Warmed by the fire

This is Cornus sanguinea 'Midwinter Fire' - a dogwood with colourful winter bark. Grow several together for maximum impact. 

Oh Christmas tree

I love Ladybird books, the real ones and these ones (the robin story was one of my favourites). 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We're dreaming of roast potatoes...

Solstice

Too drizzly out there. At least tomorrow we'll have 2 more minutes of daylight...

Darkest days

I should be tidying the house and Christmas shopping, but am clearing some Verbena bonariensis instead, now that the birds have pecked it over. I try not to be too tidy, as wildlife needs shelter in the winter and some of the seed heads look winsome among the grasses in the low light. 

Natural decorations

I like the thought of biodegradable, ephemeral Christmas decorations that don't have to be stored until next year. These will just melt away on the compost heap. 

Go to http://www.kent-life.co.uk/home/christmas/how_to_pretty_festive_place_settings_1_4804991 to see how to make them

Festive Foliage

Long lasting leaves

Many evergreens are suitable for bringing into the house and some will stay looking fresh long past Christmas Day. Some useful garden evergreens:
Holly - very traditional, but can be a bit prickly and hard on the fingers, so wear gloves when handling.
Ivy - is still one of the best Christmas evergreens, as it has pliable stems, attractive leaves, flowers and fruits (small clusters of black berries). The variegated forms add a touch of white or gold and look good against other dark leaves.
Spotted Laurel (Aucuba japonica) - can be used as a wreath base, or to line a plain bowl piled with  nuts or clementines).
Conifer foliage is wonderful as a wreath or swag base and many varieties are scented (Christmas is about the only time of the year when I don’t curse the huge conifers that tower behind our house).
Viburnum tinus - is completely overlooked in the garden for much of the year: a dark green blob that blends into the background, but it lasts very well inside and often has flowers too which look effective on wreaths and in table decorations.
Herbs - are lovely fragrant additions and the leaves of Bay and Rosmary dry well.
Other long lasting leaves to try: Ruscus, Pittosporum, Osmanthus and Euonymous - these have small leaves and are useful as fillers in table decorations and on wreaths or swags.

Natural Decorations

While you’re out on your foraging trip, look around at some of the other plants. You’ll find that there are plenty of other living (and dead) things to make decorations with; berries, seed-heads and interesting twigs (just watch out for anything sharp or poisonous).
Skeletal forms and the tracery of stems and seed-heads make delicate and understated decorations that last really well. Look out for the faded bracts of Hydrangeas, which can look impressive on wreaths or just in a vase. The flowers of ornamental grasses can be used to good effect too.
Husks and cones are particularly effective: Beech nuts and Alder cones can be left on the twigs and added to vases of flowers or Paperwhite narcissi.
Some twigs and branches are very effective tied loosely together with a few bauble or fairy lights hung from them, especially those with coloured or dramatic stems, like Birch, Willow or Dogwood.

Seedheads from Poppies, Alliums, Honesty, Physalis and Teasel make brilliant decorations, either lightly sprayed with metallic paint, or left looking beautiful and natural.

                     

The easy answer to next year’s spring show

A garden without spring bulbs is somehow a cheerless place; forget-me-nots and wallflowers definitely need a few bulbs bobbing above them and it really is the easiest way to inject some early colour into containers and borders. Planting bulbs is an act of faith, of believing that spring will return - sorry that does sound rather tragic, but as the days get colder and darker it’s comforting to know that once planted, they’ll sit safely under the ground; stems, flowers and leaves neatly compressed into tight packages, waiting for the spring like small, flowery time bombs. So before you hang up your trowel and come inside for the winter, plant some bulbs and by the spring you’ll be pleased that you did. You still have time to plant them - in fact November is the best time to plant tulips - I've even planted them in January before now.

A meadow through the months

May: lots of green (weeds???) appeared and grew fast. The patch looked scruffy and I didn't feel too hopeful. 

July: what was I worried about? It looked fantastic, packed with annual flowers - some native, some exotic, all wild.  We had grown a glorious flowery meadow. I picked lots as cut flowers. 

    and even had enough for a friend's wedding.  

October - the meadow has gently subsided back to scruffy, so I'll dig it up and plant something tidier there. We will be sowing another one at our workshop next year, but over by the pond this time...

The workshops start in March - http://www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Wreathed in Virginia creeper

The leaves have fallen from the Virginia creeper (they only ever give 5 minutes of flaming autumn leaf), so now I can get at the pliable stems and make a few wreath bases. the black berries on bright red stems look brilliant, but I doubt they'll last. I'll dip them in glycerine for a bit and see how long...

Keeping the show on the road

Many plants have given up by late summer, but there are a few that will keep  going from June until November, without any deadheading or cutting back. Low growing Geranium ‘Rozanne’ flowers in an endless sprawl and tall, wiry Verbena bonariensis is a magnet for butterflies - and then birds once it finally sets seed.

For details of courses visit

www.hornbrookmanor.co.uk  

01233 861149

Hello Sunshine

      

It may be too late to grow Sunflowers from scratch, but they’re a great cut flower and will last a good while

in a vase. ‘Russian Giant’ is the classic tall yellow flower, but there are some dazzling alternatives around. 

You can even sow the seed sold as bird food - there’ll be enough in a bag to grow a field full. 

hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Second chances

Many of the classic cottage blooms are fading now, but here’s a drastic way to get 

them back. Cut early summer perennials like Geraniums, Lupins and Delphiniums 

right down to the ground once they’ve finished flowering. They’ll soon put on some 

fresh new growth, and with any luck, by the end of the summer they’ll be blooming again.

Contact Jo Arnell for border designs

and garden advice: 01233 861149

jo@hornbrookmanor.co.uk

Tulp 'Ballerina' and purple Honesty

Biennials appear just at the right time to make perfect companions for spring bulbs. If they like you, they'll set seed and pop up every year.

Ladybird books for grown ups

I just love these new Ladybird books, and now can't look at the originals in the same way...