What does it mean to fertilise the soil? There is usually an implied understanding that chemical nutrients are to be added, in order to feed plants better. As a result, one ends up focusing on the nutrient needs of particular plants. An alternative approach is to consider soil as a living organism that has the ability, when well fed itself, to provide conditions of fertility. All plants can then thrive, as long as climate and pH are also correct. This approach benefits from knowledge of soil biology and the factors that can promote extra life in the soil. I suggest that soils with an abundance of fungi, bacteria, nematodes, worms, beetles and so forth have the ability to nourish plants with all they need, and to do so in a healthier way than when synthetic nutrients are supplied. In this article I offer a few thoughts on what makes soil fertile, in the biological sense, leading to healthier growth and less need for synthetic chemicals in the garden.

What is soil?

Instead of seeing soil as a ‘nutrient store’ or ‘bank balance’ of plant food, we might imagine it as a living organism which is respiring and full of life – the skin of our Earth. The next step is to consider how to enhance the lives of all those soil organisms that have the ability both to give a healthy structure to soil, and to make nutrients available to plant roots. Two simple ways of doing this are by keeping a mulch of organic matter on the surface, and by avoiding any unnecessary cultivation. Scientists such as Dr Elaine Ingham have revealed much about soils’ food chain, with invisible bacteria at the bottom and frogs, mice, birds and so on at the top (see below and also www.soilfoodweb.com). At the top of this chain is mankind, which has the ability to either destroy or encourage all the inhabitants underneath.

Maintaining soil health

A first step is to avoid regular use of synthetic chemicals that irritate or even destroy many soil inhabitants. And be extremely careful in their use – for instance, it’s better to use just two or three slug pellets under something like a piece of wood, then retrieve and bin the poisoned slugs. A second step is to avoid cultivating soil as far as possible. Thirdly, most positively, we can increase soil life by adding organic matter to the surface, keeping the most finely decomposed compost for plots where vegetables are grown. Adopting all three of these practices together is self-reinforcing. Not digging soil, for example, will lead to a more healthy soil population and more vibrant plants. Your plants then require less chemical assistance to keep disease at bay, especially when they are well adapted to your type of soil, location and climate.

Buying compost and manure

Home-made compost can be supplemented with bought-in compost or manure. Black and crumbly green waste compost and mushroom compost are often available at reasonable prices, say £20 a tonne, but are not rich in nutrients. Animal manure can often be had for the cost of delivery alone and contains a lot of goodness, but is often lumpy and harder to spread evenly. Horse manure is better for heavy soils and cow manure for lighter soils. Many gardens in the past grew fine plants in soil improved with horse manure.

The soil food chain

There’s an incredible dynamism and interlinkage to the working parts of our soil. Impairment of any one group of organisms has bad effects on the others. We need them all.

1. Bacteria are vital to the planet’s health.
   There may be half a million in a teaspoon of healthy soil, mostly helping to decompose organic matter. When bacteria die, the nutrients they recycle become available to plants.
2. Fungi, unlike bacteria, can travel by increasing in length, helping to aerate soil and move nutrients around. Plant roots use mycorrhizal fungi to fetch and unlock minerals, especially phosphorus.
3. Protozoa include amoebae, ciliates and flagellates, which work with and, mostly, live off bacteria. Protozoa may supply as much as three quarters of plants’ nitrogen requirements.
4. Nematodes, or roundworms, are prolific and mostly beneficial, consuming everything below them in the chain, and some above, such as slugs. Above all, nematodes help to mineralise nitrogen.
5. Arthropods include mites, spiders, beetles, springtails (‘soil fleas’) and millipedes, whose main role is to shred organic matter such as leaves, speeding their decomposition.
6. Earthworms make casts up to 50 per cent higher in organic matter than surrounding soil. Their digestive enzymes make nutrients more available to plants. They can open up compacted soils and increase soils’ water-holding capacity.
7. Gastropods are slugs and snails, who play a vital role despite occasionally devastating our plants. Most gastropods live below the surface and convert organic waste to a more decomposed form. Their excretions help bind soil particles together.

Further reading
Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis, revised edition, Timber Press, 2010.

Here we’ve rounded up a selection of the best climbing plants, perfect for your garden. We’ve divided the list into climbers for walls, borders and vigorous examples.

Climbing plants, including favourites such as honeysuckle and jasmine, all share the successful strategy of relying on the support of other plants or objects to reach the sunlight. This obviates the need to invest much in producing supportive tissue, such as the wood in trees, and means climbing plants aren’t subject to the usual restraints on growth.

Here are the best climbing plants

How to choose a climbing plant

A climbing plant can be a wonderful addition to your garden planting, and there are plenty more out there to choose from than just the regular honeysuckle or clematis or passion flower. The way to choose your climbing plant depends a lot on the space you have and what you want your plant to be used for. Here are some tips on how to choose the best climbing plant:

• What do you want it to grow up? If you’re using your climbing plant as a screen, then you will want a vigorous climber that provides good, evergreen coverage, with hopefully flowering bonuses at some point too. If it’s something you’ll be looking out onto, make sure you pick a climber you love. They tend to dominate wherever they are.

• Do you have the right supports? A climber needs the right support, so make sure you invest in the correct plant support, or your wall, trellis or even tree is suitable for the particular climber.
• Do you have time to look after it? Lots of climbers are fussy and lots of climbers need work to prune it at the right point in the year. If you’re looking for something that you can chop once a year and then leave to do it’s own thing, consider a Clematis ‘francis rivis’ or Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’.

Luxuriant growth brings its own problems – vigour must be matched carefully to the appropriate space, and abundance restrained where necessary. If you need some climbing supports, we have rounded up our favourites,  and don’t miss our guide to pruning climbing plants like wisteria.

The best climbing plants for your garden in 2023

Climbing plants with flowers

Rhodochiton atrosanguineus

This ‘purple bell flower’ produces beautiful flowers along the length of its twining stems, and looks effective growing along horizontal twigs or branches. This climbing plant can be sown late April, or August and overwintered frost free. 2.5m AGM. RHS H2.

Jasminum nudiflorum

© Jason Ingram

This jasmine can be persuaded to adopt the semblance of a climber by training and cutting back immediately after flowering. If allowed some freedom, this winter jasmine will flower abundantly in winter and early spring. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’

A climbing plant that’s Perennial in a Mediterranean climate, it can achieve sufficient bulk here to make its presence felt from a late April sowing, without causing too much of a nuisance. Will flower until frost cuts it down. 3m. AGM. RHS H1c.

Ipomoea lobata

An intriguing member of the bindweed family, with flowers that are simultaneously an intense orange and yellow in the early bud stage, maturing to cream. Sow Spanish flag in late April and plant after all danger of frost. 3m.

Bomarea multiflora

Twining herbaceous climber, a relative of Alstroemeria, that arises from a tuber. The trailing lily may come through the winter protected by a thick mulch. Something this gorgeous deserves some effort. 6m. AGM. USDA 10a-11.

Lonicera x tellmanniana

A climbing honeysuckle lacking scent, but abundant, vivid-orange flowers offer excitement enough. Tolerates shade and may be pruned by removing flowered growth annually. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7b-10b. Don’t miss our plant profile for more honeysuckle suggestions.

Solanum laxum ‘Album’

A twining climber with abundant clusters of flowers that look fragile and fresh right up to the first frosts. Trim lateral branches to around 15cm in winter. On the tender side, so site carefully. 6m. AGM.

Evergreen climbing plants

Pileostegia viburnoides

Self-clinging, evergreen climbing plant thats shade tolerant with frothy white flowers in late summer. This climbing hydrangea has a slow rate of growth, but this makes it less work to restrain once established. 6m. USDA 8a-10b.

Climbing plants for shade

Clematis ‘Frances Rivis’

A good early flowering clematis with nodding flowers of great charm in spring. Works well in partial, deciduous shade as part of a woodland scheme. Prune lightly after flowering, if at all. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4b-9a.

Lapageria rosea

Achingly beautiful climber, but requires shade, shelter, good drainage (yet plentiful summer moisture), is slow to establish and an apparently ambrosial beacon for slugs. 7m. AGM. RHS H3, USDA 9b-11.

Parthenocissus henryana

Native to China, this Virginia climbing plant has tastefully variegated leaves that turn vibrant shades of red in the autumn. It self-clings and will tolerate the shade of a north-facing wall. 4.7m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

A climbing plant that’s deciduous, but in season it completely clothes its space with large, green leaves and white, lace-cap inflorescences. Another climbing hydrangea that will cover a shady wall fast. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 4a-7b.

Schizophragma integrifolium

• Buy now from Thompson & Morgan (£35.99)

Similar to Hydrangea anomala, although you will need more patience. This climbing hyrdrangea is distinguished  by the shape and size of the sterile florets that encircle the inflorescence. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Low maintenance climbing plants

Hedera algeriensis ‘Gloire de Marengo’

Good for lighting up dark walls without any fuss. A vigorous, self-clinging, adaptable variegated ivy climbing plant, with smart, glossy leaves tinged with white. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 7a-10b.

Ipomoea coccinea

Delicate in growth with striking scarlet flowers, this true annual is rarely seen and deserves to be grown more frequently. A climbing plant that’s straightforward from seed sown in late April and then planted out after all risk of frost is over. 6m.

Clematis ‘Prince Charles’

A prolific blue-flowered clematis, similar to Sissinghurst’s ‘Perle d’Azur’ but with slightly smaller flowers and improved resistance to powdery mildew. Cut back hard in spring and watch it go. 2.4m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b. Here’s our profile on clematis montana. 

Cobaea scandens

The most vigorous of all annual climbers, and perennial in a frost-free climate. In one year, from seed, the ‘cup and saucer vine’ can cover an astonishing area with bell-shaped flowers from late summer to first frosts. 1.8m. AGM. RHS H2, USDA 9a-10b.

Fragrant climbing plants

Trachelospermum jasminoides

The scent of ‘false jasmine’ is not that similar to true jasmine, but equally powerful. The star jasmine is quite hardy, although the similar Trachelospermum asiaticum is said to be hardier. A climbing plant that’s best on a sunny wall. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 8a-11.

Rosa ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’

Vigorous rambling rose, with delicate flowers. Perfect for hoisting up a large tree. Will take time to establish itself, but once it does you will be rewarded with grace, scent and a profusion of flowers. 9m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 4a-9b.

Fast growing climbing plants

Clematis ‘Alba Luxurians’

One of the most vigorous of the viticella cultivars. Cut back hard every spring, you’ll be amazed at the coverage you get over the course of one season. This climber flowers profusely July to September. 3.6m. USDA 3a-9b.

Read our expert guide to pruning clematis.

Rosa ‘Wedding Day’

The scrambling rose flowers have the agreeable quality of changing colour as they mature, from pale primrose to almost white. The different stages appear side by side in each many-headed inflorescence. 9m. USDA 7a-9b.

Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’

A tough, vigorous, climbing clematis, offering both striking flowers and seedheads over a long period. It’s tolerant of drought and extreme cold, but does best in full sun. 6m. AGM. RHS H6, USDA 5b-9b.

Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’

Honeysuckle, with vivid colouring and a long flowering season. A vigorous and at times untidy grower; it can be kept within bounds by carefully removing flowered shoots in winter. 6m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘Chevy Chase’

A climbing rose with a touch of opulence. The flowers are small double and crimson, with tightly clustered petals. Great in combination with the dark, glossy leaves of a mature holly, which makes a suitable host. 7m. USDA 5a-9b.

Rosa ‘The Garland’

Trained to cover an archway, this climbing rose has always been the most arresting sight in the garden where I’ve been working for the past four years. Now it’s happily rambling on to a neighbouring yew tree. 7m.

Wisteria floribunda ‘Alba’

Often grown in spur-pruned tiers on a wall, although if you allow it the freedom to romp into trees, this climbing plant will seek out the sunshine to flower well, and assume something of its natural character. 12m. USDA 5a-10b.

Vitis coignetiae

A vine in the more precise sense of the word: a close relative of the grape. This climber is grown for its large leaves, which turn spectacular colours in autumn. A wonderful way to enliven evergreen trees. 12m. AGM. RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Clematis montana var. grandiflora

Well known for its extraordinary vigour, which makes it difficult to contain. This climbing plant’s stemmy growth can look rather untidy, especially in the winter. All will be forgiven when it flowers. 12m. AGM. RHS H4, USDA 6a-9b.

Climbing plants are a great addition to any garden as they not only provide aesthetic appeal but also offer practical benefits such as shade and privacy. With a wide range of varieties to choose from, gardeners have the opportunity to experiment with different climbers to suit their taste and requirements. Whether you have a small balcony or a large garden, there is a climbing plant that can transform your outdoor space. By selecting the right type of climbing plant and providing the right conditions for it to grow, you can create a beautiful and functional garden that is a joy to be in. So why not take the leap and add a climbing plant to your garden today!

If you’re in need of climbing supports for your climbing plants, we have rounded up the best climbing supports for 2023. Or here’s our piece on how to make your own plant supports. 

Lavender is a wonderful plant to grow in the garden. Not only does it have a stunning fragrance, reminiscent of warm summer evenings, but its flower spikes in varying shades of purple are so versatile and will lift any border or container display. Lavenders are low maintenance plants and needing little watering, unless planted in containers. They cope well with both drought and frosts are will reliably come back, year after year. A great choice if you’re time poor but still desire a spectacular display.

Bastin Nursery in the Netherlands has a renowned collection of Mediterranean plants, which includes well over a hundred different lavenders. if you’re thinking of buying a lavender but need some inspiration for which lavender plant to buy, take a look at nursery owner, Roger Bastin’s favourite types.

How to care for lavender

 Pruning lavender

Pruning is essential. At the nursery, we regularly pinch out the new growth on cuttings and young plants to stimulate lateral branching. Keep this up when you’ve just planted young lavenders.

When to prune lavender

Prune in spring to stimulate growth and prune in autumn to retain shape. Make sure you’ve finished pruning by the beginning of October, preferably earlier. Once the flowering season is over, there is no need to wait. One big advantage is the plant will continue to grow and you’ll spend your winter looking at beautiful silvery grey balls rather than bare branches. Be a bit more careful with Lavandula x intermedia, though, as it is much less hardy.

Fertilising lavender

There is hardly ever a need to fertilise lavender. And don’t water them, unless they are in pots.

When to plant lavender

Lavenders can be planted year-round, unless it’s freezing. The best time is October. Before planting, work lots of lime into the soil, about four times as much as the packaging says. Every two to three years add a maintenance dose, as prescribed. Note, however, that Lavandula stoechas cultivars and hybrids don’t want lime and are best pruned in summer.

The best lavender to grow

The Nursery’s own selection, with very pale violet, almost white flowers emerging from the deepest dark violet, almost black calyx.

The palest violet there is. Any paler and it would be white. Looks great when set off against darker colours. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

The best white I’ve ever seen. Well-shaped, compact, but no dwarf. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

Longest bloomer, as classically lavender-coloured as can be. Archetypal lavender at its best.

Fluffy flowers in a very special lilac. This plant is remarkable and in a colour category of its own. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

The best pink flowers. Period. Hardiness rating RHS H4, USDA 6b-11.

The best dwarf cultivar – compact with dark flowers. Hardiness rating USDA 6b-11.

A new and very promising dark cultivar that keeps flowering.

A very full growing, vigorous and healthy plant with dark flowers. Hardiness rating USDA 6a-10b.

USEFUL INFORMATION

Downderry, Pillar Box Ln, Hadlock,
Tonbridge, YN119SW
Tel 01732 810081, www.downderry-nursery.co.uk
Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am-5pm.

Kwekerij Bastin, Nieuwenhuysstraat 29,
6336 XV  Aalbeek, Limburg, The Netherlands.
Tel +31 (0)45 5231475, www.bastin.nl
Open Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm.

Hellebores are indispensable in the garden – they look good for months on end, from midwinter to spring, with attractive, often evergreen foliage. Their flowers come in a range of colours, from pure white to pale lemon yellow and green, myriad shades of pink and even purple-black.

Hellebores look beautiful combined with other late winter and early spring plants, such as cyclamen, snowdrops, narcissi, witch hazel and daphnes. They are often still out when tulips begin to flower in April and May.

Hellebore flowers are also rich in nectar and pollen, at a time of year when these are often scarce, giving much needed sustenance to bees. The nodding flowers protect the pollen from rain, as well as the insect feeding on it.

Most hellebores used to be known as Helleborus orientalis, but so much breeding has taken place and the details of most hellebore’s parentage is so muddied, that they are now known as Helleborus x hybridus.

Here’s our advice on growing hellebores. We also include experts’ recommendations for the best hellebores to grow.

• Where to plant a hellebore
• How to plant a hellebore
• How to care for hellebore
• When to cut back hellebore
• Hellebore leaf spot
• Where to buy hellebores

How to grow hellebores

When to plant hellebores

Hellebores can be planted from autumn to spring. They are often bought in flower.

Where to plant a hellebore

In the wild, most hellebores grow under the canopy provided by deciduous trees and shrubs, and this is the idea place for them in the garden. Although they will tolerate sunny situations they grow best in places that are shaded from midday sun. Avoid deep shade, however, as this will inhibit the plants from flowering. Helleborus x hybridus are amenable plants that will grow both in light, sandy soils and in heavy clay soils, as long as the soil is rich in organic matter.

How to plant a hellebore

Hellebores are deep rooted so dig a hole about one-and-a-half times the height of a spade and incorporate plenty of humus in the form of well-rotted manure, leaf mould, mushroom compost or home-made compost.

Growing hellebores in pots

As they are deep rooted, hellebores do not grow well in pots. However it is fine to grow them in a pot for a season so that you can enjoy their blooms, then plant them out in the garden permanently afterwards.

How to care for a hellebore

During their first year after planting, keep your hellebore plants well-watered and mulch them with compost each autumn.

Hellebores produce masses of seedlings. Weed out any that seed themselves into the crown of the parent plant, otherwise they may smother it. You can leave others to grow on, or dig them up, grow them on in pots and plant back out in the garden when they have reached a decent size.

When to cut back hellebore

Helleborus x hybridus are evergreen but their leaves do die back and should be removed. Remove the previous season’s dying leaves in December, cutting back to the base of the stalk. This allows air and light into the centre of the plant and will encourage healthy flowers.

You can deadhead flowers once they have gone over.

Hellebore leaf spot

Black or dark-brown blotches occasionally appear on the leaves. This is a fungal infection, called hellebore leaf spot, that is encouraged by damp conditions. Remove the leaves as soon as you spot the problem and burn them ‒ don’t put them in the compost bin as this will spread the disease.

When to sow hellebore seeds

You can collect the seeds from ripe pods on your own hellebore plants, and sow outdoors in July and August outdoors. Germination can take several months, and up to a year. They are usually large enough to plant out in the garden around two years after sowing. Bought hellebore seeds can be tricky to germinate.

Dividing a hellebore

Dividing is the easiest way to propagate most types of hellebore. Divide after flowering in spring, or in autumn.

Where to buy hellebores

• Herfordshire Hellebores
  Green Lane Farm, Levens Green, Ware, Hertfordshire SG11 1HD
  Tel 01920 438458
• Ashwood Nurseries
  Ashwood Lower Lane, Ashwood, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 0AE
  Tel 01384 401996
• Twelve Nunns
  Mail order only. Suppliers of Harvington Hellebores
• Hazles Cross Farm Nursery
  Hollins Lane, Kingsley, Staffordshire ST10 2EP
  Tel 01538 752669 National Collection Holder, phone for plant availability.

Hellebores recommended by our experts

Helleborus x hybridus

Recommended by: John Hoyland, plantsman and former nursery owner

Hellebores are very fertile plants and they hybridise with ease, as the the crop of seedlings that appears around them testifies. Most of these will have muddy purple flowers, but just occasionally you find a gem of a plant. This was one such, growing among a group of double-flowered and anemone-centred hellebores. A more reliable way to get results like this is to hand-pollinate your plants and sow the hellebore seed yourself. That this one appeared, with its frilly edge petals and soft pink flowers, with no intervention from me, makes it a one-off delight that I cherish.

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Bob’s Best’

Recommended by: Derry Watkins of Special Plants Nursery

A cross between Helleborus argutifolius for its hardiness, Helleborus lividus for its leaves and Helleborus niger for its flowers. Unlike orientalis hybrids, this helleborus does not like rich woodland conditions. It revels in sun and drainage. It has fabulous outward-facing flowers held well above the leaves. They age from creamy white to pink to almost red; because each hellebore flower lasts so long all the colours may be visible at once. The evergreen leaves don’t need to be cut to the ground – just remove tatty ones.

Buy Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Bob’s Best’ from Cotswold Garden Flowers

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Yellow Lady’

© Jason Ingram

Recommended by: Chris Marchant at Orchard Dene Nurseries

There are so many beautiful hellebores that I can’t choose just one as a favourite, but this pale yellow hellebore deserves a mention. Usually unmarked, the flowers are occasionally speckled burgundy at the base of the nectaries. Upright stems hold the hellebore flowers proud of the foliage, giving a perfect opportunity to appreciate their long-lasting display. The colour is especially effective teamed with the purples and blues of a woodland border: I have clumps mixed with Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ and the glossy spring foliage of giant colchicums.

Buy Helleborus x hybridus ‘Yellow Lady’ from Bluebell Cottage Nursery

Helleborus niger Harvington hybrids

Recommended by: Mat Reese

This selection from Harvington Hellebores has bloomed before Christmas for the past few years and produces little vignettes of sumptuous, white flowers, each blossom centred with a cluster of golden stamens. Although these hellebores have a reputation for requiring a limy soil, mine have been thriving in stony, humus-rich, acidic soil for some years. These hellebores do take time to establish, resent disturbance, and hate sitting wet. They’re also gross feeders, meaning they are hungry plants and so need to be fed annually with compost.

Buy Helleborus niger Harvington hybrids from Twelve Nunns nursery

Helleborus atrorubens

Recommended by: Hans Kramer, owner of De Hessenhof

In Slovenia, where it grows in the wild, this hellebore – seldom seen in cultivation – starts flowering in April but in the mild, unstable winters of northwest Europe it usually starts to flower in February. With so many hybrids now flooding European nurseries, it is refreshing to see the subtle charm of the true species. This is the only species where the petals, which are in fact sepals, hold their colour long after pollination. What’s more, it’s deciduous so you don’t have to worry about cutting leaves in the winter.

Buy Helleborus atrorubens from Ashwood Nurseries

Helleborus x sternii ‘Silver Shadow’

Recommended by: Fleur van Zonneveld, of De Kleine Plantage

Among the slew of new hellebore hybrids and cultivars, all with fabulous colours, flower shapes and leaf structures, ‘Silver Shadow’ demands a special place. It has extraordinary flower – a mix of pink, green and apricot colours – that rise wonderfully against the silvery leaves with serrated edges. It is lower and more compact than many other hellebores and does very well in pots. Unlike most other hellebores, it likes a sunny, dry and alkaline soil.

Buy the similar Helleborus x sternii from Crocus

Helleborus x hybridus white-flowered

Recommended by: Mat Reese, head gardener at Malverleys

There are many hellebore hybrids to choose from – and I have quite a few of them in the woodland garden at Malverleys – but my default is the white-flowered form with a green eye. Unlike the darker forms, it shows up well, particularly in shady woodland conditions. It has vigour and, if kept isolated from other colours, will self-sow true from seed. In the winter when the ground is too hard or too wet to work, cut out the tatty old leaves and feed with leaf mould so the flowers are displayed at their best.

Helleborus x hybridus Harvington red

Recommended by: Polly Nicholson of Bayntun Flowers

Outward-facing, saucer-shaped, flowers in varying shades from deep pink to clear red with deeply cut foliage. This hellebore makes a good cut flower once the seedheads have formed, especially if the tips of stems are seared.

Buy Helleborus x hybridus Harvington red from Crocus

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’

Recommended by: John Hoyland, plantsman and former nursery owner

Helleborus x ericsmithii has distinguished origins. Firstly, botanist Frederick Stern crossed Helleborus lividus with Helleborus argutifolius to produce the robust and attractive Helleborus x sternii. Sixty years ago plantsman Eric Smith crossed this with the large, white flowers of Helleborus niger. The result was a jewel of a plant with lightly marbled foliage and pink-tinge, white flowers. Thanks to micro-propagation, attractive forms of this plants can be reproduced easily. This one is vigorous and has dark green leaves with a pewter sheen. The flowers are ivory-white, turning a deep pink as they age.

Buy Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘Winter Sunshine’ from Garden Beauty

Helleborus foetidus

Recommended by: Hans Kramer, owner of De Hessenhof

Although this is the shortest living hellebore – it rarely lives longer than three to four years – I could not do without it. It is a good, all-round plant, starting with attractive, deeply divided leaves, which are a dark green. Some cultivars, such as ‘Sopron’, can have a silvery sheen to the lear, while Helleborus foetidus Wester Flisk Group has striking beetroot-coloured stems that contrast well with the pale-green flowers. These begin as rosettes, which tart to elongate as the weather gets cooler, then form light-green buds that gradually open over winter.

Buy Helleborus foetidus from Crocus

Hellebore breeding

The flowers of Helleborus orientalis used to be a dull pink but in the 1960s nurserywoman Helen Ballard extended the colour range to include dark pinks and white. During the 1970s and 1980s another formidable nurserywoman, Elizabeth Strangman, bred plants that had dark flowers or flowers that had dark-edged, petal-like sepals, which have become known as picotee (from the French picoter, to speckle or to mark with various colours). Strangman also collected seed from plants growing in the wild, and in Montenegro came across plants of Helleborus torquatus that had double flowers, which she introduced into her breeding programme.

Other plant enthusiasts continued to breed evermore beautiful hellebores. Robin White of Blackthorn Nursery focused both on double-flowered forms and on those with spotted sepals; at Ashwood Nurseries, John Massey and Kevin Belcher have produced an astonishing range of hellebores, in particular ones with strong colour on the reverse of the sepals. Hugh Nunn, who formerly ran Harvington Hellebores, has a breeding regime that produces seed strains consistent in their flower colour and vigour.

One of the latest links in this chain of hellebore breeders is Lorna Jones of Hertfordshire Hellebores. Her initial motivation was to provide great plants for her own garden, with an emphasis on tall, early flowering plants that were disease resistant. One of the most sought-after types of hellebore are the so-called anemone forms, plants where the nectaries are enlarged to form a ring of small tubes at its centre. Lorna has been able to produce anemone forms where these nectaries are the same colour as the sepals, others that have picotee sepals and, most dramatically, forms that have nectaries that contrast with the sepals.

Some of the Helleborus torquatus hybrids have double flowers and hark back to the first double that Elizabeth Strangman found growing in the wild. Their sepals tend to be narrow and twisted, so Lorna has christened them ‘spider’ hellebores.

New hellebore hybrids to look out for

Here are some of the beautiful hellebores bred by Lorna Jones at Hertfordshire Hellebores.

Anemone centre

The enlarged nectaries of Helleborus x hybridus Purple Speckle create a dark ruff at the middle of the flower, known as an anemone centre. The purple sepals are slightly pointed and are heavily mottled with dark purple.

Raspberry red

Lorna is still searching for the elusive true red, and is in the process of selecting plants that have a red sheen on the petals. This seedling has lavender-pink sepals, which are packed with a contrasting raspberry colour. In addition to its colouring, Lorna has selected this plant for the rounded, open shape of its flower. This is Helleborus x hybridus Red Apricot.

Spider hellebore

An unusual flower with several rows of narrow, same shaped flowers is one of the aims of twisting sepals to create what Lorna has dubbed ‘spider hellebores’. In this form the creamy-white sepals have a pale pink back. This is Helleborus torquatus hybrid Spider Double.

Double

A double-flowered form with pink sepals that are heavily speckled on the inside and have a dusky-pink back. The sepals are narrower than normal with slightly crimped edges that create a frilly flower. This is Helleborus x hybridus Pink Red Speckle Double.

Picotee

© Rachel Warne

A heavily spotted form that harks back to some of the earlier results of hellebore breeding. Unlike those, this plant has beautifully rounded, symmetrical sepals. This is Helleborus x hybridus Pink Spotted.

Additional photography by Jason Ingram, Maayke de Ridder and Sharon Pearson

Creating a late summer border is an exciting challenge. It needs vivid colours and textures, a wide range of plants, and a little luck with the weather. On top of all of that there is the hidden desire to make those colours last until the first frost arrives, maybe even longer. Gardener Andrea Brusendorf, who has created this bold design always uses plants that she has worked with before or has seen growing in other gardens. Those with flowers whose colour, height, spread and texture last well past the changing of the clocks.

Many of the plants that she has chosen for this border are ones that she grew in the Inner Temple Garden borders. She has spent many long summer days with them, learning their habits, revelling in their form. Here she explains in more detail how she came up with the plan and offers advice and time on when to plant and where to buy your garden plants from.

Andrea’s top tips for designing a bold planting plan

• Late flowering annuals and perennials are in general sun lovers with strong colours and they need a full solar blast to prolong their flowering period.
• It may be difficult to imagine that yellow, orange, red and blue can harmonise, but they do because the greens and greys in their foliage and stems soften those strong contrasts. Also, the light during the late summer mellows the most vivid colours.
• Beware of using white (for instance Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Purity’) which I have found impossible to integrate successfully into yellows, oranges, reds and blues, because it is too dominant.
• Besides colour and structure, combination is another ruling I keep in mind when I decide how many plants to use and where to position them. A single clump, like three Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, should be in proportion to the overall area, otherwise the border will seem bitty and too busy.
• Repeating colours, shapes and textures create rhythm and cohesion; for instance I will repeat the feathery texture of Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ with Salvia uliginosa and other grasses.
• There is value in transition or ‘see-through’ plants, like Verbena bonariensis and Persicaria orientalis, which will break up the solidity of clumps such as Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’, and add an ethereal note to a border that would otherwise look too chunky.

Best time to plant

September is a good time for planning and laying out a new border as the soil will still be warm. This is an excellent opportunity to spread masses of well-rotted compost or manure to improve the organic matter content of your soil. Double-digging is excellent, but just forking it in is better than not adding anything at all. To help you to visualise the eventual sizes of plant clumps, mark out a square with bamboo canes and then use smaller canes to estimate the spread of the individual plants.

Wait until spring before planting out the asters, heleniums and salvias – they hate cold, wet feet when trying to establish themselves. Sow Verbena bonariensis in September and over-winter in a frost-free environment with plenty of light. Cosmos and Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’ are grown easily from seeds, even on a window sill, from early April onwards. Persicaria orientalis is best grown by scattering seeds in March/April in situ. Keep an eye on this one because it has the tendency to self-seed freely, but the large seedlings are easily spotted and they can be weeded out.

The tubers of Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’ are easily grown on in pots from March onwards in a warm setting. Other dahlias are less available, but cuttings can be grown on in a frost-free, light environment for planting out in June. Dahlia imperialis, a tree dahlia, is grown for its foliage, but with the luck of a hot summer and no early frosts it may flower for you in mid-December – and to protect it during the winter cover the root plate with a 20cm layer of dry wood chips. Don’t cut the grasses until late winter – or even early spring if the winter winds haven’t wreaked havoc.

Plant list and quantities used

Amicia zygomeris

Tender perennial grown for foliage. Yellow flowers. Height 2.5m. Plants used x3

Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’

Annual with bright orange-red flowers. Height 2m. Plants used x10

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’

Grass with silver plumes. Height 2.5m. Plants used x3

Buy Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silberfeder’ from Thompson & Morgan

Dahlia imperialis

Tender perennial grown for foliage and bamboo-like stems. Height 4m. Plants used x2

Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’

Tender perennial with dark foliage and vivid red blooms. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Here’s how to grow dahlias

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’

Grass with stiff, bronze feathery flowerheads. Height 1.8m. Plants used x3

Helenium ‘Wesergold’

Perennial with clear lemon yellow flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’

Tender perennial, long blue flower spikes. Height 1.7m. Plants used x5

Don’t miss our guide to salvias

Rosa ‘Florence Mary Morse’

Vigorous Floribunda with red flowers. Height 2m plus. Plants used x1

Salvia uliginosa

Tender perennial with sky-blue flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Don’t miss our piece on salvias to grow

Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’

Perennial with reddish-orange flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Geranium Rozanne (=’Gerwat’)

Perennial, violet-blue. Height 0.6m. Plants used x6

Here’s our guide to hardy geranium

Clematis ‘Alionushka’

Climber, bell-shaped mauve pink flowers. Height 2m. Plants used x2

Read more about clematis here 

Dahlia ‘Hillcrest Royal’

Tender perennial with glowing red-purple flowers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x5

Miscanthus nepalensis

Tender grass, gold-tinted feathers. Height 1.5m. Plants used x3

Persicaria orientalis

Annual with rose-red flower spikes. Height 1.2m. Plants used x7

Buy Persicaria Orientalis from Sarah Raven

Read our guide to persicaria

Three golden rules

There are three vital tasks to do to keep your border looking good for as long as possible.

1. The first is regular dead-heading to encourage the production of new buds, thus extending the flowering season right into the autumn.
2. Secondly, apply a monthly feed during the active growing season.
3. And thirdly, though possibly the most important, is to stake those plants liable to flop about after heavy summer rains when they are still in bud.

A bit more about staking…
Stake asters, dahlias and heleniums when they have reached 45cm. It is worthwhile tying-in each stem individually with a loop in a long circle from a cane at the rear. It is time-consuming but it keeps the plant within its circular support of strings. In our large borders I can spend three or four weeks staking all my perennials (and even some of my annuals) in the early summer and every year those wet and windy summer days confirm it was time well spent.

However, I have not found the need to stake Tithonia, salvias or the tree dahlias, which seem to have sturdy legs. The Clematis ‘Alionushka’ should have some form of support, such as an obelisk. In the garden here we use strong pea-sticks, the tips randomly woven together to create a tall dome for the clematis to delicately rise above its neighbours (and hide a manhole cover in the middle of my border).

Creating a colourful late-summer border is thoroughly satisfying, but if you have limited space it means this portion of your garden will be a little bare until June or July. If this is the case, consider succession planting – lift the dahlias in autumn and plant tulips together with forget-me-nots for colour in spring and early summer, and in the pockets reserved for the annuals under-plant with more of the same or with alliums and aquilegias.

Download a PDF of the border plan

 Andrea Brunsendorf is director of outdoor landscapes at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is one of the best places to visit to see different styles of topiary. Large box balls, carefully clipped conifers and shapely hedges are all part and parcel of what makes a winning design and there are lots of different ways in which you can bring these ideas to your garden at home.

What is topiary?

Topiary is the art of training and pruning plants into a shape or form they would not naturally grow. It’s a practice that dates back millennia. We know the ancient Romans used to clip box (Buxus sempervirens) into animal shapes, human figures and even letters depicting the name of the garden owner. However, the Romans were probably not the first people to practice topiary; it may have begun even earlier in some Mediterranean or Asian cultures.

Topiary is often associated with traditional or formal gardens but delve a little deeper and you will son discover that there are lots of innovative and contemporary ideas for shaping and training plants. Aside from adding a purely decorative or whimsical element to the garden, topiary works well as a focal point or to define areas within a garden. Clipped cubes, columns or domes can be positioned within areas of planting and borders, to create contrast, add structure and provide scale. They can also be used to add definition to the winter garden.

Plants to use for topiary

Plants with finely textured, small leaves, such as berberis, hebe, yew and lavender

Buxus sempervirens, box.

A popular plant for topiary, but in recent years it succumbed to box blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola or Pseudonectria buxi) and and box tree caterpillar. If you know there has been evidence of box blight or box tree caterpillar in your area, you may wish to consider alternatives – read about our recommended alternatives to box.

Fagus sylvatica: deciduous shrubs

While evergreen shrubs may seem like the obvious choice for clipping and pruning, deciduous shrubs, such as Fagus sylvatica, are excellent contenders. Here at Broughton Grange in Oxfordshire the beech columns are in full winter glory retaining their brown leaves from the previous season, providing excellent contrast to rich, dark evergreens.

Japanese holly

With the threat of box blight becoming more prevalent, Ilex crenata is stealing the stage when it comes to topiary.  Neat, evergreen leaves similar to box are easy to clip and shape. Ilex will grow in a wide variety of soils and situations making it very desirable for creative topiary. It is one of the most commonly used plants for ‘cloud pruning’, a term used to describe shaping a shrub into a series of rounded spheres to resemble clouds or large green pom-poms.

Cloud-pruned hornbeam

Tom Stuart-Smith’s 2008 Chelsea show garden designed for Laurent-Perrier, featured these elegant cloud pruned Carpinus betulus (hornbeam). When cloud pruning a deciduous shrub, such as beech or hornbeam, you should try not to cut through the leaves. This creates a looser, more relaxed look and the leaves will not brown.

Cloud pruning conifers

Cloud pruning conifers is a really good way to keep them in check and at the same time provide an unusual green wall. The marvellous thing about topiary and cloud pruning is that you can experiment and let the plant shape be a guide to the way you create your design.

Inspiration for using topiary in the garden

Box of delights

The extraordinary gardens at Château de Marqueyssac take the art of topiary to new heights. Situated high on a hilltop overlooking the Dordogne valley, the garden contains more than 150,000 hand-pruned Buxus sempervirens shrubs, spread over 11 acres of terrace gardens.

Contemporary cubes

Belgian landscape designer Chris Ghyselen has created a simple and contemporary topiary garden featuring large rectangles of box. Set at varying heights, the clipped box forms strong shadows and interesting lines. It will provide interest throughout the year and look quite different as the light changes throughout the day.

Human touch at Chatsworth

The glorious gardens of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire are well known for several features, including the magnificent water cascade. However, this row of clipped Taxus baccata Aurea Group adds a humorous touch to the landscape. They have been allowed to grow at jaunty angles and look almost like wavering human forms.

Sculptural collars of box

A large, clipped collar of Buxus sempervirens surrounds this majestic tree at Stavordale Priory in Somerset. Topiary specialist Jake Hobson of Niwaki now maintains this unusual sculptural piece.

Perfect peacocks

This wonderfully theatrical garden in Kent was designed and created by the garden owner Charlotte Molesworth. The imaginative topiary shapes not only give the garden a sense of fun, but also add year-round interest.

Topiary with a sense of humour

A sense of humour is such an important element in any garden and this wave-like hedge adds a comic touch to Le Jardin Plume in Normandy. Creative curves also act as a foil to the tall, airy perennials and grasses that move and sway in the garden on either side.

Use your imagination

Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is not only a marvellous nursery and an important destination for plant hunters but the garden is also full of inspiring ideas. Various shrubs and hedges are pruned in imaginative ways, such as this box where the top has been allowed to remain shaggy.

Don’t miss our round up of inspiring hedges to visit. 

Old-style glamour

Levens Hall in Cumbria is one of the oldest and finest topiary gardens in world. The garden was laid out in the 1690s and many of the large topiary shapes are more than 300 years old. Particularly famous are the King and Queen chess pieces and a Judge’s Wig.

Expert tips on how to cloud prune

Here’s a link to a useful practical video from Niwaki’s Jake Hobson on creating your own cloud pruning.

Further reading

• The Art of Creative Pruning: Inventive ideas for training and shaping trees and shrubs by Jake Hobson (Timber Press, 2011).
• A Practical Guide to Topiary by Jenny Hendy (Southwater, 2012).
• Topiary and the Art of Training Plants by David Joyce (Firefly Books, 2000).
• Topiary Basics: The Art of Shaping Plants in Gardens and Containers by Margherita Lombardii and Cristiana Serra Zanetti (Sterling, 1999).
• Topiary Design and Technique by Christopher Crowder and Michaeljon Ashworth (The Crowood Press, 2006).

Where to see topiary

Here’s our round up of where to see inspiring hedges and topiary

The best topiary suppliers

• Burgon & Ball sells wire frames for training topiary.
• Crown Topiary is a nursery specialising in topiary, based in Hertfordshire.
• Run by Jake Hobson, Niwaki one of the UK’s leading experts in topiary, selling top-quality equipment for the pruning and training of plants.
• Romantic Garden Nursery is a specialist nursery with large range of topiary, mature shrubs and trees.

Useful websites

• The European Boxwood and Topiary Society. Useful website for finding out more about topiary around the world
• Topiary in the United Kingdom A county-by-county guide of gardens to visit.
• Topiary Organisation International association of topiary growers and suppliers. Lots of useful information on all aspects of topiary.
• Advice by Annie Guilfoyle, garden designer with Creative Landscapes and Director of Garden Design at KLC School of Design.

Hedge laying is a country skill that has been practised for centuries. Although a well-laid hedge looks beautiful, the original aim was to create a fence to stop sheep, cattle and other stock from straying. Styles of hedges vary across the country (see below), but the principles of hedge-laying remain the same. By laying a hedge you not only create a living fence, you also help to encourage new growth, making it an excellent way of regenerating an old, overgrown hedge without replacing it. While initially quite tricky to grasp, it’s a skill that really is a case of practice makes perfect. Once laid, a hedge simply needs regular trimming to keep it in good order for decades – far longer than a wooden fence and infinitely more beautiful.

Don’t miss our piece on alternatives to box hedging

How to lay a hedge

When is hedge laying season?

Hedge laying is a seasonal job carried out between October and March when trees and shrubs are dormant, and birds have finished nesting in the hedges. It is also the time of the year when many of the materials you’ll need for hedge-laying, such as the hazel and ash for the stakes and bindings that add strength and stability to the hedge, can be easily sourced.

A step-by-step guide on how to lay a hedge

First you need to remove the lower side branches from each stem, ideally using a pair of loppers (see here for our selection of hedging tools). This will allow light to reach the base of the hedge and encourage new growth, ensuring that the hedge thickens.

When cutting into the stem (or ‘pleacher’), you need to slice down at an angle just above ground level. Make the cut quite deep, far enough to allow the stem to bend over sufficiently for you to lay it down, but take care not to slice it all the way through.

Once you’ve made a cut in each stem, you can lay these down along the length of the hedge. You should never lay the stems completely horizontal as some upward slant is required to allow the sap to rise through the plant.

To add strength and stability to your hedge you will need to drive in a series of upright stakes, at intervals of around 50cm, along the whole of its length. These stakes need to be sturdy enough for you to hammer in, around 40-50mm thick, and cut to a length of around 1.6m. Hazel and ash are good woods to use, and you should be able to source stakes from a local woodland worker.

Bind the stakes firmly together, using long, thin and flexible hazel rods, known as binders, heathers or weavers. Ideally, these should be no thicker than around 25mm – the thinner they are the more flexible they will be for weaving – and around 2.5-3m long. Again, you can source these from a local woodland worker. Starting at one end, weave your binders around the tops of the stakes to hold the stakes firmly in place and add further strength. They also create a very attractive top to your hedge.

When your hedge is firmly bound, cut the cleft stumps (the stumps from the part of the stem not cut) down to just above ground level and be sure to leave them as clean and tidy as possible, as this is where regrowth is most desired.

Tools for laying a hedge

Traditionally, most hedge layers use a billhook for cutting through stems and branches. There are numerous different styles of billhook, which vary dramatically in weight and length. As with any tool, the feel of it in your hand is important, so it is worth finding a good tool supplier with a range you can try out for yourself. Vintage tools, such as those pictured below, can often be a good option.

1. French loppers are the perfect tool for removing side branches.
2. Yorkshire billhook is the preferred billhook for many professional hedge layers. It is generally larger and heavier than many other designs, making it ideal for cutting through bigger stems. It has a square-shaped, doubled-edged head and a short nose (the hook on the end).
3. Pruning saws are ideal for cutting down cleft stumps.
4. Nottinghamshire pattern billhook has some similarities to the Yorkshire pattern, with its distinctive double blade, but is smaller.
5. Berkshire, or Moss pattern, billhook is smaller than the Yorkshire pattern, and offers a well-balanced blade and handle that is easy to use.
6. Spar hook is a light and slim tool more commonly used by thatchers, but is also used by some hedge layers.
7. Kent pattern billhook has a deeper blade than the Berkshire pattern, with a short nose that is useful for working at the bottom of a hedge.

Traditional county styles of hedges

Many different hedge-laying styles have evolved to reflect a region’s farming practices and its native trees and shrubs. Here are just a few:

Yorkshire
The Yorkshire style creates a very thin hedge. The hedge is cut close to the ground with plenty of thickness of material along the bottom; new shoots will grow from the already established root system. As with most hedge laying, the hedge is always laid uphill. Sawn stakes and rails are then used to finish the hedge. This method was adopted in Yorkshire because trees suitable for making stakes and binders did not grow well on windy uplands.

Devon
The Devon style hedge is normally laid on top of a bank. The pleachers, or steepers as they are sometimes known in the region, are laid much closer to the horizontal than the usual uphill angle, and are pegged down with crooked hazel sticks that are used to secure the hedge. The bank is an important element as this acts as the main barrier against livestock until the hedge develops.

South of England
In the South of England style the hedge is cut and laid over to create a double brush on both sides. A single line of hazel stakes are driven into the centre of the hedge, with the top bound with hazel binders. Both sides of the hedge are then trimmed immediately after the hedge has been laid. New growth from the base will keep it healthy and thick for years to come.

Midland
This is also known as the bullock style because it was traditionally used by farmers with large animals, where the hedge needed to be able to withstand the weight of cows pushing against it. Some would argue it is the most attractive of the hedge-laying styles. A combination of distinctive stakes and binders is used. The binders are woven along the top for maximum strength and the ends wedged behind the stakes.

Somerset
The Somerset style uses a row ofstakes that are driven in alternately on either side of the hedge. The stakes hold the pleachers in place, some of which are woven behind the stakes. Once the stakes are in place, any remaining branches, known as brash, are woven between the bent-over pleachers to give structure, thickness and sturdiness to the finished hedge.

Welsh Border
This method uses hazel stakes that are sometimes driven in at a 35-degree slant. Dead wood is used to protect the regrowth from being browsed by stock. The dead wood and live layers are woven along the centre line, with the top and side of the hedge being trimmed. Any large gaps should have new whips planted to fill the spaces. A few long, thin binders are then bound between the stakes.

More information

Find out more about the craft from the National Hedge Laying Society (hedgelaying.org.uk), which provides information on courses along with details of professional hedge-layers.

You can get a taste of the skill involved in hedge-laying at the annual National Hedge Laying Championship, where over 100 competitors enter eight regional styles to become supreme champion.

If it is more garden hedging plants you are interested in, check out our guide you are looking for a guide to the best hedging plants.

Suppliers

• A Morris & Sons Ltd. Tel 01647 252352. Small company that has been making billhooks and other tools since the 1800s.
• Carters, another small manufacturer making hand tools since 1740.
• Coppice Products. Tel 01952 432769. Provides details of local hedge-layers and locally sourced coppice products.
• Garden & Wood. Tel 01844 279170. Excellent range of vintage tools.
• Readyhedge. Wholesale nursery providing instant hedging and screening plants.
• Timeless Tools. Wide range of vintage tools.

When Monique and Simon Gudgeon took on Pallington Lakes in rural Dorset, it was a fishery, and they had no plans to turn it into anything else. The outbuildings would be useful for Simon’s career as a sculptor, and the fishing business would generate its own income. But three and a half years later the Gudgeons waved goodbye to the fishermen forever, as Simon’s sculptures began to take up residence by water’s edge. This was a development that neither party would have predicted before Simon decided to swap storage space for the open air – and was impressed by the way his sculpture interacted with the landscape.

The prospect of landscaping 26 acres is less daunting, it could be argued, if half of the land is under water, measured out in lakes and ponds. The only part of the emerging sculpture park that Monique planned on paper was the area around the house. Beyond the estate fencing and figurative gates (made by Simon), various winding paths spread themselves out from no single point, leading to a destination that is not clear. A giant pergola draped with roses and clematis in summer, offers a further route towards the wider landscape.

Sculptures emerge along the way, rising from grasses, sitting in woodland clearings and perched in or around water. Naturally progressing as more sculptures have appeared, the garden has benefited from Monique’s experience as a horticulturist, and a shared sanguine approach to size and scale.

Curving away from the house, a grass path slowly elevates into a raised walkway, framed initially by Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Head’ and Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis, which was cut into mounds by Jake Hobson of Niwaki. Monique was impressed by the shaping of land at Charles Jencks’s Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Scotland, and these ideas were further confirmed by a visit to the garden of Fernando Caruncho in Madrid.

“It’s my natural inclination to keep expanding,” she says. “I wanted to try these sculptural forms, and this area and situation lent itself to that.” At the end of the spiralling path, where Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis gives way to L. ligustrina var. pileata ‘Moss Green’, the pruning relaxes into Caruncho-esque cushions, intended as a reflection on the Dorset Downs. Monique was further inspired by the karikomi way with shrubs from Japan: “It’s about forming a landscape, using plants.”

The drama of the planting creates an atmosphere where land art sits easily with art on the land. A willow tunnel makes a statuesque arc around a wildflower meadow, while its straight stems and pinnate leaves merge into those of bamboo, part of a collection of 500 plants brought from a previous garden. She cheerfully grows 20 types of bamboo, and about 20 different types of willow, six of which were already thriving in the watery landscape.

Having cut her teeth as a gardener first in the show gardens of Agriframes, followed by more detailed horticulture at Architectural Plants, she now volunteers once a week at the Arboretum nursery at Kew Gardens. She is used to dealing with structure, both hard and soft, and her enthusiasm for knowledge and growing experience is particularly focussed on trees.

“I know I’m going to lose a lot of ash, so I’m looking at all sorts of trees that I can replace it with,” says Monique. New trees include sweet chestnut, three dawn redwoods, three swamp maples, a cedar of Lebanon and multiple eucalyptus. They are joined by countless magnolias and Japanese acers in the sheltered woodland walk, and 460 silver birch trees in a serene glade by the water. “After oak, birch is one of the most important trees for wildlife,” says Monique. “Hundreds of species rely on it.”

Before the lakes were created in the 1970s, Pallington was part of Thomas Hardy’s ‘verdant plain’, in the Vale of the Great Dairies. “In summer they used to run the cattle through this area. In winter, because it was always flooded, they just let it go,” says Monique. She gardens for nature as much as for herself, and was keen to maintain a winter habitat for caterpillars, in an area that was already popular with butterflies.

Building a bank to protect the garden from flooding, Monique planted it with butterfly attractants, such as eupatorium and nepeta, while maintaining quantities of nettles. The couple are privileged to have the reed-fringed River Frome winding through their garden. Left to its own devices, the waterway has formed an oxbow bend, which will one day become a small island. Just the spot for a new sculpture.

Marks Hall is an arboretum and walled garden in Coggeshall, Essex which comprises three acres of the 2,200-acre estate. The soil is Essex clay and it has a warm temperate, with mild winters and dry summers with a hardiness zone of USDA 9.

It has been shaped by remarkably few families since the name of Mercheshalle was registered in the Domesday book nearly one thousand years ago. In 1897, the estate was acquired by a former Liberal MP Thomas Phillips Price and, keen to preserve this rich botanical heritage, he determined to bequeath Marks Hall to the nation. He would surely be delighted to see that today the estate is enjoyed by thousands of visitors who come to explore its magnificent arboretum, contemporary walled garden and miles of woodland walks.

In 1998, Brita von Schoenaich was commissioned to create a contemporary design for a three-acre, lakeside garden to complement and contrast with the wider estate. Her design of five interlinked gardens, connected by land-form shapes and sinuous hedges and walls, caused quite a stir when it was unveiled in 2003. Planted with bold blocks of ornamental grasses, long-flowering perennials and a symbolic ‘pool’ lined with slivers of slate set end on end, it soon became one of the best-loved parts of the estate.

The air here is filled with sweet and spicy scents from a glorious range of winter-flowering shrubs, most notably witch hazels, wintersweet and Sarcococca hookeriana. It is an expression of Marks Hall’s aims – to celebrate trees, to promote excellence in horticulture, and to offer a magical space that can be enjoyed at any time of year.

The walled garden, designed by Brita von Schoenaich, has matured over the past 15 years, with wavy hedges of close-clipped Choisya ternata, clumps of upright Calamagrostis, arching Miscanthus, and frost-covered Salvia officinalis and Teucrium fruticans. Five, interlinked gardens are connected by land-form shapes and sinuous hedges and walls.

An undulating wall is cut into the sloping ground to increase its impact. Widely spaced balls of stone and clipped box continue the waving line that runs through this series of gardens, contrasting with a plinth of stone and clipped box, rows of close-clipped lavender, and a number of fine Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’.

The young Eucalyptus pauciflora subsp. debeuzevillei planted out from three-litre pots less than 20 years ago have matured into towering trees, conjuring a surreal scene that feels far removed from the surrounding Essex countryside.

The Millennium Walk, designed and planted in 1999 by landscape designer and former trustee of the garden Peter Thurman, brilliantly showcases the seasonal impact of pale-trunked Betula utilis var. jacquemontii and fiery, red-stemmed Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, reflected in the still waters of the lake.

Gondwanaland, the ancient supercontinent that included present-day South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Australia and Antarctica, has been reimagined at Marks Hall as an otherworldly landscape – designed and laid out by Peter Thurman – of soaring eucalyptus trees, great clumps of pampas grass and the largest plantation of Wollemi pines in Europe.

The Wollemi is one of the world’s oldest and rarest plants. Just 100 mature trees are thought to exist in the wild, and this ‘living fossil’ was only rediscovered in 1994, growing in a hidden valley in Australia. Commercial propagation has since helped to fund the preservation of the wild community, and Ian plans to increase his existing plantation from 80 to 200 trees within the next five years, when the final tranche of Forestry Commission pine trees are felled. Read more about the Wollemi with our feature on Jonathan Drori’s book Around the World in 80 Trees.

USEFUL INFORMATION Address Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall, Essex CO6 1TG. Tel 01376 563796. Website markshall.org.uk
Check website for opening times.

Cornus is a genus for all seasons. Those grown for their leaves are some of the most beautiful foliage shrubs. Dogwoods grown for the colour of their stems light up the winter garden. Flowering dogwoods wisely hold back their floriferous performance until early summer, after any possible
competition from our more familiar flowering trees.

When it comes to summer flowering trees and large shrubs there is nothing to touch flowering dogwoods. There are few more breathtaking sights than a flowering dogwood in full bloom. I first fell in love with Cornus ‘Porlock’ in the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire. The way the blooms cascaded down the branches, the poise of the flowers, the way they fluttered in the breeze, how they gazed upwards, avoiding the eye, but teasing and tantalising. Its beauty was best admired by grasping a branch and holding it down to admire those creamy bracts, four of them arranged as a flattened star around each dark bobble of tiny flowers. In autumn, strawberry-like fruits weighed down the branches; hardly delicious but edible and very tempting.

The cultivars of C. kousa are often collectively referred to as Chinese dogwoods, although many originate from Japan and Korea. C. kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ is deservedly popular and has the advantage of large flower heads produced on young plants; some cultivars take a few years to bloom with any enthusiasm. C. kousa ‘Teutonia’ is another large, flowering form with immaculate flower heads of rich cream. I have shown this in recent years at
RHS Chelsea Flower Show and it has always proved to be a star of the show.

The North American dogwoods, cultivars of C. florida and C. nuttallii, are less popular because of their susceptibility to the fungal disease cornus anthracnose. A pity, as most mature to form wonderful, pagoda-like small trees with elegant branches and upturned twigs. In winter, flowerbuds are enclosed by the immature bracts on the bare branches, appearing like tiny finials at the end of every twig. As the blooms develop the bracts remain joined at the tips before they pop open.

The hybridisation of flowering dogwoods has led to the development of some spectacular flowering shrubs. C. Venus, bred in the USA, has caused a stir with its massive creamy-white flower heads, which are produced freely, even on young plants. The Stellar series of hybrid flowering dogwoods, exhibit similar flower quality and disease resistance, and will hopefully encourage more to plant these wonderful shrubs and trees.

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How to grow cornus

Flowering dogwoods favour neutral to acid, reasonably moist, but well-drained fertile soil, with plenty of organic matter. However, they are more tolerant than generally thought and often succeed in alkaline conditions if mulched well with organic compost. I have grown dogwood successfully on poor sandy soil and in containers using loam-based growing media.

Cornus are at their best with some light shade and shelter from deciduous trees; they thrive in open woodland settings. Many, such as Cornus ‘Porlock’ and Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’, make splendid flowering trees for small gardens. Flowering dogwoods are best planted as young, container-grown plants from October to March.

Young plants are not particularly attractive, giving little idea of the glorious subjects they will become; which puts many off planting them.

The best flowering dogwoods

A wonderful display of blooms in late spring and rich autumn tints make this a fine specimen dogwood tree for a small garden. Prefers deep, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Crocus

Buy Cornus florida f. rubra from Garden Plants

A vigorous new dogwood cultivar, bred for disease resistance. Domed, greenish-white bracts in early summer and good autumn leaf colour. Upright and narrow in habit on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

This dogwood has large, rounded, creamy-white blooms appear in early spring, and are spectacular after a good summer the previous year. Crimson-pink autumn colour. Upright and narrow in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Suttons

Buy Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ from Ornamental Trees

A robust, upright, hybrid dogwood with dark-green foliage and long-lasting autumn colour. Wonderful display of white bracts in an open, sunny position; no fruit. A good small, specimen tree.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus aurora ‘Rutban’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

A recent introduction with exceptionally large, creamy-white bracts. Dark-green foliage and vibrant autumn colour. This dogwood is best in a sheltered situation to avoid damage to flowers.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus ‘Venus’ from Thompson & Morgan

Flowering from an early age, this large, spreading cultivar produces abundant creamy bracts that colour pink as they age, and are followed by luxuriant strawberry-like fruits in autumn. Easy to grow, this dogwood is tolerant of most soils, apart from shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus ‘Porlock’ from Gardeners Dream

Pretty, variegated dogwood shrub with pointed, grey-green leaves margined with white; starry, white blooms in early summer. Best grown in semi-shade on moist, well-drained, acid soil.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

A popular and easy to grow dogwood. Thrives on most soils, including heavy clay. Robust and free flowering with the bonus of good autumn colour and crimson fruits that follow creamy flowers.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Crocus

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis from Ornamental Trees

A bushy dogwood plant; upright, then spreading in character. The creamy-white bracts become blotched with pink as they age and are followed by deep-pink fruits. Outstanding.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘John Slocock’ from Larch Cottage Nurseries

Abundant, creamy-white bracts that do not blush pink as they fade. The bracts start small, star-like and green, and stand on short stalks along the branches. This dogwood is upright in habit.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus kousa var. chinensis ‘China Girl’ from Ornamental Trees

Elegant dogwood plant with a broad, spreading habit. Large, pink bracts, poised along branches in early summer, become more intense in colour as they age. Orange-red autumn foliage.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from J. Parker’s

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ from Crocus

Elegantly pointed bracts curve inwards at first as the blooms sit butterfly-like along the branches; they blush pink as they age. Rich autumn tints and lychee-like fruits appear on this dogwood in autumn.
Height 4m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus kousa ‘Madame Butterfly’ from Bluebell Arboretum & Nursery

An improved form of flowering dogwood with abundant blooms on wonderfully sculptural branches in late spring. Lovely autumn foliage. Prefers rich, fertile soil; unhappy on shallow chalk.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’ from Burncoose Nurseries

Rich, gold-margined leaves turn purple-red edged with scarlet in autumn. Large, white blooms resemble wontons as they open at the tips of the shoots. A compact and upright dogwood.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’ from eBay

The tiny, creeping dogwood forms mats of short, upright stems and dark-green leaves studded with small, white starry blooms. Clusters of red berries follow in autumn.
Height 10cm. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 2a-7b.

Buy Cornus canadensis from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus canadensis from Crocus

Mature dogwood leaves are mostly gold, splashed green in the centres, turning red, purple and pink in autumn. Large, deep-pink flowers in late spring are striking against the leaves.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-9b.

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Ornamental Trees

Buy Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Sunset’ from Pippin Trees

The variegated dogwood is one of the finest foliage shrubs with floating horizontal branches and delicate green and white leaves. Lacy, white flowers in early summer.
Height 3m. Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 4a-8b.

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Primrose

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alternifolia ‘Argentea’ from Paramount Plants & Gardens

Dark-red stems in winter remain decorative after the ochre and green leaves have fallen. This dogwood thrives on any soil; excellent in wet conditions. Cut back hard to 20cm every two years.
Height 1.8m. Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Gouchaltii’ from Van Meuwen

Much less vigorous than other red-barked dogwoods; ideal for smaller gardens. Attractive foliage with the bonus of dark red winter stems. Grows on any soil in sun or shade.
Height 2m. Hardiness rating RHS H7, USDA 3a-7b.

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Gardening Express

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Thompson & Morgan

Buy Cornus alba ‘Siberica Variegata’ from Crocus

Tiny, golden flowers on bare stems in late winter before the white and green leaves unfurl. Scarlet fruits in autumn. This dogwood is growing and upright in habit when young.
Height 3m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from the RHS

Buy Cornus mas ‘Variegata’ from Burncoose Nurseries

An excellent form of the variegated wedding cake dogwood tree with grey-green leaves with narrow white margins. More vigorous than Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ and better in more challenging growing conditions.
Height 5m. Hardiness rating RHS H5, USDA 5a-8b.

Where to see flowering cornus

• The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• Newby Hall, North Yorkshire (Cornus national collection holder)
• The Savill Garden, Berkshire (Many fine, mature dogwood specimens)