Page 54 • The HERALD • 16th February 2023 v SEND ALL YOUR NEWS TO THE HERALD v All Aspects of Garden Work Undertaken • Driveways • Paving • Artificial Grass • Turfing • Decking • Fencing • Hedge Cutting • Landscaping Hythe Garden Contractors Family company established 1977 For a free quotation please call 023 8084 3556 or 023 8084 0378 ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ Right Plant – Right Place Presented by Chris Bird from Sparshott College by Patricia Hedley-Goddard On Tuesday 10th January Black eld Gardening Club held their rst meeting of the year. Despite the inclement weather there was a good attendance to listen to Chris who is a wonderful and natural presenter. e presentation was a ‘roll round the seasons’ describing easy to grow plants and their season when they are at their best. He explained that if you choose the right site and the right soil, there are plenty of plants which are easy to grow and will give all year round interest in any garden. He also described the function of some plants such as Vinca Major which not only grows in dry shade, but gives ground cover and acts as a mulch, or the blue coloured grass festuca glauca which also like dry soil and will ‘grow in concrete’ (very poor soil). Many plants with blue/grey foliage are happy in full sun and poor soil. Pinks and carnations and dianthus are typical examples. He reminded us that plants cannot look at the calendar and some seasons are lasting longer. Plants that once did not bloom before April or May are now starting their owering season in March and continuing for a couple of months longer than they used to. Modern plants are being bred to suit smaller gardens found in modern built up areas. For instance, delphiniums which were once only blue in colour and in good conditions grew to six feet in height are being bred to grow shorter in keeping with the smaller gardens. Also they are being bred in various combinations of blue and white, and sometimes pink. Additionally it is possible to cut o the central stem a er it has nished owering, and side owering stems appear, prolonging the owering season. A stalwart of the garden is Acanthus spinosa (Bears Breeches) which will give the border height, tolerate poor soil and harsh conditions. e leaves are large and architectural and the ower stalks are strong and do not usually need staking to keep them upright. However, be aware that if you wish to rid yourself of the plant, the complete root needs removing as it will regrow from just a small piece of root le in the ground. Many plants were discussed, but the important thing is to place the plant in the right place and soil type that it likes. Plants such as the Aster family have a wide range of colours and heights, and heuchera are now available with foliage covering many colours from lime green, yellows, oranges and scarlets, plus the owers vary on their ne stems through a mixed range of colours. Chris suggested that when planting up a small garden you should look for a range of plants in a whole spectrum of foliage shape and colour, ower at di erent times of the year and have all year round interest. He then continued to talk about small trees and their value in a garden. For example, the ever popular Acer Palmatum rubrum and its stunning autumn colour. You need to remember that it needs to be kept moist in the summer. Also, with the changing seasonal weather we are now able to grow more Mediterranean trees such as the Judas tree with its wonderful pink blooms which buzz with the sound of visiting bees. ere is a wide range of smaller prunus trees with di erent colour foliage, or bark, and their owers which sometimes fruit. ese are attractive to wild life all year long. A question from the audience asked reference carnations and their lack of their heady clove fragrance. Breeders are now trying to put back the fragrance into the carnations and there is a white carnation called ‘Memories’ which now has a strong perfume. e presentation was very interesting and bene cial, plus there was plenty of interaction with the audience. e next meeting is Tuesday 14th March for a talk by eo Herselman titled ‘Bulbs of South Africa’. All meetings take place on the second Tuesday in the month and start at 7.30pm. e Club are now meeting at the Good Shepherd Church, o Roewood Road, Holbury, SO45 2JP. Everyone welcome. Visitors charge is £2 Enquiries please call: 023 8024 3795.
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