Garden design and gardening in April

At Karen Chamberlain Garden Design we hope you had a good Easter. With pictures in the papers of Easter day UK wide some being celebrated in snow, others sunshine be it a little nippy – we are still waiting patiently for the heat wave promised by the weather man. Set to strike soon!
So turning our thoughts from snow to gardening, the following highlights my thoughts on gardening and what to do this month….

Tall perennials
Now is the time to erect supports over emerging perennials. The rapid growth of the new foliage will quickly obscure the supports which will repay you by keeping your plants from flopping all over the borders in summer.

Although I’m not keen on fussing with supports I do find it pays to give a helping hand to Aster Monch and Gladiolus communis byzantinus, two designer darlings that would definitely make it on to my desert island list.

Snap off their heads!
There’s no sadder sight than the spent flower of a once sunny daffodil, so as they finish it’s off with their heads. Not only does this refresh the scene, for a while, but it also stops them wasting energy trying to produce unwanted seed.

Don’t be tempted to cut down their leaves until they turn yellow as the bulb needs them to make food for next year’s flowers.

Feed fruit

If you grow fruit now is the time to give your plants a boost. You could use a ‘general fertiliser’; a balanced offering of all the major nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and Potassium (K), or better still you could target fruit production by choosing one that is rich in potassium such as ‘Sulphate of Potash’, just follow the manufacturer’s instructions. (If you have ever wondered about the use of the letter K to stand for Potassium, it’s because it used to be known as Kalium.)

Offer of the Month
This is a new regular item where I will be passing on any garden related offers that come my way. Happy shopping!
Readers and ‘friends’ of The English Garden are offered 20% off their next order from Sarah Raven. On her web site, www.sarahraven.com use the code ‘TEGSP13’. I’ve just ordered her hugely delicious book on garden plants for flower arranging. Honestly the pictures look good enough to eat.

Plant of the month
This month my beautiful Clematis armandii will blossom releasing a delicate cloud of vanilla perfume from its creamy white blooms. I have it climbing over a arch which I pass under every time I traipse up to the compost bin. It is a vigorous evergreen climber so normally would need a lot of space but this poor chap is still in its container, maybe this year it will get planted!

For garden design advice specific to your garden and to find out about the garden design and planting courses we run, contact Karen on 01206 369 333 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk

Posted in Garden design advice, Gardening advice, Monthly gardening advice |

Garden design & planting tips this Easter!

At Karen Chamberlain Garden Design we wish all our clients across Essex and Suffolk a VERY HAPPY EASTER!

With all this snow around the country and a bitter chill to the wind we can be forgiven for thinking it is still mid-winter, not a time when we should really have a spring in our step and be surrounded by daffodils!

Well with the Easter bunny firmly wrapped up inside the below are few gardening and planting design tips for your garden for March.

Stay connected

But first a word on keeping in touch, did you know as well as through our blog you can also follow Karen Chamberlain Garden Design on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and by signing up to receive our Monthly Newsletter.  So don’t miss out on top garden design, planting tips and lots more follow us now!

Things to do in March

1. Plant Lilies

Some books will tell you that lilies are planted in autumn when in fact they can be planted much later as they only need 12-14 weeks from panting to producing those gorgeous bowl-you-over blooms.  You should find them in the garden centres now, hanging up on racks in little plastic bags desperate to get into the soil.

So with a certain devil-may-care attitude and a spring in your step I give you permission to impulse buy, just this once!

1. Sow Some Chillies

Chillies provide a certain kick to many a dish, so why not plant them in your garden! To achieve a decent outdoor crop chillies need a long growing season and are best stared off indoors towards the end of this month.

I find a window sill which faces northish/east and is above a radiator to be a good spot as it’s light, warm but not scored by the midday sun.  “I like to play it cool” so this year I am trying two varieties suitable for outdoors ‘Meek & Mild’ which is said to be ideal for stuffing and roasting and another ‘Padron’ billed as a Tapas Pepper both have low heat levels.

So we hope you have a great Easter and remember to keep connected.  For garden design advice specific to your garden and to find out about the garden design and planting courses we run, contact Karen on 01206 369 333 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk

Posted in Garden design advice, Gardening advice, Monthly gardening advice, News |

Gardening in December (not much!)

When it comes to your garden, December may not be the month for getting your hands dirty, but it is the month for Christmas festivities and planning for the year ahead! So put down the spade and think of your garden loving friends and family in your life and to help them make the most of their gardens in 2013.

You may be very organised and already have finished your Christmas shopping, but if like me it’s still all to do here are some great gift ideas:

1) Find inspiration by browsing through the Gardener’s Royal Benevolent Society Perennial website shopping section. They have a good shop area of garden-centric items perfect for the gardener in the family. (Personally, I would find the little string cutter that fits on your finger very useful, I’m always losing the scissors when tying in toms!).

2) Or what about looking at the new Gift section of our website where you can buy gift vouchers perfect for those who are already keen gardeners or those who are in need of a little inspiration.

Gifts include….

a) A Garden Design Consultation where your loved one will be treated to an in-depth evaluation of their garden’s potential and will receive lots of advice and ideas on how to achieve their dream garden. They will also be presented with a list of designer favourite plants.

b) A Personal Studio Session Gift for those who would like to work on a planting project during a one-to-one session with Karen in her home studio. During this gift they will have access to Karen’s extensive plant library, her individual support and considerable experience to guide and inspire them.

So back to the garden and what to do at this time of year….

1) Plant Garlic – an almost fool-proof veg that even the slugs leave alone. I’ve had best results from November/December plantings as the cloves need a cold snap to trigger bulb formation. They do prefer a free draining soil so if you are on heavy wet clay start them off in pots outside or in an unheated green house, then you can pop them in the ground when the soil is drier in the Spring. Although it’s tempting to use supermarket bulbs they may not be types suited the UK climate. My best performing varieties have been ‘Early Purple Wight’ and ‘Solent Wight’ from The Garlic Farm on the Isle of Wight.

2) Last chance to plant Tulips – although November is the preferred month, it’s not too late. In fact, the up side is that they will be going cheap in the garden centres and your summer plants will have died back so that you can see where the gaps are.

Truly Scrumptious Winter Cake

One vegetable that does seem to have done well this year is beetroot and this reminds me of an amazing cake recipe from Mr Nigel Slater. The instructions for the ‘Beetroot Seed Cake’ click here may look a bit of a faff – but stick with it as you’ll be amazed by not only the glorious colour, that sadly disappears on cooking, but also by the rather intriguing taste– kids will enjoy making this one too. Oh, and it’s very nutritious so you can feel very virtuous.

Plant of the month

Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’ This is one of my favourite dogwoods, chosen for its flame-coloured stems that positively sizzle once the leaves have fallen. Best planted in groups, especially near water. Most dogwoods are cut back every spring as only the newer stems have the desirable colour, however this plant is a little slower and more compact than most and so you may want to leave it 2-3 years before cutting it back.

Finally at Karen Chamberlain Garden Design we wish all our clients across Essex and Suffolk a Happy Christmas and a prosperous 2013!  To talk to Karen about our garden design and planting services please contact us now on 01206 369 333 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk

Posted in Monthly gardening advice, News |

Garden design and gardening tips for August

At Karen Chamberlain Garden Design we hope that you have had an enjoyable summer, whether it be celebrating the Queens Jubilee or watching the Olympics, with such a lot going on it sure is a good year to be proud to be British!

If you missed our recent Olympic blog featuring past garden design student Rachel Read who won a competition contributing to the design of the garden for the 2012 Olympic Games Stratford Park site please click here.

Over the summer months when not watching our Olympic athletes in action we have been busy as usual assisting clients across Essex and Suffolk, most recently in the areas of Sudbury, Braintree and Halstead both with full garden design assistance and on-site consultations/garden design advice.

In this month’s blog for a refreshing change we have put together a few bona fide excuses for those needing avoidance tactics/excuses when it comes to gardening.  So if you are looking for a valid reason why to “leave it to later” please read below.  Also check out our plant of the month the  Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’

Avoid – Laying a new lawn

Grass roots get very stressed in hot weather (at the time of writing I’m assuming it will be hot at the time of reading!) and have trouble keeping up with the water demands of the leaves. Existing lawns can just about cope but new ones will struggle to establish.

Avoid- Moving or planting larger plants

For the same reasons as above really, it’s all to do with the roots which are frantically delivering water and nutrients to the rest of the plant, so when you disturb this network you seriously hinder the plants ability to take up supplies.

Avoid – Feeding or mulching borders

When soil is dry(!) it’s the worst time to mulch as all you do is lock in the dryness. Similarly, fertilisers are not easily absorbed by the plant roots unless there is plenty of moisture in the soil. (If you are mulching give the earth a good soak first)

Plant of the month

Aster x frikartii ‘Monch’ this is my favourite Michaelmus Daisy due to its continuous display of starry lavender blue flowers from late July through to October (possibly even to December) which, unlike other members of the family, is free from mildew.  At 90-120cm tall it can be a bit of a flopper so keep it towards the back and give it a bit of a corset. Team it with Japanese anemones, penstemons and sedums  to ensure some late summer interest.

We love everything about gardens and garden design and would love to talk to you about yours!  Please do not hesitate to contact us about your garden design needs or to find out more about one of our courses .  Call 01206 369 333 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk.

Posted in Garden design advice, Monthly gardening advice |

Garden design and planting tips for June

The sun may not be shining but here at Karen Chamberlain Garden Design in Colchester we have been both busy in the garden and assisting clients with their design needs .  Here are a few top tips for the month of June, for more information on our garden design and consultation services and how we might be able to assist you please do not hesitate to give us a call on 01206 369333.

Trim box hedging and topiary

It’s time to give box its first cut of the season. New growth will be looking a bit shaggy now so a quick trim over will keep plants in shape for the summer. If your plants need something more drastic, they will respond well to being cut back hard as long as you feed and mulch afterwards.

Plant up a herb container

Choose your favourite herbs, the ones you are always adding to the shopping list is a good starting point, and plant up a large terracotta container with a selection. It’s usually warm enough now for you to include basil but you might want to hold off for a few weeks!

Keep it by the kitchen door or barbecue in a warm sunny spot and don’t forget to water it. About six weeks after planting the nutrients in the compost will be depleted so start feeding with a general purpose feed.

Dead head roses

June is the main flowering time for roses. Old fashion varieties will only bloom once but modern ones will go on all summer and you can help them put their energies into more flowers instead of producing hips by removing faded flowers.  Traditional advice was to cut back the whole flower head and stem  to just above a leaf joint, however new research shows that new flowers will appear more quickly if you just snap off the head.

Plant of the month

Rosa ‘ Kew Gardens’

In June 2011, I offered up this rose as a ‘current favourite’ and one which I was trialling in my garden.  I originally chose it because it was reported to be “extremely healthy, repeat flowering all summer [if you dead head], almost thornless with clusters of pretty, single flowers starting as soft apricot buds opening to white with a hint of soft lemon and ideal for low hedges or in a mixed border”.  A year later I can wholeheartedly recommend this pretty little rose, it’s going on my list of ‘good doers’.

We love everything about gardens and garden design and would love to talk to you about yours!  Please do not hesitate to contact us about your garden design needs or to find out more about one of our courses .  Call 01206 369 333or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk.

Posted in Monthly gardening advice |

Garden design and gardening tips for April

At Karen Chamberlain Garden Design based just outside Colchester we work with clients across Essex and Suffolk all who we know are extremely busy this month, with just SO much work to do in the garden!

Here are just a few ideas to get you started.  For more help and advice with your garden design and planting needs, please call or visit our website and we would be happy to talk to you about our consultation services and courses that can run either for you or a group of friends at your home.

• Sow seeds

Get all your seed packets out and sort them by sowing month.  Some can be sown straight into the soil where you hope they will grow, others will need to be sown indoors in containers with the protection of an unheated greenhouse or a well lit windowsill. If the instructions talk about propagators then these seeds need warmth to germinate. I find a windowsill in a heated room is adequate.  Note – you don’t have to sow all the seeds in a packet; I notice that my packet of brussel sprouts would provide 171 plants!

• Weed

Invest time now to get on top of your weeding.  If you weed early in the season it will reduce the problem later on.

• Prune for bigger foliage

With annual pruning you can control the size of shrubs so that they can be used in smaller spaces and as a bonus get bigger and better foliage. Two plants that are very amenable to this treatment are Cotinus (smoke bush) and Sambucus (elder).

• Plant of the month

It just has to be the very dainty and elegant Star Magnolia Magnolia stellata. This is a deservedly popular shrub for small spaces including containers. It’s long lived, slow growing and one of the few magnolias that will tolerate more alkaline soils. Around early April its silky buds open several weeks before the leaves, revealing spidery white flowers which will eventually cover the shrub for several weeks.

We love gardens and to talk to people about theirs! Please do not hesitate to contact us about your garden design needs or to find out more about one of our courses .  Call us 01206 323678 or email info@karenchamberlain.co.uk.

Posted in Monthly gardening advice |