31st January 2014

' The absence of summer clothing reveals the bones of the garden, in a new and reduced aesthetic. What we are left with at the beginning of the year is a newly revealed garden with space and air. Winter forms bear no resemblance to the voluminous greenery that they sported in summer.Some perennials bestow on the winter garden a skeletal legacy that is every bit as interesting as their summer incarnation.' (Dan Pearson, The Garden)
Winter time is also good for catching up on some garden book reading and planning ahead.

Contorted Hazel

We looked at a range of winter twigs:

• Corylus avellana 'Contorta', contorted hazel or Harry Lauder's walking stick is slow growing and prefers sunny or semi shaded sites.
• Hazel (Corylus avellana ) is a deciduous tree growing to around 10m but they are often coppiced. They flower from January to April. Hazel is monoecious: both male and female flowers are found on the same tree. Male flowers appear before the leaves and are long (2–8cm) pendulous catkins, yellow, hanging in clusters. Female flowers are small and bud-like with red styles 5mm. Hazel poles are good for fencing.
• Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) can be identified by opposite black buds. Ash is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers typically grow on different trees. 
• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is a small deciduous tree native to UK and has sloe fruits. It flowers before the Hawthorn as it flowers on bare wood.
• Hawthorn (Crataegus) gets leaves first and then flowers (may blossom) - good for hedging and for wildlife.
• Cherry (Prunus avium), prunus is a huge genus of  trees and shrubs that include plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots, almonds and can be deciduous or evergreen. They often have lovely bark.
• Larch (Larix) -  is a deciduous conifer - it is very unusual to have deciduous conifers. 

Recommended books:

Roy Lancaster - Trees

Jake Hobson- Creative Pruning 

Barcham Nursery are recommended tree suppliers

Activities in the garden this week

• starting a chilli plant trial-3 different seeds to be sown in pots and put into the propagator
• sorting out the auriculas and gritting the pots
• weeding beds and cutting back dead growth
• pruning the blueberry and the pear tree
• potting up succulents and cacti in strawberry planters

The hen appreciated the newly dug beds!