this keeps the flavour fresh.

June 2011

Ponds and Waterfalls

It’s a while now since the new generation of frogs, toads and newts started their lives in our ponds at work. Creating a garden pond can be a larger project than some taken on in the garden; however, the finished result can be extremely rewarding and will add beauty and relaxation to your garden. Ponds don’t  need to be large to be enjoyable, the formal one in our small garden at home is only about 5’x 3’ it may not be full of wildlife but is still a great asset and home to dwarf water lilies Nymphea pygmea. Choose a spot for your garden pond that gets at least partial sun throughout the day.  Use a garden hose or rope to mark out the proposed position; buying a pond liner, rather than a ready moulded pond in my opinion is not only easier to install, but also enables you to design a pond to your own requirements. You can have the depth you want and marginal shelves where you want etc. The size of liner required can be calculated as follows: (width + twice the depth) x (length + twice the depth).  I won’t go into great length about installation as there are many good books on the market and of course the internet.  You can think about the style that you are aiming for and also the type of plants that you are wanting to grow which will have a bearing on depth when you are designing it; the labels on our plants will give this information and our staff can always help. A formal pond may have paving or decking as an edge, whereas an informal pond may have a more gradual  gradient to the edge. When I made the one at Hilltop originally  I left a ridge in the liner which was angled at about 30º on the downhill side which I then filled with soil. I then planted into this rather than using pond baskets so that the marginal plants would grow together and offer frogs etc. an easy route in and out. On the uphill side I built a concrete block wall topped with ornamental blocks to give support to the soil and give a slightly more formal feel. The bog garden by the boardwalk to the right is where I put in a liner and then deliberately punctured it with a fork to create an ideal habitat for Primula denticulata.  A waterfall through an adjacent rock garden and fountain can create some movement, the ideas are endless…  Position any pond plants in the pond directly on the pond liner or on rocks to put them at the correct water depth. You don’t need to have moving water to have clean water; but consider the following tips. Try and have up to 2/3 of the water surface covered by plants, either leaves of deep water marginals like Aponogetum distichum or Azzola. Ideally let the plants establish, especially oxygenators for a few weeks before introducing fish and then don’t be tempted to overstock, they will soon start to breed!

May 2011

I often think of May as the main month in the year for seeing alpine plants in bloom. They grow in the alpine climate, which occurs at high elevations above the tree line. Many originate from countries like Switzerland and Japan, but are now obviously cultivated in the UK to be available in garden centres. They can be grown in the front of a mixed border, containers and even hanging baskets and window boxes; they are ideal to accompany bedding plants and great in a small garden. They generally prefer a free draining soil; don’t despair if like me you’ve got awful soil. I removed a good spades worth of soil for each plant position and then filled the hole with a mix of 50/50 multi purpose compost and grit. Make sure you use washed and graded products, to prevent contamination. There are literally hundreds of varieties I could mention, the picture labels in the pots have very good photographs and ultimate height information on etc. One of the main things to consider is their habit; do you want trailing, creeping or upright etc. Also do you want to keep colour themes together oranges with yellows and blues with purples? Whatever your choice water in well once planted and feed 2 or 3 times through the growing season with something liquid like Phostrogen or Miracle Gro, don’t use anything like growmore granular or bonemeal etc. as this may “burn” them, as I once learned years ago! Finish off with some grit around the soil underneath the foliage, as well as looking attractive it will also create an ideal growing environment. Grit and gravel around the plants can look effective merging into larger stones and slate in a “scree” area, these areas can also be great for wildlife; as well as the usual mini beasts we also have several families of lizards in the rock garden at Hilltop. In the “scree”  you can have a more sparse planting and maybe even some miniature willow and conifer varieties, let your imagination go free. Remember if you change your mind plants can always be moved in the Autumn.      

Often an opportunity arises to make a rock garden when digging a pond; the inevitable pile of soil next to a hole. Make sure that you keep the topsoil (6 inches or so) to one side, this more fertile soil, with a better structure can then later go on top, once you have finished piling up the subsoil. We have rocks in crates for sale at Hilltop, which are ideal for creating a natural rock garden effect. When positioning them think about the way rocks arise in nature; they often look good in lines, maybe slightly angled (as if they have been shifted over millions of years). I remember an old boss of mine saying avoid them looking like cherries on a cake! I will be talking about ponds and waterfalls next month, in the mean time I look forward to seeing you at Hilltop.      

February 2011

When I bought the site of Hilltop Garden Centre in 1987, I was told to expect hard winters.  We are on high ground and apparently there is little to stop the winds blowing in from Siberia!  In the years since we have had some snow and wintry conditions and there have been days when it was difficult to get in and out.  Until recently, however, we were commenting more on the mildness of our winters than on the cold and snow.  The spring flowering bulbs seemed to open earlier each year and we worried that the bugs that should be killed off by the cold would live on to cause problems.  2010 has seen a big change in all of this.  The snow in January caused some chaos but for us it was not too serious being at a quieter time.  The snow that fell before Christmas was a real nuisance and my heart went out to those people more seriously affected than we were.  Maybe we should start Christmas a few weeks sooner next time to allow for interruptions!  I used to think of February as a month of clear skies, sunshine and sharp frosts.  I have given up guessing what this one is going to bring us.  However, whatever the weather, a stroll outside this month should lead to a few pleasant discoveries.  Although the garden now cannot rival the gaudy displays of summer, it does produce much that is beautiful.  Snowdrops are always popular.  Some varieties will flower as early as December, but February is usually when displays are at their best.  Dutch hybrid crocus flower in March and April but the species and chrysanthus varieties flower earlier and will add colour to a February day.  This is especially true when they are in a sunny position, where they will open wide to reveal the full extent of their beauty.  Winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) are a favourite of mine.  With their glossy yellow flowers and frilly green collars, they will multiply and form a carpet under shrubs and trees.  It is worth collecting the seed and sprinkling it where it will not be disturbed, for example at the base of a hedge.  After about three years, young aconites will start to appear.  For quicker results, you can plant bulbs in autumn or, even better, plant ‘in the green’ in spring.  The same applies to snowdrops.  Many people associate bulbs with spring and concentrate on planting them in the autumn.  Taking the broader definition of bulbs, we sell many in winter and spring to give colour later in the year.  Now is the time to be buying begonias, dahlias, lilies, alliums, gladioli, agapanthus, canna, alstroemeria and many other summer treats.  Of course, not only bulbs bring life and interest to the winter garden.  Other plants of interest include heathers (several varieties of Erica flower in February) and hellebores.  A garden should give pleasure for all twelve months of the year, including the shortest month of all.  With a small amount of effort, your garden can be like that, whatever the weather.

January 2011.

Happy New Year from all of us at Hilltop Garden Centre.  All the talk of cuts and money being tight should not put us off gardening this year.  Growing your own plants can save a lot of money, especially when you grow vegetables.   You also get the bonus of fresh healthy better tasting produce.  Many ornamental annuals and perennials can also be started from seed.  Some can be sown directly in the ground.  If you received National Garden Gift Tokens for Christmas, then it could be worth treating yourself to a propagator.  An unheated one sitting on the windowsill is sufficient for many varieties although an electric heated model broadens the range you can tackle.  The backs of the seed packets give you guidance on how they should be grown.  Browse around the seed racks in the garden centre, there are hundreds of varieties to choose from, so you can enjoy some time planning what to do with your garden this year.  It is still too early to actually sow most of them, but it is good to have your plans ready now.  Some plants are not normally started from seed.  Potatoes, for example, are started by using “seed potatoes”.  These are actually potatoes, which have been specially grown to be completely virus free (many come from Scotland).  At Hilltop, we sell several varieties loose, so you buy exactly the amount you want of different types.  This is useful when you want to compare different varieties.  Before planting they are laid out in a cool frost free place to “chit”.  Old egg boxes are good for setting them out.  Place the “seeds” so the side with the most eyes is facing up.  The eyes will start to shoot and this gets them off to a faster start when planted , which is done when the frosts stop.  Onions and shallots are bought as bulbs.  Some other vegetables (e.g. Jerusalem Artichokes) and many ornamental flowers (e.g. Dahlias) are bought as pieces of root.  When you have finished browsing the seed racks, switch to the area where we sell bulbs to get more ideas.  Propagators are also useful for getting cuttings to root.  Some plants root more easily than others so start with easy subjects like fuchsias.  With experience you will find yourself succeeding with all sorts of different plants.  Do not expect to achieve 100% success, even the experts don’t manage that; just do a few extra cuttings to allow for the inevitable failures.  If you are more successful than expected you can always give your extra plants to the person who gave you Gift Vouchers.

If the ground is not covered in snow you should be seeing some of the plants you put in earlier showing signs of life.  Bulbs will be pushing through and the early flowering varieties will be brightening your borders and planters.  Shrubs like hamamellis will be in flower as will perennials like hellebores.  A garden should ensure that you have a Happy New Year, whatever cuts we are suffering.

December 2010

Christmas is nearly upon us again.  I remember how exciting I found its anticipation when I was a child. Though much of that has now worn off it has been replaced by new pleasures.  When my children were themselves young it was great fun building up to the magic day.  Talking about the presents they hoped to receive, decorating the house and especially choosing and decorating the Christmas tree.  I used to really enjoy setting up Christmas lights, not just on the tree, but all around the room.  In more recent years I got a similar pleasure from decorating the Hilltop shop.  This pleasure has now passed on to my son and the Hilltop staff, who have once again made a great job of setting out our Christmas stall.  Today I get my fun from preparing for the family visits over Christmas, especially those of grandchildren.  Christmas gives us all the opportunity to escape for a few days from the talk of cuts and worries of double dip recession.  With colourful houseplants like Poinsettias, Azaleas, Cyclamen and brightly decorated Xmas trees, we transform our homes for a week or two and enjoy the company of family and friends.  With food being imported from around the world we have lost much of the sense of seasons but at Christmas we have still managed to keep a sense of tradition and season.  Mulled wine, mince pies, Xmas Puddings and Cake, Turkey, Roast Chestnuts, Christmas Crackers all help to bring a feeling of warmth and togetherness which makes an otherwise dull time of the year into something special.

Some of the decorations are, of course living.  I listed a few houseplants above.  Some we can grow ourselves.  Hyacinths have a strong perfume, which is a treat when you come into a room.  If you want them open for Christmas Day you need to buy bulbs which have been started earlier.  Bulbs started now will give pleasure in January or February.  Narcissus Paper White is also a popular indoor bulb for the Christmas season.  Use good quality bulbs which are sold for indoor culture.  Plant them in bulb fibre or multi-purpose compost, several to a pot, with their tips just below the surface.  Water well and leave on a sunny windowsill.  They should flower in 6 to 10 weeks.  Amaryllis (Hippeastrum), being much bigger, make a real statement.  They may not be fragrant like the other bulbs, but they are spectacular and make a welcome gift.  Allow about 10 weeks from planting to flowering, which means that started now the flowers will be a reminder of Christmas when it is all over.  They can be purchased already started if you want the flowers earlier. 

From all at Hilltop, we wish you an enjoyable time in the weeks ahead and especially we wish you a HAPPY CHRISTMAS.

November 2010

Christmas and another New Year are getting closer. Christmas can be a magical time and even if preparations are hard work there is also pleasure to be had in anticipating the good time ahead.  At Hilltop we have a great selection of gifts for all members of the family as well as fine wines and foods not to mention decorations and lights for the house and Christmas tree.  Make a note in your diaries as we are having evening wine tastings on Wednesday 8th and 15th December.

In the garden, the colder and shorter days do not make it inviting to work outside.  However, once the effort has been made it can be surprisingly satisfying to complete a few hours of tidying and planting for the future.  When you have finished the pleasure of returning to a warm house is wonderful and life feels so much better.  This is the best month to be planting tulips.  There is so much variety available now from dwarf varieties only a few inches tall to the large ones with double blooms.  Some flower early, others late and the choice of colours should please everybody.  Then, of course, there are all the other bulbs to choose from.  When the Festive Season is over I love going into the garden looking for the first signs of life as the leaves start to push their way into the light.

November is also a good month for planting trees.  This gives time for the roots to settle before new growth starts in the spring.  Crab apples are a first class choice for many gardens.  Most produce their blossom around April time and then give a fine show with their fruit in the autumn and often into winter.  In addition the fruit can be used to make jelly and the leaves add colour through the seasons.  Many varieties remain compact making them suitable for small gardens and because they belong to the same family, they make good pollinators for your apple trees.  The following list gives an idea of the choice available but is by no means complete. They are all to be found under the name Malus followed by the “Variety” name.  “Harry Baker” has exceptionally large flamboyant pink flowers which lead to large ruby red fruit with a deep pink flesh lasting into mid October. It makes superb jelly, has green-maroon leaves and very good disease resistance.  “Golden Gem” also has excellent disease resistance.  In this case another bonus is fragrance from a mass of pure white flowers followed by persistent small yellow fruit.  Whilst none of the trees mentioned so far are too large for the average garden “Gorgeous” is a more compact tree with scented apple blossom flowers.  Large attractive fruit, which persist well into November, are ideal for making pink tangy jelly.  Why not give one as a Christmas present?

October 2010

Wild Life

As gardeners we tend to concentrate on plants, but there are other forms of life in our garden that bring just as much pleasure. People often put in plants like buddleia and sedums to attract butterflies. When I made a pond in my garden some years ago I did it partly for the way it would fit into the look of the garden, but also because I wanted to encourage wildlife. With the spread of towns and the more intensive use of farmland many natural ponds have disappeared over the years so that garden ponds have become an important part of the environment for many creatures. Within no time the pond was home to frogs, newts (including crested), water boatmen, dragonflies and a host more. It was also used by birds and other animals who wanted a drink or a wash. Since I deliberately left the pond for wildlife and had not added goldfish, the heron did not visit, though he did drop in on other ponds in the village. Herons also leave us alone at the garden centre even though there are fish there. The reason they keep away is, I believe, because the pond is fenced and the surrounds are heavily planted, making it difficult to land and get to the fish. With the possible exception of herons, many people welcome and encourage birds into their gardens. The natural habitat for many of them is woodland and gardens with their trees, bushes and hedges make an acceptable substitute providing food and good nesting sites. It is estimated that gardens in the U.K. cover more than 670,000 acres (that is 100,000 more than Britain’s nature reserves). Some species are excellent at adapting to new environments. I once read that crows will nest on buildings and at Heathrow one large nest was found constructed almost entirely of heavy wire. We all love to watch birds in our gardens. I remember how my grandparents had a birdtable just outside their kitchen window, just beyond the end of their kitchen table, so that it was easy to sit and watch the birds feeding. The reason birds move on to a particular site is primarily of course for food. Putting out crusts of bread will certainly attract some. If you want to attract a wide range of different species then it is a good idea to consider what the individual species prefer. Birds have evolved with their natural habitats and their eating needs and preferences have been shaped accordingly. The wild bird food suppliers have made this easier for us now by providing a range of different mixes. For example the goldfinch mix includes black sunflower and niger seed. The different packs show which birds they are designed for. If you cannot think what to give a gardener as a present a birdfeeder, birdtable or birdbath plus a selection of bird feeds will add another dimension to the garden. Of course, at Hilltop we have plenty for you to choose from.

September 2010

Fruit in a Small Garden

Autumn - "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness". Sadly summer must soon give way to autumn, but as the quotation reminds us there are good things in autumn too.

I remember visiting the RHS gardens at Wisley many years ago when my son was working there at the start of his career in horticulture. At that time they had a series of small display gardens which included one dedicated to fruit. It had lots of vertical surfaces made of trellis and a deep arch all covered in many varieties of fruit producing plants. There were also square beds filled with fruit bushes and edged with step-over apples. More recently we visited the Abbey House Gardens at Malmesbury (also famous as the home of the naked gardeners). There, a large herb garden has been surrounded by a circular framework in the form of an open-sided tunnel. Closely spaced around this structure and trained to it are fruit trees. I imagine that in the spring the blossom must look spectacular and the in autumn the fruit yield must be impressive. Close planting is an idea that can be transferred to the small garden. In our garden at home (which is quite small) I put up a new fence along the boundary last year. This is south facing and ideal for supporting fruit trees. Being beyond the shadow of the house it catches the warm sun for the whole day. Illness prevented me from finishing planting last year but I will get on with it this autumn, which is the best time for most hardy plants. Commercial growers are starting to use new techniques which result in high yields of top quality fruit from miniature trees planted very close. I may experiment with this idea or I may settle for a more traditional approach. Cordons are grown on a dwarfing root stock. The trunk is planted at 45degrees to the vertical and tied to horizontal support wires. They are normally planted 90cm (3ft) apart. Fruit are carried on short spurs along the trunk. Alternatives that also work well along a fence or wall are fan-trained or espalier trees. These can be bought at the garden centre already trained onto bamboo canes ready to be tied to supporting wires. Several varieties of fruit can be grown in this way taking up very little of the garden's area. You can even get more than one variety of apple growing on the one tree. We already have a couple of blueberry bushes in containers, which have produced well this year. I am considering a grape vine for a sunny corner where there is no soil. This is not a problem as the roots can be some distance from the main plant and the stem trained along the fence. Soft fruit such as currants, gooseberries and strawberries can be grown in containers. Raspberries and blackberries grow easily but be careful they do not take over. Autumn is a good time to make sure future years will be fruitful.

August 2010

This month should be one when we just relax and enjoy our gardens.  The grass is not growing quite so fast.  Thanks to our efforts earlier in the year the borders are looking beautiful and the weeds are under control.  The sun is shining, the garden furniture is all set out and the barbecue is sitting there waiting to be used.  It is a good time to look at the garden and appreciate what has worked well and also note what could be improved or changed.  Plants grow and mature and what looked good last year may now appear overcrowded or unbalanced.  This is probably not the best time to make any changes but remember what needs doing and come back to the jobs in the autumn.  Last year I made a lot of changes to our garden at home and it is maturing nicely now.  One of the perennials I put in was Campanula lactiflora “Pritchard’s Variety”.  This grows to about 1m tall and has pale blue flowers for about three months from late June.  Good flowering is a strong characteristic of campanulas and there are many varieties including low growing ones, ideal for the rock garden and as ground cover.  Other campanulas will grow to 2m in height and work well in cottage gardens.  Photinia “Red Robin” is an evergreen shrub.  In spring new growth is a vivid red turning to green later.  It is an easy plant and flexible in the ways it can be used.  I put one at the back of our border in front of the fence.  Its branches were tied to horizontal wires fixed between the fence posts.  One year on it now covers the fence and looks more natural than the panel it hides.  The only work to be done is to prune away all branches that stick outwards or extend beyond the area to be covered.  Now could be a good time to save money as all our hardy plants are in our SALE until 31st August.

August is holiday time for many people and leaving their plants unattended for a couple of weeks is a worry.  Today, with modern composts and products like water retaining crystals and slow release fertilizers, things are a little easier.  Micro-irrigation systems, leaky hose and automatic timers can all help to keep your plants in good condition.  A large container of water connected to capillary matting can be useful for houseplants and in the greenhouse.  Some of these solutions do cost a bit, but the investment, once made, is good for future years and losing plants is also a financial loss.

August is a funny time to be thinking about winter and spring, but bulbs are starting to appear in the garden centres.  Some, like colchicums (autumn flowering crocus), will actually flower this autumn so need to be planted now.  August and September are good months for planting daffodils and narcissi.  Other bulbs, especially tulips, should be left until later.  However, if you are looking for specific varieties or see something you really like, buy now.  Stored in a dry cool place bulbs will keep and specific varieties may sell out early.

August is also a time for going out with the family.  You are welcome to bring a picnic and sit at one of the tables along our nature trail.

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