The wild bunch
PEOPLE
QI’d like wildflowers in one of my raised beds this summer – do I plant seeds or just buy plants?
AThere are two primary ways you can grow what we term as wildflowers. For an easy option there are suppliers out there growing turf for lawns who will often also grow wildflower turf which can be rolled out. You could look around for a local one.
Otherwise, they are simple to grow from seed.
Make sure that your raised bed is in a good sunny spot and strip away anything that will compete with the seedlings such as bits of grass, stones or weeds.
Lightly rake over the surface and sprinkle over the seed mix. It’s up to you which one you get – native wildflowers are wonderful pollinators but not as showy as some of the bright meadows we see. If you’re in the countryside I’d suggest you stick to natives so there’s no chance of colonising your area with species that may take over.
QWhat are your top tips for giving a herbaceous border structure and ensuring it doesn’t spend half the year as a sea of mud?
AA herbaceous border is generally made up exclusively of herbaceous plants that die down from late autumn to spring. What you’re looking for is a mixed border which is a very sensible solution especially for smaller gardens.
The current trend is topiary cut into pin cushion or spherical shapes dotted through the length of the border which allow the flowers, bulbs and grasses to grow up around them.
But you could also try other evergreen shrubs such as Pittosporum tobira Nanum, some viburnums, or maybe Heavenly bamboo, called Nandina domestica. That will provide a good mix and may also give a structure for some of the taller herbaceous plants that may otherwise need staking.
What would you suggest as a good way to hide an ugly shed in a small garden?
I’d plant it up. The issue with sheds and other structures is that by trying too hard you can end up drawing more attention to it.
Treat it as a host structure for climbing plants, for example Hydrangea petiolaris which is self-clinging and won’t need any framework.
If it’s in a sunny position, you could coat a face of the shed with chicken wire and plant sweet pea to ramble through it. The scent will be wonderful. With a heavier trellis on it, you could use it as the base for a small climbing rose such as ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ which also has great scent. Or if you want a fast solution, consider a Clematis montana which will ramble over the structure in no time at all.
QIs there anything in the garden that you shouldn’t prune? Chopping stuff back scares me.
APruning is a dark art. You prune for shape (think topiary), for productivity of flower or fruit (think apple trees or roses), for health (it’s important to take out any dead and diseased wood) and for convenience (for example, espalier pears pinned to the boundary of a walled garden when there’s no other space available).
But let me tell you a secret… piles of plants will do just fine not pruned. They might not maximise their potential in terms of flower or produce and may look untidy but they’re growing as nature intended. So don’t feel you always have to prune.
A couple of handy rules of thumb: conifers don’t regenerate if they are cut back hard, with the exception of yew; don’t chop back spring flowering shrubs like forsythia until after they have flowered otherwise you will miss all the blossoms.
It’s so lovely to see this native wildflower light up the woodlands with its cheerful yellow flowers.
Also known as lesser celandine, it can be seen in hedgerows and banks of streams as it favours damp places. It is a valuable source of early nectar for pollinators and although it can spread, it’s not really a nuisance in the garden as it will disappear by the end of this month until January, so a nice little visitor to brighten up winter months.