With summer flower show season in full swing, Calne-based garden designer Alex Heath returns with his monthly gardening column, sharing inspiration from some of the country's biggest horticultural events and offering practical tips for gardeners looking to make the most of their outdoor spaces this June.
by Alex Heath
The time of gardening shows is well and truly upon us, beginning in May with the RHS Malvern Spring Festival and culminating with the RHS Wisley Flower show in September. The flower shows and events are a chance for designers, horticulturalists and landscapers to highlight their skills, plants, share information and showcase creativity to gardeners, industry peers and enthusiasts.
Whilst some show gardens such as Chelsea may seem unobtainable to many, with budgets of tens of thousands, the best way to approach these gardens is to be a magpie and collect ideas and concepts rather than trying to purchase the whole garden in one go.
Try looking at planting combinations, hardscaping materials or accessories such as rain chains, fire bowls, lighting and seating used within a design. What appeals to you, how have the designers’ put hardscape and softscape together. Also at their shows, the RHS has started to include smaller feature gardens such as the balcony and small border categories to inspire the public for this very reason, it is less intimidating than a full-size garden and a bit more accessible.
Next month, the RHS is going to host a new flower show at the Badminton estate and it is a great opportunity to collect ideas and also pick up new plants and accessories for the garden. The show will showcase a Calne residents garden, “Out of the shadows” where Will Young with designer and plantsman Jamie Butterworth’s will collaborate together to create a garden that explores the thinking of Carl Jung and a journey through the human psyche.
In concept sketches of the garden, three cube structures which signify various states of mind with planting used to create a feeling and mood associated with each state. This exciting garden uses three cube structures, remaining the constant in the garden space, which change in appearance through the use of planting, a clever design concept that shows how planting can change the look of three identical spaces through the quantity and species of plants chosen.
A small side note is that I will be volunteering at this garden. On two of the show days, I will be showing visitors round this garden being on hand to answers questions anyone might have about the spaces, planting and design ethos. Please come and say hello, if you intend to visit.
If a journey through the human psyche isn’t your thing, then another show garden has been designed by Jo Thompson using her romantic and artistic style to celebrate the 75 th Anniversary of the Radio 4 drama, The Archers. In her concept sketches she has evoked the feeling of being on Bridge Farm and the surrounding countryside. A must see for anyone wanting to create the cottage garden style or fan of the popular radio show.
These are just two of the exciting garden designs highlighted but there are many more you could gain inspiration from during a visit. If you are feeling stuck knowing how to proceed with your garden, then have a day trip out and visit Badminton flower show on the 8th to12 th July. You will be able to learn what you like and go further, discussing your garden dreams with a garden designer.
As garden designers, we will be able to translate the many design elements into a cohesive, beautiful
design. If you are already confident in your gardens style, and have a beautiful garden, then a flower
show is just a great place to grab a bargain or two and have a day out.
Garden tasks for the remainder of June
- Water wisely during the hot weather and increasing heat waves. For well-established plants, watering lightly and regularly will cause plants to have shallow, surface level roots whereas as less frequent but heavier watering will force the plant to send roots deeper making the plant healthy. To aid water retention use mulch and water late at night.
- If you have strawberry plants then now is the perfect time to increase your plants for free. Findrunners and lightly lighting pin the runner to the soil either with a rock or tent peg. This will force the offshoot to establish roots and form a new plant. Try this with pots or just straight on the ground to expand your patch.
- To increase your growing season, keep sowing salad and vegetable seeds to replace the plants that
you have picked. Get the most from your seed packets and land using this age-old method of
successional sowing. - Support your tall perennial plants such as hollyhock with strong canes or metal plant supports to
prevent wind and rain damage. - For longer lasting hanging basket displays, remember to feed regularly to support the hungry plants.
Thin fruit tree crops, identifying smaller fruits, or fruits that are too close together. By thinning them
out, you will have a smaller but overall better crop. - Keep pests in check by regularly inspecting your plants for aphids, mites and caterpillars. Ideally use
a non-chemical method of control such as planting companion plants, boosting wildlife in your
garden or manually removing by picking them off your plants. - Keep on top of perennial weeds such as bindweed and couch grass removing them as soon as you
see them. Remember not to add them into your compost when they are still green. Either dry them
out or make a weed tea to nourish your garden. Take your weeds and place them into a sealed
container of water and leave them for several weeks until they have broken down. Nettles are high
in nitrogen content and comfrey is high in potassium.
