Protected: Planting in Shade
October 20th, 2009Planting for coastal areas over Chalk
October 20th, 2009
Planting in coastal, chalky conditions
As coastal areas receive fewer and less intense frosts than inland areas , one is able to grow many slightly tender shrubs and plants, however they often need to have tough grey or green waxy leaves, or narrow or hairy leaves to ensure they are not burned up by the salty winds especially during frosty spells when soil moisture is locked up . Chalky soils are very free draining and often occur on the drier south and east of Britain further increasing the requirement for plants to be drought tolerant to survive. Fortunately plants suited to drier “mediteranean” climates are often more tolerant of calcareous soils (which is saturated with calcium and other minerals) than those from wetter climates , where soil minerals do not accumulate in the top soil but are washed downwards.
Seafront gardens plants should be planted in cushions so each plant gives protection to those behind it . Single plants sticking up above the others are liable to have there leaves burnt off. The tender new foliage of deciduous trees and shrubs are especially vulnerable.
Climers for planting in exposed chalky soils
|
CLEMATIS tangutica, chirrosa vars. ,viticella vars, montana vars., |
COTONEASTER horizontalis Climbing roses , most |
Other planting in exposed sites on chalky soils
A |
B |
| ACACIA Retinoides, meansii, cultriformis ACANTHUS mollis, spinosus ACER pseudoplanatus vars AESCULUS hippocastanatum. AGAPANTHUS sp./cvs. AMPELODOPSIS mauritanica (a tall med. grass) ANTHEMIS cupaniana, ARTEMISA absinthum, arb. “Powis Castle” ASTER sedifolia, novae anglii CARYOPTERIS vars. CASSINIA fulvida, wards silver etc CEANOTHUS arboreus , ‘blue cushion’, ‘blue mound’ ‘concha’ “impressus” (small leaves) etc. CHAMAEROPS humilis CENTAUREA macrocephala, scabiosa CENTRANTHUS rubra, r. ‘alba’ CERCIS siliquastrum CISTUS cyprius, blanche , crispus, purpureus etc. CINERARIA maritima CHRYSANTHEMUM (leucanthemum)border vars |
BULBS, tulipa, scilla, narcissi, anemone blanda, Leaucojum aestevum, galanthus, allium, muscari, iphion uniflorum, iris reticulata and dutch, crocus, ornithogalum umbellatum & nutans, lilium candidum, |
C |
D |
|
CLEMATIS orientalis, Montana, flammula, viticella, armandii, tangutica. |
DIANTHUS DORYCNIUM hirsutum |
E |
F |
|
ECHINOPS ritro, humilis |
FATSIA japonica |
G |
H |
|
GAZANIA vars |
HEBE large x, Salicifolia, “Midsummer beauty”, Fragrant Jewel Great orme ,etc. |
I & J |
K & L |
|
ILEX x altaclerensis |
KNIPHOFIA |
M & N & O |
P |
|
MAGNOLIA grandiflora, x loebneri “Leonard Messel”& ‘Merrill’, Stellata |
PAEONIA delavayi, lutea, mollis, officinalis etc. |
Q & R & S |
T & U & V & W |
|
QUERCUS ilex, cerris, suber |
TAXUS baccata |
X & Y & Z |
|
| YUCCA gloriosa , gl. Variagata |
East Northdown Farm Plant Nursery – Farmer’s weekly
July 24th, 2009THERE’S something different about the plant nursery at East Northdown Farm (Northdown farm plant nursery map). For a start there are no massed pots of tender plants hot off a lorry from Holland here. Instead there are more resilient plants propagated from stock that has been proven to suit chalk soil, low rainfall and drying north easterly winds – conditions they face in the farm’s garden, a mere salty breeze from Margate, Kent.
“A wind is always blowing off the sea here and we have a low rainfall. We have built up a reputation for selling plants that will grow well – the sort of plants that we know do well in our own garden,” explains William Friend who runs the plant nursery with his wife Louise. Louise , a surveyor, changed her career and put her efforts into the fledgling plant nursery when the couple started a family.
William and Louise Friend the owners of East Northdown Farm Plant Nursery
The plant nursery keeps the couple busy seven days a week but they enjoy working together and find it has helped them become more integrated into the local community. “Customers like to be served by us personally and ask how the family is, and they like the fact that we grow most of the plants ourselves,” says Louise.
Customers can take a walk round their garden, which is not some clipped and mannered, tidy plot but a wonderful fulsome mix of plants that fills every inch of border and shows the full gamut of growth from bud to seed head.
“People wonder why everything is not dead-headed or clipped back but we want the seeds and we want to take cuttings, divide up plants and propagate things on,” explains William. “People like to look round it, especially on Sundays and we take them to see the plants. Some things are hardy here that will not be elsewhere like euryops (big shrubs with grey or green leaves) and salvias which flower from June to November. Quirky things do well here, such as grey leaved plants that will rot off in the West Country where it is just as warm but wet.”
A lot of Californian plants do well in the garden such as the Californian tree poppy – Romneya coulteri with its papery yellow-centered white flowers and the Californian fuschia. Visitors may spot fragrant myrtle, a hybrid strawberry tree – Arbutus x ‘marina’ , several varieties of the bottle-brush plant, pineapple broom, sea kale, a Chilean wine palm, Arum italicum, Russian sage, bronze fennel and yellow bay. When Farmlife called the huge purple thistle-like heads of cardoons stood tall in a border as did spires of Acanthus mollis. Peaches were ready to pick and brown figs were ripe to bursting. The Magnolia grandifloras were sold out as the Magnolia tree outside the farm shop had ensured a run on sales, its exotic white flowers set against glossy green leaves having caught the eye of passing motorists.
Most customers live locally or come from nearby coastal towns but the plant nursery gets a lot of Londoners, too, who are visiting relatives in the area. “There is a big Cypriot community who like our trees. We sell olive trees, which won’t fruit here, and figs, apricots and peaches, which will,” explains William.
“We also sell a lot of our own grown large evergreens and specimen shrubs and are famous for our cordylines and phormiums. We have a lot of retired people round here who feel they can’t wait too long for things to grow! On the other hand they won’t pay silly prices asked for Italian grown specimen plants” William and Louise are happy with their business. “We have invested a lot of time ,money and enthusiasm into our business and feel it is finally paying dividends. Plants have always been my hobby and passion and this shows through. Fellow gardeners recognize that you ‘know your stuff’ which gives us the edge over most our competition.” Says William ,who is an Oxford trained plantsman.
The article above is an extract from coverage that we received in the Farmer’s weekly
The Gardens at our Kent plant nursery
July 8th, 2009The Gardens
We have extensive plantings around the carpark, road frontage and business park as well as the farmhouse gardens.
Plants are chosen to cope with local chalky and coastal conditions and include many rare or unusual slightly tender ‘Mediterranean’ plants. Visitors can explore the gardens at anytime, at no charge. William gives gardening talks to local clubs and societies and also guided walks through the gardens on set days in the summer. These are also arranged for schools and clubs for summer outings by appointment. At other times notes on what is flowering in the garden are available, and staff are always available to answer questions.