The Gardener's Almanac 2024 by Greg Loades

Author:Greg Loades [Loades, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

HEAD GARDENER’S JOB OF THE MONTH

Preparing late-summer displays at Cragside, Northumberland Head Gardener – Peter Edge

Cragside was the first place in the world to be lit with hydroelectricity. William Armstrong used the grounds as a vast testing site to harness the power of water. With his wife, Margaret, they built their home and transformed a rocky moorland into a fantasy mountain landscape. Nestled within the grounds is the Formal Garden – a vibrant ornamental garden that was filled with plants and flowers from all over the world. While the garden has changed over time, the gardeners continue to plant with masses of bold colours in mind.

At the start of summer, we plant the dahlia display. By July, these should be growing well but not yet flowering. They require plenty of nutrients, so we will feed them and ensure the borders are weed-free, as well as start to tie them to formal stakes this month. We will also pinch out the top growing tip, known as ‘stopping’, to encourage late-summer branching and a proliferation of flowers. We also plant our summer bedding borders with plants such as pelargoniums, verbena and cineraria. These are fed monthly with organic chicken manure pellets, which are easy to apply with little risk of damaging the foliage.

These late-summer flower displays are a key feature of Cragside. They offer a wonderful surprise of colour as autumn approaches, exciting the senses, contrasting with the wilder areas of the grounds. In July, work will ensure that a mass of flowers will show more vibrantly and for a longer period, from August right through until the first frost.

PLANTS OF THE MONTH

Echinacea

There are so many colours and flower forms of Echinacea available to gardeners these days – much more than there were a generation ago. The more fancy forms tend to be the fussiest and the secret to successful growth is sharp drainage. Grow them in full sun for the best flowering and keep them well watered in the first couple of years. Their tolerance to drought is low until they’re well established. Leave flowerheads intact for winter structure. Height: up to 1.5m (5ft).

Calibrachoa Million Bells Terracotta

One of the most elegant trailing summer bedding plants, the terracotta-streaked and light orange blooms of Calibrachoa (Million Bells) ‘Terracotta’ keep coming all summer long. A ‘self-cleaning’ plant, it sheds its old flowers so there’s no need to deadhead. It copes well with drought. Height: 10cm (4in).

Achillea ‘Cerise Queen’

The delightful mix of bold, flat flowerheads and soft, feathery foliage make achilleas a must-have for sunny borders with ‘thin’, sandy soil. This is a tremendous plant for providing sharp colour to a sun-baked spot in the garden. Stake the plants well and the clusters of flowers will provide blocks of colour in the middle of a border, as well as being good landing pads for pollinators. Height: 60cm (2ft).

Nicotiana sylvestris

Looking somewhat ungainly from a distance, the flowers of this fast-growing annual prove to be elegant on closer inspection, and at night they release a sweet, delicious scent.

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