Grasses for winter interest

For something a little more diverse in your garden why not try ornamental grasses? They provide a beautiful backdrop for your annuals and flowering perennials during the summer; while also adding winter interest when many of your beds and borders are a little sparse.
Easy to grow and maintain ornamental grasses grow well in the UK climate. They can be grown in borders, containers or act as screening. With grasses ability to change colour with the seasons makes them an unusual addition to your garden.

 

hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'

hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’

Ornamental grasses come in two main categories. Evergreens – which only need their dead material removing; and frankly don’t like hard pruning. Deciduous – which like to be cut back annually which allows them to continue to look their best.
So which ones are best for winter interest?
Evergreen grasses which come from cooler climates such as Hakonechloa, deschampia, festuca and stipa to name a few, usually come into full growth during winter. These are grasses which offer winter interest and fill your winter garden with colour, texture and movement.
Here are 5 favourite varieties from the vast array of grasses available.

Anemanthele lessoniana & Stipa tenuissma

Anemanthele lessoniana & Stipa tenuissma

Anemanthele lessoniana and Stipa tenuissma ‘Angel Hair’. Both hardy perennials stipa grasses enjoy a sunny or semi-shade position and have an arching habit of thin strands which gently move in the breeze. With evergreen foliage stipa tenuissma begins in summer with lime-green swards which change to a spectacular brown-bronze during winter. These grasses work well in both borders and containers.

Festuca glauca

Festuca glauca

Festuca glauca grows with stiff architectural blue foliage. Summertime brings blue-green flower spikes which look marvellous above the foliage in patio containers or rockeries. Nicely compact Festuca glauca grows well with perennials and small shrubs.
Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ has slender brown foliage with lovely delicate pink edges, which turn into autumnal shades of orange and brown as winter approaches. This easy to care for grass looks great in pots or in borders where it will add movement and texture all winter long.
The last grass is another Carex. Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’ is a deep-green grass with contrasting cream margins. During spring small green flowers rise above the foliage, which is stiff and upright until it lengthens and begins to arch gently. This evergreen continues all year round and looks great in rockeries, patio pots and borders.

Carex 'Milk Chocolate' & Carex morrowii 'Fisher's Form'

Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ & Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’

With so many grasses to choose from, it depends when you want them to provide interest in your garden. Winter time evergreens come into their own, and the rest of the year deciduous grasses provide a great show, with texture, movement and vibrant colours all making ornamental grasses an easy to care for option for an attention-grabbing garden.

For more advice on filling your garden with year-round evergreen colour, head to our evergreen plants hub page, or if you’re looking for specific planting advice – such as which grasses look best in summer borders, check out our helpful ornamental grasses resources hub.

Say Happy Christmas with Hyacinths

Say Happy Christmas with Hyacinths; the nation’s favourite festive floral display

Read about the bloody origins of the UK’s favourite Christmas plant

For the 10th year in a row, Thompson & Morgan, the UK’s largest online plant retailer, is announcing that the scented hyacinth will be the Christmas Number One.

Early sales analysis of T&M’s seasonal gift catalogue shows that whilst sales of traditional Christmas plants such as amaryllis and poinsettia continue to rise steadily, the runaway favourites are the hyacinths. This is despite a number of brand-new additions to the Thompson & Morgan top 10 Christmas sellers for 2016, such as a stunning white Princettia®  ‘Pure White’ and a spectacular new variegated Poinsettia.

Hyacinth 'Pink Pearl' & Hyacinth 'Woodstock' Christmas Gifts

Hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’ & Hyacinth ‘Woodstock’ Christmas Gifts

Not everyone is aware of the bloody origins of the nation’s favourite bulbs. An ancient legend describes how two of the Greek gods, Apollo and Zephyr, admired a handsome young Greek man called Hyakinthos. When Zephyr, the god of the west wind, saw that Apollo was teaching Hyakinthos how to throw a discus, he became so jealous that he blew the discus back at the young man. It hit him in the head and killed him. The legend says that a flower grew from his blood and that Apollo, the god of the sun, named it after him.

Whilst many will remember with nostalgia keeping their hyacinth bulbs in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard to encourage them to flower earlier than nature intended, these days storage methods are more modern. Bulbs are stored in warm conditions, usually from July to August, then potted up and put back into a growing room under very specific conditions of humidity and temperature until they are ready to be dispatched. This means that the bulbs are fully ‘forced’ and ready to burst into flower just in time for the Christmas period, giving the gift of spring during the cold and gloomy winter months when it’s most needed.

Amaryllis 'Amadeus' & Long-lasting Hibiscus 'Festive Flair'

Amaryllis ‘Amadeus’ & Long-lasting Hibiscus ‘Festive Flair’

Scented Hyacinth ‘Pink Pearl’ has been on T&M’s Christmas gift best seller list ever since the mail order specialist, best known as the UK’s premier mail order supplier of seeds and plants, launched its Christmas gift lines back in 1999. Thompson & Morgan Gifts Manager, Alice Speedie says: “While we’re seeing increased interest in new exotics like hibiscus and Dendrobium orchids for Christmas display, it seems you can’t beat a bit of yuletide tradition. We supply our hyacinths in bespoke containers, and give them the VIP treatment in order to guarantee quick colour and scent soon after delivery.”

Christmas gift plants such as hyacinths are great value; after enjoying them for several weeks in the house over the festive period, the bulbs can be planted out in the garden and enjoyed in springtime for years to come. They truly are gifts that keep on giving!

For tips on how to prolong the life of your indoor Christmas plants, go to www.thompson-morgan.com/bloomforlonger

Luxury Handmade Chocolate Box & Classic minlight Candles

Luxury Handmade Chocolate Box & Classic minlight Candles

Thompson & Morgan’s Christmas gifts catalogue offers a huge array of indoor and outdoor plants, festive cut flowers, ‘gifts for him’ and ‘gifts for her’ which include scented candles and chocolates. All items are delivered direct to friends and family if preferred, and are all presented in gift wrapping or decorative pots with a personalised gift message, providing stress-free Christmas shopping from the comfort of home with no need to hit the high street. If you are a last minute shopper, you can place orders right up until 9am on Tuesday 20th December for guaranteed delivery in time for Christmas.

For a catalogue call 0844 573 1818 or view the range online at www.thompson-morgan.com/christmas-gifts

How do bees survive over winter?

Wild Bee numbers have been declining for decades in the UK. This is due to the wild grasslands of this country diminishing by a massive 97%; and the widespread use of agricultural pesticides on farmlands up and down the country. The Government has urged gardeners to do their bit and help with this serious issue. Bee experts have called for a nationwide effort to protect this threatened genus.

Aubretia 'Cascade Purple' & Wildflower 'Honey-bee Flower Mixed'

Aubretia ‘Cascade Purple’ & Wildflower ‘Honey-bee Flower Mixed’

So what can gardeners do to help bees survive – especially during the winter months? Well there is plenty to do to help in small ways.

The first thing to do is leave a small patch of your garden to grow wild, and make sure it will not get disturbed in any way. Make it just as nature intended it, and you can do this by letting grass grow long and allowing wild flowers to bloom. If you have a north facing bank then this is the ideal spot to allow grass to overgrow. Bees like to burrow, especially when they need to hibernate and facing north is the most suitable for their hibernation.

It is also important to grow plants which will provide an essential food source for the bees during the colder months. Such plants as spring flowering plants and winter flowering plants are a good idea. Perhaps an aubrietia or acacia dealbata. Hedera hibernica ivy is also good for wildlife gardens, fast growing it is ideal if you want to get your wildlife garden going quickly.

Echium vulgare 'Blue Bedder' & Wildflower mixed seeds

Echium vulgare ‘Blue Bedder’ & Wildflower mixed seeds

For your wildflower garden you can scatter seeds straight into the ground, with one of our wildflower seed mixes, so there is no need for potting up or pricking out. For early flowering plants crocus bulbs and snowdrops are perfect, they provide early springtime food supplies to sustain the bees until more spring flowers arrive.

Most bees exist in a state of near hibernation during the winter but having food to eat during this time will give them a much better chance of surviving until the next spring. Summertime flowers are frequently seen in the garden; but extending the time there are nectar rich flowers into early spring and late autumn is increasingly important for the bees survival.

Anemone 'Wild Swan' & Acacia dealbata

Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ & Acacia dealbata

Lord Gardener Minister of Rural Affairs and Biosecurity has said that bees are a much loved feature of the English countryside in summertime. He also stated that they are also a crucial part of the biodiversity of this country and an essential part of our economy; and that it is vital not to forget bees during winter time. At Thompson & Morgan we feel that it is extremely important to provide a home and food for these wonderful little creatures that do so much for us.

If you would like to find out more about making your garden a haven for wildlife – the articles below have a vast array of information, knowledge and inspiration. Make your winter garden bee-friendly – head on over to our winter flowers hub for ideas!

Bees & Butterflies Inspiration

Encouraging Wildlife including Bees

Plants for Wildlife

What to do in the Garden to Encourage Wildlife

Preparing for winter

The changing colour of leaves from the garden

The changing colour of leaves from the garden

Autumn can be the cruellest of seasons, lulling us into thinking it is still summer, with rays of mellow sunshine followed by a blast of the East wind, to remind us that winter is not far away! When the sun is shining it is tempting to leave the garden undisturbed and enjoy every moment, but plans need to be in place for the frosts which will certainly be coming at some point.

Although many plants are still looking remarkably good for the time of year, there are a growing number which have already fallen victim to the dropping temperature and shortening days. The leaves are changing colour on the trees too, and they are beginning to fall, especially if there is any degree of wind.

Preparing for winter, but some of the blooms haven't caught up yet!

Preparing for winter, but some of the blooms haven’t caught up yet!

So, it is best to be prepared for the first frosts, to ensure that you are not taken unaware when it happens. Really precious, tender plants should be in the greenhouse already, although there is no need for additional heat until the night time temperatures fall further.

There is an excellent  RHS app which can be downloaded free onto your phone or tablet, called ‘Grow Your Own’. It has a ‘Frost Alert’ which can be customised to your postcode, and will warn you of an impending frost, giving precious time to take further precautions.

Many garden plants are totally hardy, and can cheerfully cope with any amount of winter weather, whilst borderline hardy plants can be brought into a frost free greenhouse, conservatory or garage to overwinter. Failing that, they can be given a degree of protection outside, using horticultural fleece, or a mulch. Fleece sleeves, which slip over plants, are a quick and easy way to protect vulnerable plants. Fleece allows air to circulate whilst plastic would cause the plant to rot, due to moisture trapped inside. A mulch of compost or straw for example, can be used to protect the roots of frost tender plants.

Beautiful in bloom

Beautiful in bloom

Certain plants, such as tree ferns, have specific requirements and they need to have their crowns protected, by stuffing the base of the fronds with straw. Some succulents, such as certain agaves, can cope with reasonably low temperatures, but need to be kept dry to prevent root rot.

Dahlias and cannas can be left in the ground until the first frost, when their foliage will be blackened. They should then be dug up, and excess soil removed from around the tubers. These can then be stored in a dry frost free place until they can be brought into growth again next spring.

There are inevitably some sacrificial plants, usually annuals, as it is not always practical or possible to ‘save’ everything from the rigours of the winter, and, indeed, there are many plants which are better grown afresh every season.

It is possible to get the majority of tender plants safely through the winter, but this depends on a little planning and preparation.

You can find me at www.hoehoegrow.co.uk

Jane Scorer
Hoe hoe grow

See my biog for more about me!  J.

 

 

Winding down through autumn

Having had an unexpected rest from gardening due to a chest infection that has now lasted for around 6 weeks, and a computer crash following an update! Which ended up at the repairers for around nine days.  Thankfully I am now starting to recover and have managed to cut back old plants that were overdue and cleaning out pots. As I had to leave a lot of the work I noticed that plants seem to be having a second round of flowering – I guess you never give up learning especially when it comes to gardening.

Clematis' 3rd flowering of the season & unnamed trial fuchsia

Clematis’ 3rd flowering of the season & unnamed trial fuchsia

While clearing through some drawers during my enforced rest I found an old note book I had for my gardening in 1995! I had left notes to myself reminding me about getting fresh compost and not old bags because I had had a bad experience that year losing several plants. Also notes about cutting fuchsias and burying them until the spring amongst many other good ideas which obviously I took to heart as I seem to be doing them up to now..

1995 notepad & part of the container garden

1995 notepad & part of the container garden

With the weather cooling down quickly and leaves turning on my hydrangeas I noticed two Calla Lilies which have been in the garden for four years and have got to this stage in bud.  Now that a lot of the other plants have finished they are taking pride of place, and yesterday (last week October) discovered that one of them has now flowered. FUCHSIA FuchsiaBerry has had a lot of fruit.  I have tried them a couple of times and they taste quite smooth almost the texture of a cherry.

Still flowering laurentia & an unnamed trial antirrhinum

Still flowering laurentia & an unnamed trial antirrhinum

The Strawberry ‘Irresistible’ which I trialled about four years ago from Thompson and Morgan is producing fruit for the second time this year. The double antirrhinums, Sun Diascia ‘Eternal Flame’ and the three unnamed trial plants from this year – unnamed bidens, fuchsia and trailing antirrhinum are all pictured here. The latter, a peachy pink colour – have been flowering for the whole season. I wonder if they have been named yet?
In September I received an Invitation to attend the Bournemouth in Bloom presentations, thankfully Alan and I were well enough to attend. What a big surprise when I discovered I had won the Gold Award and overall winner for my Container Garden and Silver award for my Hanging Basket and Patio garden.  I was thrilled to bits and thank you Wendie Alexander for the lovely piece on Facebook.

Bournemouth in Bloom awards & Strawberry 'Irrestitible'

Bournemouth in Bloom awards & Strawberry ‘Irrestitible’

This year I have planted up some plants for the winter. We are usually visiting my Sister in California through October/November not getting home until the beginning of December, then of course we are into Christmas, so I have already planted tulips ready for the spring and thought that I would plant the daffodils in the garden so it doesn`t look so bare and then they can establish without much help.

Autumn colour & diascia's 2nd flowering

Autumn colour & diascia’s 2nd flowering

Alan has been busy taking the watering system out of the front and drying the computer timer, taking the battery out and storing for next year.  I usually throw the battery away as you can`t tell how much power is in it and it has been working for over five months. We leave the watering system in place in the back garden just putting the timer away as it is more sheltered than the front. My two tier stands have been taken down and sprayed with protective oil and the baskets cleaned and put away until next year. I take all the chains off the baskets and spray them, then hang them in my shed.

Calla Lilly & useful notes in 1995 notepad

Calla Lilly & useful notes in 1995 notepad

Now is the time to start thinking about next year`s plants etc and look forward to the new spring/summer catalogue from Thompson & Morgan so the dark evenings will be used thumbing through the catalogues…and then of course there is Christmas.  I have just received the Christmas catalogue from Thompson & Morgan and they have some wonderful flowers/plants in there, must start planning for some of them!!

Autumn tones & Tomato 'Sweet Aperitif'

Autumn tones & Tomato ‘Sweet Aperitif’

Hope all my gardening friends are keeping healthy and enjoying the autumn, take care until the next time………………….Jean

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