Two very different speakers have entertained us at our last couple of meetings.\u00a0 Firstly, we enjoyed hearing a master of his trade – Richard Ayres, former Head Gardener of Anglesey Abbey, where he worked for over 40 years as did his father before him and now his son is following the tradition as a gardener there too.\u00a0 Do visit Anglesey Abbey, as the Winter Walk with especially the silver birches, should look its best now.\u00a0 Richard brought some beautiful pictures of the many flowerbeds he had created over the years which showed very effective plant associations, for instance try planting geraniums to grow through Monarda.\u00a0 Then there is Galega offinalis – Goats Rue, an informal plant which looks best scrambling through low branches of shrubs which support the foliage and allows the stems of lavender and mini-sweet pea flowers to space themselves out and make a good display.\u00a0 This is a tall plant which is good at the end of a border.<\/p>\n
A tip for those of us who occasionally open our gardens (!) – you always need a talking point to get visitors interested in your garden.\u00a0 For instance, Richard suggested planting Salvia Turkestanica – a spectacular sun-loving biennial with pale pink bracts and lavender flowers which grows to over a metre high which was introduced to this country by the Crusaders.\u00a0 So, where is the point of interest, I hear you say – well it is also called House-maid’s armpit. Perhaps not a plant for our genteel villages after all!<\/p>\n
Other plants worth a space in your garden include the blue geranium Rozanne, tolerant of most conditions apart from waterlogged sites (remember them?). Deadhead regularly to prolong the flowering period.\u00a0 This provides excellent ground cover at the front of borders.<\/p>\n
However, I am not a gardening correspondent per se so I must curb my enthusiasm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two very different speakers have entertained us at our last couple of meetings.\u00a0 Firstly, we enjoyed hearing a master of his trade – Richard Ayres, former Head Gardener of Anglesey Abbey, where he worked for over 40 years as did … Continue reading