Garden visit: Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Tags

Acer grisium, Bergenia Bressingham Ruby, Cambridge University Botanic Garden, Cornus alba sibirica, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire', garden visit, Helleborus foetidus, Rubus cockburnianus, stinking hellebore, weather report, white stemmed bramble, Winter garden

In the depths of Winter it can be hard to stay enthused about the garden yet if you know where to look there are some stunning examples of a Winter garden. One such place in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden and yesterday was the day I went to see for myself. I was not disappointed.

Winter Garden

First the factual bits for those who like to know these things: the garden opened in 1846 and has been a focus and stimulus for science and research in the University. The gardens comprise forty acres of gardens and glasshouses which hold Grade II* heritage landscape. It was the vision of John Stevens Henslow who was a professor of botany at the University and mentor to Charles Darwin no less. Henslow’s new, perhaps ground breaking idea, was that the Botanic Garden should be for the experimental study of the plants rather than just a physic garden for the medical students. Today the garden holds over 8,000 plant species.

I did not see any where near 8,000 plants but those that I did see were very beautiful, just look at the Acer Grisium in the picture above, surrounded by the stunning bank of Cornus ‘Midwinter Fire’

Acer grisium

The Dogwoods were in good colour and I liked the use of the smaller leaf Bergenia Bressingham Ruby as ground cover, such a good form.

Cornus alba sibirica with Hellebore

Bergenia Bressingham Ruby

If you really only like white in the garden and find all the colour rather vulgar, the next combination is rather spectacular:White stemmed bramble underplanted with snowdrops

Rubus Goldenvale

A vicious plant with long whippy thorny growth which needs an annual prune to encourage the new white stems for next year, gauntlets and chaps recommended.

After looking at the Winter garden on such a cold day it was necessary to warm up in the cafe. The food is very good and reasonably priced with a great selection of vegetarian dishes.

Stylish cafe area, note the trained Lime trees

Trailing hellebore, corten steel

A couple of things that I brought away from the visit is the idea of using Hellebore foetidus as a trailing plant and the cacti and succulents in the glass houses.  I will share those another time.

Anyway, if the weather is getting you down, don’t let it.  Grab your coat and hat and get out there to see some something beautiful,

Maximum? no reading.

whatever the weather.

Enjoy your weekend.

 

I’ve been thinking………

Tags

Carpinus betulus, Cornus alba Elegantissima, Cornus alba sibirica, Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire', davidaustinroses.com, Dogwoods, Fragrant English Rose The Lark Ascending, Hornbeam, Rubus cockburnianus, white stemmed bramble

The garden is now blank, following many weekends of clearing.  It is not a garden at all really as it is devoid of shrubs, flowers or bulbs. Yet in my mind, it is full of my favourite shrubs, grasses, perennials and bulbs and, on a warm day, it has colour, scent and movement.

So where to start?

Back of an envelope type plans were scribbled to start the process, before the scale drawing started.  From this point the ground plan was drawn to scale and then the grass was marked out.

The turf was lifted, then the soil was turned over by digger, pending planting in the Spring.

Carpinus betulus, Hornbeam whips have been planted and will become a hedge.  The hedge will become a green wall for the birds to shelter in and for a bench to back up against.  A quiet spot to read a book or share a cup of tea perhaps. Rather hard to imagine, I admit.

There are dogwoods to plant.  I have chosen a combination of Cornus alba Elegantissima, the silver variegated dogwood, Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ and the red stemmed dogwood, Cornus alba ‘ Sibirica’. I have also added a white stemmed bramble, Rubus cockburnianus to the group.  They may not look much now but they will eventually create a large curve of colour for the drab Winter months and a natural screen to block out the roadside.

There are lists of must have plants, yet to be organised into a planting plan proper.

There are roses.  How fantastic to take delivery of, not one, but three, David Austin Roses. Thank you Gail and Neil.   ‘The Lark Ascending’ is not familiar to me, although the piece of music after which it is named, is!  The website davidaustinroses.com tells me that The Lark Ascending will have cupped, medium sized blooms in a light apricot colour.  It is repeat flowering, has a tall airy growth and a light fragrance. How exciting.

So that is where I have got to.  Lots of plans.  A planting plan to draw up. A bucket full of seeds to start off, as clearly there is going to be room for lots and lots of annuals. Whilst the weather is freezing and the ground too hard to work outside, I need to get on with the plan and make that list.

If you have any must have plants that you think I should include, do let me know. The site is North facing but remains in sunshine most of the day thanks to the open position. The soil is flinty with clay patches. D.

 

Scratch and sniff…

Tags

Berberis darwinii, Buddleia davidii, Cornus alba sibirica, Daphne odora aureomarginata, Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price'

A scratch and sniff blog would be cool.

I could share the joys of working in the garden with you.  Alas my invention skills are not up to the job and so you will have to use your imagination and try to feel the aroma, if anyone can truly feel an aroma.

This is Daphne odora and she smells wonderful.

I seem to be surprised that it is March already, I am not sure why that is, but March is here and I managed to do a whole day in the garden yesterday.  I noticed that there are rather too many jobs waiting to be done, odd as a couple of weeks ago most things seemed under control.  Perhaps because it is now March, or more likely, as we have had little or no frost, a number of plants are going great guns, not least the weeds and it all needs tending to.

I started in the woodland area of the garden which smells heavenly thanks to the heady floral wafts from the Daphne odora aureomarginata.   (See this is where the scratch and sniff would be great).  This is some shrub, evergreen and approximately 1.5m x 1.5m with waxy pale green leaves and creamy margins.  It looks nothing special most of the time until in early Spring, dark pink flower buds appear, opening to the palest pink, almost white tiny flowers which emerge together with a powerful scent which sits on the air and reaches the nose in wafts.  It is a great plant to have in a garden as its aroma is so noticeable.  Daphne favours free draining soil and is really one of those plants that will grow quite well enough in dry shade. It is hardy, but in very cold Winters, it will benefit from a sheltered site.  It is not a shrub which can moved, preferring not to have its roots disturbed.

So treated to weak sunshine and perfumed air I was quite content going about the task of pruning the various Buddleia davidii.

These are all many years old and generally every two or three years I take a pruning saw and lower the plant to about 0.5m.  This seems quite drastic but helps maintain the size of the plant which ensures that the flowers and, more importantly any butterflies, can be enjoyed at eye level.

I took these two photographs last September and with these images in my mind, I reckon it is worth taking the time to look after the common old butterfly bush.  This year the heavy driving rain has washed away much of the soil from the banks and a couple of the Buddleia were  rocking slightly in the ground and some of the roots were exposed.  Next job will be to apply a really thick layer of mulch around the bases to help replace what has washed away.

Hardy Fushias have not blackened and are actually putting on new leaves. I shall leave these for another month before I chop them back into a better shape, just in case we get a cold snap.  Usually at this time of the year I would expect to see them looking quite dead, just sticks to indicate where once the pendulous red blooms had hung.

March is also the time to prune the coloured stems of Dogwoods to ensure a good display for next Winter.  The two types in the woodland are are Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ and Cornus sanguinea ‘MidWinter Fire’. Midwinter fire is a great orange/ yellow tone with red tips and will fill an area with its suckering growth, however on our thin soil above chalk, they are not as vigorous as they otherwise could be.  Cornus alba ‘sibirica’ is a really bright red stemmed Dogwood growing to about 2m x2m.  In the woodland garden they have successfully filled in an area where others have failed, beneath fully grown Scots pines.

There are fallen leaves sat in the dips and grooves of the flower beds, I know that I have cleared these already and yet still there are leaves to be teased out with the rake. There are signs of life from those thug weeds such as nettles and ground Elder.  Before they take hold, this is a good time to tackle them, whilst you can still see what you are doing. With all the rain that we have had, the soil has compacted and so I tickled over the surface with my fork to improve the look and texture of the ground.  At ground level, whilst clearing out the debris the air has a gentle honey like scent from the snowdrops which are in abundance along the woodland path.

Some shrubs which are looking good now include Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ which are flowering and looking especially healthy.  These grow well on most soils and are largely evergreen.  They grow 1.5m to 2.5m height and spread and I have left my rake in the picture to let you see the scale.  I find these rather dull most of the year but they are useful as a screen or hedge but I do not like how they smell, a slight sour cat like odour.  Maybe that’s just me but I do find the smell off putting. Good job the scratch and sniff doesn’t work after all. At close quarters the flower clusters are rather pretty and perhaps redeem themselves.

 

Finally I shall leave you with the sight of Berberis darwinii in all it glorious colour.  It has no scent to share under my scratch and sniff effect and it is a devil to work on as it is very prickly.  Looks fab though. Hope you are feeling inspired to get out there and get on with it.