Garrya should be grown in more sheltered sites, in a shrub border or against a wall, in full sun or partial shade – it will thrive in any soil. It is fully hardy, will tolerate pollution and is well suited to coastal conditions and may even tolerate temperatures as low as -10 c. Height and spread of 4m (12ft) x 4m (12ft)

It was named after Nicholas Garry, Secretary of the Hudson’s Bay Company who assisted David Douglas in his explorations of the Pacific North-West in the 1820s, and can be found growing naturally in woodland in western USA, Central America and the West Indies. The name eliptica means eliptic, referring to the shape of the leaves. There are 13 species in the genus, the females produce purple brown berries on separate plants from the male, but the male catkins are what make this plant so appealing.

Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ is a particular favourite – a lovely form with dark sea-green, slightly larger leaves and silver-grey catkins up to 20cm (8in) long.

Pruning, if needed, should be done in mid spring to remove shoots that spoil symmetry and dead or damaged growth.  It can be susceptible to fungal leaf spot and also wind burn.

Introduce a new friend to The Garden House and they will receive a 10% discount on their first booking!

GARDENING QUIZ: PART 2

1.Araucaria araucana is better known as what?

• Tree of Heaven
• Dragon tree
• Monkey puzzle tree

2. ‘Iceberg’ is NOT a type of what?

• White arum
• Lettuce
• Rose

3. Camellias belong to which plant family?

• Heather
• Iris
• Apple

4. What is a cloche?

• A cover to protect plants
• A type of fruit
• A way of digging

5. Jasper Carrott could be linked to which of these vegetable varieties?

• ‘Chantenay Red Cored’
• “Webbs Wonder’
• ‘Gardener’s Delight’

6. What is the Latin name of the yellow winter jasmine?

• Jasminum nakediflorum
• Jasminum nudiflorum
• Jasminum bareiflorum

7. The traditional Christmas tree – Picea abies – is what type of conifer?

• Fir
• Pine
• Spruce

8. Why would you cover carrots with horticultural fleece?

• To keep them warm in winter
• To stop the being attacked by carrot root fly
• To hide them from view

INSTRUCTIONS:

Print off each of the four quiz parts, ring around the correct answer, add your name and address (of course!) – and post to Bridgette and Deborah at The Garden House, 5 Warleigh Road, Brighton BN1 4NT

Answers must be received by 25th JANUARY – and we’ll announce the winner by the end of January – best of luck!

Introduce a new friend to The Garden House and they will receive a 10% discount on their first booking!

GARDENING QUIZ: PART 1

1. The cranberry, so popular at Christmas, is botanically known as what?

• Needlium
• Injectium
• Vaccinium

2. What would a gardener do with a dibble or dibber?

• Scrape mud off spades and trowels
• Make holes in compost to transplant seedlings
• Grade soil particles according to size

3. What is meant by resistant vegetable variety?

• A variety that is resistant to attack from pests or diseases
• A variety that is not resistant to attack from pests and diseases
• A variety that doesn’t like being moved

4. The Royal Horticultural Society runs a large garden at Rosemoor.  Which county is it in?

• Kent
• Devon
• Warwickshire

5. What general term is given to trees and shrubs whose leaves fall in autumn?

• Deciduous
• Evergreen
• Ambidextrous

6. What is the popular term for the flowering house plant Impatiens walleriana?

• Marguerite
• Black-eyed Susan
• Busy Lizzie

7. What is the name given to the technique of clipping trees and hedges into ornamental shapes?

• Topiary
• Bonsai
• Renewal pruning

8. Why do gardeners practice crop rotation?

• To grow bigger vegetables
• To make the garden appear organized and efficient
• To help prevent a build up of pests and diseases in the soil

9. Which part of a tree can be used to make cork?

• The bark
• Root tissue
• Pulped seeds

10. The love apple is the original name for what?

• Potato
• Tomato
• Quince

INSTRUCTIONS:

Print off each of the four quiz parts, ring around the correct answer, add your name and address (of course!) – and post to Bridgette and Deborah at The Garden House, 5 Warleigh Road, Brighton BN1 4NT

Answers must be received by 25th JANUARY – and we’ll announce the winner by the end of January – best of luck!

Goodwill To Men – Give Us Your Money by Pam Ayres

It was Christmas Eve on a Friday

The shops was full of cheer,

With tinsel in the windows,

And presents twice as dear.

A thousand Father Christmases,

Sat in their little huts,

And folk was buying crackers

And folk was buying nuts.

All up and down the country,

Before the light was snuffed,

Turkeys they get murdered,

And cockerels they got stuffed,

Christmas cakes got marzipanned,

And puddin’s they got steamed

Mothers they got desperate

And tired kiddies screamed.

Hundredweight’s of Christmas cards,

Went flying through the post,

With first class postage stamps on those,

You had to flatter most.

Within a million kitchens,

Mince pies was being made,

On everyone’s radio,

“White Christmas”, it was played.

Out in the frozen countryside

Men crept round on their own,

Hacking off the holly,

What other folks had grown,

Mistletoe on willow trees,

Was by a man wrenched clear,

So he could kiss his neighbour’s wife,

He’d fancied all the year.

And out upon the hillside,

Where the Christmas trees had stood,

All was completely barren,

But for little stumps of wood,

The little trees that flourished

All the year were there no more,

But in a million houses,

Dropped their needles on the floor.

And out of every cranny, cupboard,

Hiding place and nook,

Little bikes and kiddies’ trikes,

Were secretively took,

Yards of wrapping paper,

Was rustled round about,

And bikes were wheeled to bedrooms,

With the pedals sticking out.

Rolled up in Christmas paper

The Action Men were tensed,

All ready for the morning,

When their fighting life commenced,

With tommy guns and daggers,

All clustered round about,

“Peace on Earth – Goodwill to Men”

The figures seemed to shout.

The church was standing empty,

The pub was standing packed,

There came a yell, “Noel, Noel!”

And glasses they got cracked.

From up above the fireplace,

Christmas cards began to fall,

And trodden on the floor, said:

“Merry Christmas, to you all.”

• yummy Christmas breads, cakes and preserves
• beautiful plants, bulbs and seeds
• marvelous mosaics
• gorgeous knits
• stunning jewellery
• amazing art
• stylish ceramics
• hand-crafted gifts for the gardener

And a whole lot more besides!  Enjoy a wonderful festive afternoon – bring friends and family to The Garden House, 5 Warleigh Road, Brighton BN1 4NT

Our Garden Room is a unique space in a beautiful garden setting, ideal for relaxed and informal social gatherings.

We cater for lunches and suppers for groups.  Delicious food freshly cooked using, where possible, produce from the garden or locally sourced ingredients.  The Garden Room and tables beautifully decorated with foliage and berries from the garden.

Contact us to view our Festive Menus – £28 per person to include a welcome drink.  Bring your own wine to accompany the meal.

We’re taking bookings now.  Do get in touch and find out more!

See how they fall

An infinity of heavenly aspirations

Come to convert the world

With a deep and even purity.

Sent to nullify and cleanse

To enhance and beautify

To muffle and calm

With the tranquillity

Of a gossamer eiderdown.

To cloak in a mystery

Of endless variations

Of the same tonal theme;

Converting everything

To a glistening coalescence.

Tidying up the farmyard

Smoothing out the fields

Transmogrifying neglected gardens

Into dazzling showpieces,

Cluttered garden sheds

Into sparkling summer-houses,

Making abandoned bean sticks

As elegant as sculptured crystal,

And fondant death-traps

Of old familiar ponds

Enhancing the weary timothy

In the sad neglected churchyard.

Cheering up the stories

On the long forgotten grave stones.

Turning distant spires

Into alabaster space rockets

And drooping telephone lines

Into crystal mooring ropes

For ocean going bungalows.

The purification is complete, unblemished,

Save for the prints of wandering spirits

Fading in the gentle cascade.

A great choice is Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ which has rich orange, red and yellow stems and forms a thick, suckering shrub. This cultivar looks really vibrant wonderful on a clear sunny day.

• Common name: Common dogwood, common cornel
• Family: Cornaceae
• Height & spread: Up to 1.5m x 0.8m
• Form: Upright deciduous shrub
• Soil: Tolerates a wide range of soils and locations, but prefers moist soil
• Aspect: Full sun for best winter stem colour
• Hardiness: Fully hardy to -15˚C (5F)

The original plant of this selection of Cornus sanguinea was discovered in a German garden by H. Venhorst in about 1980, but wasn’t named ‘Midwinter Fire’ until 1990.

It is a very robust shrub that spreads by suckering to fill spaces. Its winter colour is shown to greatest effect when grown in front of a dark background, also when grown with other colourful dogwoods with contrasting stem colours.

The young stems are a brilliant orange-yellow from autumn through to spring, with red tints on the sunnier sides of the stems. As the new leaves appear, the stems turn a yellow-green, bearing bright green leaves that can turn a brilliant yellow in autumn. White flowers, borne in dense flat cymes, are produced in summer followed by dull blue-black fruit.

Cultivation: Will grow in a wide range of soils and locations, but will give the best winter stem colour if grown in full sun. It is ideal for growing alongside a pond or stream as it prefers moister soils.

To maintain good winter stem colour, Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ should be pruned down to 2-3 buds above the base in spring. To maintain a good framework only a third of the stems should be pruned each year, and these should be the oldest stems each time.

Propagation: Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ is ideal for taking hardwood cuttings from in autumn.

To see this amazing plant in all its glory join us for our visit to Anglesey Abbey in February – see DIARY on this website for more info.

So wonderful whilst it’s looking fresh, treacherous underfoot when it gets icy – and downright disaster for the garden if you didn’t prepare in good time (I didn’t!)…

On the plus side, it’s a great insulator, and it melts to provide much needed water to dry plants in the winter. However, heavy snow and ice build up can cause devastating damage in the garden if limbs and trunks bend or break. Even hardy plants and tough evergreens can also be damaged by prolonged spells of severe cold when soil becomes frozen.

To protect (I know too late this time, but worth remembering!):

• Tie up plants: Before the snow, use plant netting to tie up the branches of your conifers and soft shrubs, to prevent them from being misshapen or broken by snow. Tie them in a cone shape, to deflect snow off to the sides.
• Move containers: Put planters and containers under a shed or porch during snow and ice storms to keep freezing water from expanding and breaking containers.
• Prevent your pond freezing over: Place a rubber ball in any outdoor ponds to prevent them icing over completely, then remove to allow oxygen into the water.

Post heavy snow:

• Look after your garden birds: Don’t forget to put out extra food out, clearing snow and ice off bird-tables – and most important, fresh water – if possible de-ice your bird-baths and top up with fresh water.
• Take care clearing paths: Be careful not to pile snow on your plants when clearing paths as it will then need to be removed and might do damage you can’t prevent.
• Avoid Salt: Salt can damage lawns and plants when it runs off your driveway. If your plants have been exposed to salt, water and rinse them well as soon as temperatures are above freezing. Next time, use sand or clay-based kitty litter instead of salt.
• Take care with damaged trees: Tender branches (particularly conifers) may become broken or weighed down with heavy snow. Broken branches should be pruned away immediately to prevent injury and disease. Ragged tears are very susceptible to infection, so remove damaged wood using clean cuts.
• Remove snow from roofs (if you can safely): Remove the piles of snow that may cascade down onto your shrubs from the roof above. If your shrubs are right in the danger zone under a steep roof, you may want to protect them with a temporary wooden frame.
• Keep off grass: Snow covered grass is fragile, easily uprooted, and susceptible to fungal diseases under the snow. Avoid walking on snow-covered grass as it will damage the turf beneath and leave unsightly marks on the lawn. 

Try to save damaged plants:

The extent of the damage often won’t be clear until spring, when you find out if your plant is able to spring back into shape. Wait for spring to do any staking or reshaping of bent plants, since winter branches are extremely brittle. In the spring they’ll be much more supple.

• Cut back frosted growth in spring to a healthy, new bud, to prevent further die back and encourage plants to produce fresh, new shoots.
• Feed damaged plants with a balanced fertiliser (one with equal amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) to encourage strong, healthy growth.
• Dig up small, tender plants and take them into the greenhouse. Many will quickly produce new growth and recover, provided they are not subjected to prolonged periods of heavy frost, wet or cold.
• Newly planted specimens will often lift themselves proud of the soil surface if there is a hard frost straight after planting. Check them regularly and re-firm the ground around them to ensure their roots are always in contact with the soil.

Finally – just enjoy the sheer beauty of your snowy gardenscape – take some photos and make a note in your September diary to have your own Christmas cards printed!

If you are a gardener then you absolutely must visit Great Dixter, near Rye, East Sussex.  I was lucky enough to go there yesterday for the Christmas Fair (27/28^th Nov only).

The incredible spirit of this wonderful garden still lives on and is a testament to the words of the great horticulturalist Christopher Lloyd who lived and gardened at Great Dixter all his life, leaving the estate to The Great Dixter Trust on his death in 2006.

Great Dixter is a Tudor house bought in 1910 by Nathaniel Lloyd, father of Christopher and author of books on brickwork and topiary, and was restored by Edwin Lutyens. Nathaniel designed the framework of the garden and it was initially planted by Daisy Lloyd, Christopher’s mother, who taught Christopher how to garden.

The house is surrounded by the now world-famous garden that was Christopher Lloyd’s lifelong passion; his influence since the war on amateur gardeners in this country can scarcely be overestimated.   He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, together with a love of form and colour – and together with his great strength of trying something new Great Dixter was always evolving, always fresh.

In 1996 he became bored with his rose garden, which had been designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and established for more than 70 years, he simply uprooted it. The replacement, a brazen kaleidoscope of sub-tropical plants, sent shock waves through the gardening world.

It is the most inspirational garden, clearly loved and still gardened by Fergus Garrett who was Christopher Lloyd’s head gardener, and who continues as the garden’s creative head.

Yesterday on a cold November day the late autumn structure was astonishing – the yew hedges and topiary, grasses, trees and shrubs looking beautiful in the low November light.

The fires burning in the grates were welcoming – doubtless the timber in the great hall could tell a thousand stories, Christopher Lloyd was alive today I think he would have been delighted to see his extraordinary home filled with people having fun and enjoying the spirit of Great Dixter.

For a great read try: Colour for Adventurous Gardeners; The Well-Tempered Garden; or Cuttings (a collection of writings for the Guardian) – all by Christopher Lloyd.

See the website www.greatdixter.co.uk for events, opening times, and admission costs and location (if you sign up for their newsletter, you’ll be first to hear what’s upcoming!)…

Christopher Lloyd – “The right time to do a job is when you are in the mood to do it.” What wise words!