OCTOBER & NOVEMBER in the GARDEN.

To Fellow garden enthusiasts -Sometimes I feel  more like a weatherman / lady than professional garden designer!   What a mild Autumn and beautiful Indian summer we have had.

But, plants are doing strange things! Some are flowering now that should not be in flower until early spring, just shows how warm it has been! I pruned back my viticella clematis earlier in the month and they have put on nearly 18” of new growth – that should not be happening until March next year at the earliest!

 Reliable sources are saying that when it does turn cold it will be very cold, very quickly – but not as cold as last winter – thank goodness.

PLANTS & DESIGN.         Whats happening?

Color—

Lots of berries around now.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Callicarpa bodinerii ‘Profusion’ – fantastic purple/lilac berries.

Berberis ‘Koreanna’ amazing bunches of scarlet,ovoid berries.

Pyracantha – of course!

GRASSES  continue to look great!

STRUCTURE:

Some deciduous shrubs that have lost their leaves are now showing their ‘skeletal’ shape – excellent is Viburnum plicatum ‘Marissiae’

Good time to choose some small evergreens, orange & purple pansies and do those autumn pots for the front!

MONTHLY TIPS.

MULCH for winter protection. Keep dead-heading.

BULBS: Good time for planting spring bulbs now.

SOIL – Observe for poor drainage and treat as noted last month.

Give plants that are looking a little tired a feed for a winter boost.

WRAP up Tree ferns & move any tender plants into the green house or under protection from frost.

Put Dahlia tubers into dry,dark, frost free storage

BOOK SALES:

The book is selling fast - it will make a fantastic and very affordable christmas present for a garden enthusiast and help them to plan any new planting areas for next year!!

September News!

Carol's book 'Designing Gardens with Plant Shapes' will be released on 23rd of September 2011. 
ISBN 978-1-84797-279-8.  Price £9.99.

An innovative book which :

• Sets out the principles of planting design
• Introduces a new visual approach to planting design using nine plants shapes
• Includes a comprehensive plant library
• Explains how all gardeners from the novice to the experienced can achieve a beautiful and rewarding garden
• All illustrations hand drawn by Carol
• Over a hundred superb full colour photographs of plants and gardens

To fnd out more about Carol use links below:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Into-the-Garden/181121815242426
http://www.csgardendesigns.co.uk/

August newsletter

NEWSLETTER

CS Garden Designs— August 2011.

To Fellow garden enthusiasts – Sometimes I feel more like a weatherman / lady than professional garden designer! As gardeners, we watch the weather like hawks! In early spring we watch the dreaded ‘frost’ report – cover our tenderly nurtured seedlings and spend an anxious night – “ will they have survived unscathed or will we find what we most dread – dead, or at the very least, damaged seedlings/young plants? “………..

          Once that’s over, we observe the rainfall, is it too dry with inadequate rainfall? Or too wet?  making the soil sticky, particularly clay based soils, either way, the establishment of a healthy root system will be compromised. In summer, the suns warm rays can be inhibited by too much cloud, or it’s warm and damp – ideal for the moulds & mildews to spread like wildfire, or as now – it’s TOO DRY!!

PLANTS & DESIGN.         Whats happening?

Color—In contradiction to my comment in the July newsletter re “colour lasting well into the Autumn,” they seem to be fading fast & I have noticed some trees have also started to develop their Autumn foliage color! All due to the long, long spell of dry weather.

Have a good look at your borders and make a note of where Shrubs with excellent Autumn foliage colour & berries could be used to extend the season of interest.

 RECOMMENDED –

Acers – foliage color, (shade,shelter from wind).

Amelanchier ‘Lamarki’ – foliage colour & berries. (Sun & partial shade)

Skimmia japonica – berries, (shade)

Ceratostigma willmottianum – bright blue flowers,foliage color & berries.

MONTHLY TIPS.

WATER,WATER,MULCH,MULCH!!

Keep dead-heading to encourage longer flowering period.

KEEP FEEDING _  FOLLOW MANUFACTURER GUIDELINES.

PLANTING – any plants planted this month must be kept moist at the base, DO NOT ALLOW the root ball to dry out!

SOIL – If applying a mulch – highly recommended with current ‘dry season’- water soil well before applying mulch.

BUSINESS…………………………… BOOK: PLEASE NOTE -

‘Designing Gardens with Plant Shapes‘ Book written by Carol, publishing date changed to September.                         ISBN no. & stockist details to follow.

·         Busy with planting projects & design work.

·         WORKSHOPS – Running ‘DIY Garden Design workshop Part 2’ in Sept. at RHS Centre, Pershore College.

·         Article on ‘Hospice Gardens’ written by Carol, to be published in the Society of Garden Designers monthly journal.

Summer is here!

WEEKLY TIPS.

WEEKLY TIPS - MARCH.

Ahh sping is springing - at last! Lighter nights are almost here, days are warmer and its time to start sowing those seeds -

   Cauliflower,Broccoli,LeeksTomatoes,Parsnips,Marigolds,Echinacea,Rudbekia,Verbena, and many more can be started off in the greenhouse -

TIP - if you can afford to install a heated seed bed with soil cable and thermostat - will cost about £30-£40, germination rates are sooo much better - it also keeps the green house warm.

Yes, I know you might be thinking - well if I'm spending that much money I might as well buy veg - ummm maybe but the amount of plants you get from seed is huge in comparison to buying plugs - and its sooo exciting waiting for them to come through.

BOOK - 'Designing Gardens with Plant Shapes'.

Written & Illustrated by Carol J Smith,to be published by August 2011.

Designing Gardens with Plant Shapes introduces a new creative, visual approach to planting design. Instead of relying heavily on plant knowledge, it provides a practical, hands-on method for the design of planting, so that the final garden suits your needs and style. This innovative book sets out the principles of planting design, introduces nine plant shapes with a library of appropriate plants, and explains how all gardeners – from the novice to the experienced amateur – can achieve a beautiful and rewarding garden.

The book will also be invaluable to the professional garden designer.

INCLUDED in the BOOK: 

Theoretical aspects of planting design / ddesign theory.

Nine plant shapes described and plant libraries suggested.

The plant shapes method explained with practical drawing exercises.

Advice on using colour in a planting scheme.

Examples of three-dimensional planting design schemes.

Guide to the planting process.

All illustrations in the book have been drawn by Carol.

Carol Smith is a professional garden designer and freelance lecturer. She has worked on several award-winning show gardens and teaches on all aspects of garden and planting design.