Wealden Times | WT260 | January 2024 | Good Living Supplement inside
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Wealden Times | WT260 | January 2024 | Good Living Supplement inside

The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes

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Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses Bespoke design and elevated build treehouses, platforms. playhouses Commercial & and International elevated platforms. commissions welcomed Commercial International commissions welcomed Garden Perfection City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ Regular Maintenance Design & Construction Small one off works Turf care management Problem area Solutions ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ Seasonal Bedding plant displays Approved pesticide/ herbicides operators Habitat Management RHS qualified gardeners TEL: 01403 262219 www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk Tel: 01435 868211 | M: 07831 302107 E: gardensmanager@gmail.com www.cityescapes.co.uk Creating Beautiful Gardens CheekyMonkeyWT249.indd 1 24/01/2023 CityEscapesWT250.indd 17:06 1 07/02/2023 16:52 For Brilliant Year Round Results Wealden Country Landcraft Wealden Country Landcraft For all your design, construction and maintenance requirements, contact: Adam Sutton BSc (Hons) Environmental Science | Tim Playfoot BA (Hons) Garden Design Tel:01892 722699 | Adam:07979 362241 | Tim:07990 751353 | www.playfootgardendesign.co.uk priceless-magazines.com 96 WCLandcraftWT252.indd 1 31/03/2023 10:53

Anemone blanda know where the scent is coming from. Sarcococca confusa (Christmas box) is a small, low growing evergreen, often overlooked, but it pumps out an almost overwhelming perfume. Two larger shrubs that are straggly nothings in summer, but hard to be without at this time of the year, are the wintersweet – Chimonanthes praecox and Lonicera ‘Winter Beauty’, a winter flowering honeysuckle. Plant them where they can fade into the background once the flowers are over, but near enough for you to catch the fragrance. Many of these late winter and early spring performers are suitable for growing in containers too, in fact something like a camellia may even prefer it, as these need acid soil. The great thing about a plant in a pot is that it can be moved away from centre stage once it’s done its thing – if you can move it, that is. Magic Wands The young stems of dogwoods (Cornus) will provide brilliant winter colour, especially if you are able to plant several together. Dogwoods will grow in most soil conditions, and they actually quite like damp or heavy soils. They don’t mind shady conditions, but their stem colour shows up best in full sun. They will send out suckers, so plant them where they have room to spread. The stems also look good cut and poked into winter containers, bringing height and structure – they may even take root. For the best stem colour, Dogwoods should be cut back hard in spring to encourage the growth of new young stems which have the strongest colour. Some will cope with hard pruning better than others – generally the more vigorous the growth, the harder you can cut back. After pruning, mulch around the roots with compost or other wellrotted organic material, but not right up to the stems, as this could cause them to rot. Mulching will feed and condition the soil – and also help retain moisture. Dogwoods won’t get too tall, because they are regularly pruned to the base. Some of the best for stem colour are: Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, which has bright red new growth, while the aptly named C. sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ has young stems that literally look as if they’re on fire – in shades of yellow/orange tinged with red. Cornus stolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ has yellow-green stems; Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ has young growth of a deep purple colour. Willows can (literally) run about in the garden, so should be carefully positioned, as they can be invasive and hard to remove. They are fast growing and some have brightly coloured stems to rival the dogwoods. Salix ‘Britzensis’ is one of the best for stem colour, but will need regular pruning. Just like Cornus, willows are best grown near water or in boggy places. Jewelled Carpets Bare stems and branches are companionably set off with contrasting carpets of snowdrops – the earliest of the bulbs to flower. These tough little plants will push up through snow (hence the name) and frozen ground and naturalise quickly in places where not much else dares to grow – in the shade and among the roots of trees. Slightly later, but still early, Cyclamen coum, Anemone blanda, and bulbs like winter aconite and crocus will emerge. These little treasures are best seen in massed throngs beneath the trees, where they make the most of the light before the dense canopy of leaves closes in on them. Hellebores are good and hardy, often flowering where not much else will and are a great asset in the garden at this time of the year. Helleborus niger (the Christmas rose) flowers in winter, these are usually white, but Helleborus orientalis cultivars flower later, most often in pink shades from pale to the darkest burgundy. Low growing evergreens look good next to bare stems, even low growing dwarf conifers, or hardy ferns such as Polystichums will work well and bring all year foliage interest. Structure is vital in the garden, perhaps even more so in winter when we can’t distract ourselves with flowers and foliage. We need architecture, focal points and framework plants. Right now evergreens, or those with elegant skeletons, striking bark, or uplifting fragrance – plants that might be overlooked during the rest of the year, shine out beautifully. Jo’s gardening courses starting in spring are now booking 07923 969634 hornbrookmanor.co.uk 97 priceless-magazines.com

Bespoke design & build treehouses, playhouses<br />

Bespoke design<br />

and elevated build treehouses,<br />

platforms.<br />

playhouses<br />

Commercial &<br />

and<br />

International<br />

elevated platforms.<br />

commissions welcomed<br />

Commercial International commissions welcomed<br />

Garden Perfection<br />

City Escapes provide domestic & commercial garden solutions<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

Regular Maintenance<br />

Design & Construction<br />

Small one off works<br />

Turf care management<br />

Problem area Solutions<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

■■<br />

Seasonal Bedding plant displays<br />

Approved pesticide/<br />

herbicides operators<br />

Habitat Management<br />

RHS qualified gardeners<br />

TEL: 01403 262219<br />

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk<br />

www.cheekymonkeytreehouses.co.uk<br />

Tel: 01435 868211 | M: 07831 302107<br />

E: gardensmanager@gmail.com<br />

www.cityescapes.co.uk<br />

Creating Beautiful Gardens<br />

CheekyMonkeyWT249.indd 1 24/01/2023 CityEscapesWT250.indd 17:06<br />

1 07/02/2023 16:52<br />

For Brilliant Year Round Results<br />

<strong>Wealden</strong> Country Landcraft<br />

<strong>Wealden</strong> Country Landcraft<br />

For all your design, construction and maintenance requirements, contact:<br />

Adam Sutton BSc (Hons) Environmental Science | Tim Playfoot BA (Hons) Garden Design<br />

Tel:01892 722699 | Adam:07979 362241 | Tim:07990 751353 | www.playfootgardendesign.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

96<br />

WCLandcraftWT252.indd 1 31/03/2023 10:53

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