Just because you have a shady area doesn’t mean it will be lacking in colour or interest.
I have several areas just like this, and there are some wonderful plants which will thrive here.
First up – the castor oil plant – Fatsia japonica – this is one of my absolute favourites – it has lovely large palmate shiny green leaves. It is evergreen, so will delight all year round. It also has strange flowers which look like the ivy flower – green clusters on the ends of stalks. It is quite a big plant, but so interesting, I would put it in the middle of a space – depending on the size of the area of course.
Next – Garrya elliptica – with its long silver tassles, it really is a plant of interest. It makes a good backdrop plant as its colours are mainly green & silver. It reaches 2 metres, so it is a whopper – give it space !!!
Climbers – there are plenty of shade lovers. Go for plants which originate in woodland areas and you won’t go far wrong. Lonicera, the honeysuckle, is a wonderful fragrant plant. The scent of those flowers is irresistable. I have several varieties so I have one in flower now, and one which flowers in early spring. They are followed by red berries which my chickens like eating, so I hope they aren’t poisonous.
Another climber which likes dry shade is the climbing hydrangea. It has panicles of white flowers in August. As an example of how much abuse it can take, mine is in the corner beside the favourite dust bath area of the chickens. I don’t know why, but it is. They congregate there at least twice a day and roll about in the now extremely dusty soil. The roots of the poor hydrangea are frequently exposed and I regularly cover them up again. My last attempt included a circle of large stones around it to stop our feathered friends. However, the plant is thriving, so perhaps it’s just me…

Another plant which likes shade is half way between climber and shrub. It’s Jasminum nudiflorum, and flowers from November to February, bless it. Just when we need colour most. Sadly it’s not scented, but the flowers are so pretty, I really don’t mind. As it is more of a shrub, it must be tied in to a trellis if you want it to conform. However, I find it such an unruly beast that I just leave it to its own devices. Anyway, I quite like it in its semi languishing state, lolling around the flower bed. It’s also ideal for layering if you want to propagate more. (More about that another time). When it finishes flowering in February, it resembles a burst mattress, so you might like to give it a bit of a haircut.

So next time you hear of anyone bemoaning their shady garden, silence them with: “You lucky so-and-so !” and direct them to this website.

Autumn is definitely in the air. There is a chill in the mornings as we head into the season of “mists and mellow fruitfulness”. Of course, there are still going to be plenty of warm sunny afternoons and evenings to enjoy a barbecue before the end of the summer. It always seems that the garden, particularly the fruit and vegetables, is only getting underway before the summer seems to be nearing its end.

However, in garden terms, the end of the summer is actually the start of the planning season. If you are thinking of having a new patio area, this is a good time to think about your needs. Do you have enough space? Is the current position of your table and chairs in an area to benefit from evening sunshine? Where does the sun rise? Is there a possible area to make a small paved spot for a bench to sit and enjoy a morning cup of tea? Even in the winter, there are some lovely sunny mornings when it is possible to sit outside, even if we must wear a body warmer.

With the summer season still fresh in our minds, it’s a good time to reflect on successes and failures in the garden. Make a list of aspects you would like to change and keep it somewhere handy. It doesn’t have to happen all at once, but it is useful to refer to, particularly if you would like to avail of our design service.

The patio isn’t the only area to think about. If you had a large family gathering during the summer, was there enough room for everyone to park? Perhaps it would be good to have a better turning area. It isn’t necessary to be able to drive around the house in order to make better use of space. And don’t worry if you already have an area in tarmac or concrete. This could be left in situ with a new area of paving brick to supplement the existing space. You could make the maximum practical use of your garden with the minimum of fuss.

And although this summer is nearing its end, it is a perfect time to start work on your garden as it could be finished in time for next Spring. It may be easier to find a paving contractor and landscaper at this time of year as their workload becomes a bit lighter.

So lets not imagine this time of year to be the closing stages. Consider it the start of exciting new projects to keep you occupied through the autumn and winter. It’s the gateway to the new Spring just around the corner.

It looks like we are in for another unpredictable summer. It hardly rained at all in June and July has been more overcast than sunny. In England, it seems flooding is becoming more of a regular event. If our climate is going to become wetter over time, we need to be able to work with it in our gardens.

If your garden has an area that tends to be waterlogged, there is no point trying to grow Mediterranean style plants such as lavender. Instead, look for plants which flourish in damp conditions such as primula, hosta, astilbe and marsh marigolds. If you have a really boggy area, count yourself lucky as you could grow the wildly impressive Gunnera (or Elephant’s Rhubarb as it is known to some people). Other plants which like wet conditions include Cornus (dogwood with beautiful red stems), willows and the beautiful grass, Carex pendula. If you have a really huge space, you could add a Sequoia tree with its fascinating soft red bark – but beware – it could reach 40 metres in height !

If you don’t fancy any of this, and you are determined to grow something else, you will need to rise above the situation – in more ways than one. Raised beds are the perfect solution. The higher the bed, the drier the soil will be. If you make the bed approximately 50cm high, and it is constructed from wide planks or a wide wall such as the Secura range from Tobermore, it will also double up as seating.

In order to allow the rain water to drain away, the base of the raised beds should be really well dug over and a good base of stones added. Fill the beds with a good mixture of well-rotted manure and soil. Keep an eye on the soil, as during dry spells, it could dry out surprisingly quickly, so be ready to step in with the hose.

We have an area of our garden which is particularly waterlogged. I created a rill and a pond and added some of the plants suggested above. However, I do have a weakness for lavender, so I created individual raised beds for each plant. Technically, the plant is sitting on the surface of the soil. I surrounded it with plenty more soil to keep it from drying out, grading it down to ground level, and then created mini retaining walls around the base from large rocks. Each plant is surrounded by its own miniature dry stone wall – very rustic ! Time will tell if it is a success – watch this space !

I love to have a project on the go. As we try to be as self sufficient as possible, we have chickens and bees as well as vegetables and fruit. They all exist quite happily alongside one another and I have fenced off my vegetable garden to stop the marauding chickens ransacking everything during the summer (they are permitted to enter and clear up the leftovers in the winter and they have free run of the rest of our 1-acre garden all year during the day). They have a safe (hopefully) fox-proof run where I can close them in at night. This is still large enough for them to have plenty of space to scratch around on the rare occasions that I need to keep them in during the day (for example, when there is a delivery van or lorry coming, as our chooks are too inquisitive for their own good). Also in their run is the compost heap which they love to pick through. This is good for me as they help with the turning of the vegetation, necessary to speed up the composting process.

Having a handy husband is also a bonus in the garden. I dream up ideas and sketch them out (sadly, not on the back of a cigarette packet – we’re all non-smokers in our house). A brief explanation and discussion over a cup of coffee usually culminates in a flurry of drilling, sawing, hammering, a few swear words (as we don’t smoke, we have to have some opportunity for stress relief), and Hey Presto ! The finished product. The chickens have moved house twice and had three extensions built (they are now considering submitting plans for a sun lounge on the side of their house !). The bees have had hive stands around the garden, but now have their own safely enclosed and sheltered apiary.

I like to carry out the occasional experiment in my garden. Last year for example, I was making raised beds and I decided to fill it with weeds rather than soil, thus creating a compost heap base which would be bursting with nutrients for the new vegetable crops. In order to stop the weeds coming back to life, I covered them with a very thick layer of newspapers – it is necessary to use whole newspapers to block out the light, not just a few sheets. I then covered the whole lot with 10cm deep compost, left it to break down over the winter, and planted my onions in it this spring. Keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t be the only sane gardener in the world with my own specially cultivated weed bed, I am delighted to announce that it has worked and my onions are thriving and having a lovely time. This has turned out to be a labour saving idea as I didn’t have to turn the compost to help it break down, and I didn’t have to move it from one place to another. So, do try this at home and remember, you read it here first.

The weather has been much better in the last few weeks with very little rain and quite a lot of sunshine. This is absolutely delightful for us and the plants in the garden, but if you have any new plants or plants in containers, they will need to be well watered to avoid dehydration.

When watering, it is not enough to just wet the surface soil. If in doubt poke your finger into the soil by a few centimetres – the chances are that it will be bone dry, so give it a good soak. Also, deep watering encourages the roots to grow further downwards in search of the water which, long term, helps it to stay hydrated.

You may find a potted plant which you have forgotten about. If it looks as if it is at death’s door, don’t panic. Stand it in a bucket of water – overnight if necessary, and it should come back from the brink. Remember, if the plant is ericaceous (eg: Rhododendron, Camellia, Heather), it won’t like tap water so remember to use recycled rainwater.

If you have a flower bed which is in full sun, you can save yourself watering time by adding a good deep mulch of bark chips or recycled compost. It is necessary to give the bed a thorough weeding and watering before you put the mulch on. Ensure that the mulch is at least 15cm deep. Any thinner than this, and the weeds can grow through and the sun will penetrate and dry out the bed. It will make planted beds look much tidier and well-attended. Instead of wasting precious time standing around with the hose, you will be the envy of neighbours and friends as you can sit in the garden to relax and enjoy a little glass of something.

The weather has been much better in the last few weeks with very little rain and quite a lot of sunshine. Hedgerows are in full leaf and herbaceous plants are bursting into life. I was just admiring my Aquilegia ‘Nora Barlow’ with their beautifully frilly mop head flowers and a newly planted rose which was producing lovely plump flower buds. On closer inspection however, I discovered another party who were also thoroughly enjoying them – aphids.

Aphids, or greenfly, are fat, greedy, sap-sucking mites which reproduce with amazing speed. Contrary to their name, they do not only come in green. They, and their relations, may also be red, black or white.

If you think a plant has wilted due to lack of water, look carefully, because it may have wilted for another reason. Once I realised the aphids had taken hold in the locality, I looked at a neighbouring pot of pansies (also their favourite) and discovered that the plants were wilting as a result of having their sap sucked out. But just as my heart was starting to sink, I suddenly discovered a hero in the piece – baby ladybirds. These little creatures are totally unrecognisable compared to the adult ladybird. Far from being red & shiny with black spots, the baby is a larva: spiky and black with yellow markings. It must be said, they aren’t the prettiest of babies, but they eat many times their weight in aphids, so if you find any on your plants, be very grateful.

On another plant loaded with aphids, I also discovered some lacewings. These creatures also eat aphids, and I sometimes wonder how many of them are killed by gardeners thinking they are greenfly, because they are green and only slightly bigger than an aphid, but they have long wings protruding out towards the back, so they are easily recognised once you know them.

There are many pesticides on the market, both organic and inorganic. There are nematodes which are live predators which will eat pests such as slugs. However, they are quite expensive and only tend to work in small areas, such as a greenhouse or conservatory, and once the pest has been eaten, the nematode will die out. Inorganic chemicals in pesticides are no longer very environmentally acceptable, and in the process of killing off the baddies, you will probably be killing off the good guys too. Some organic pesticides contain a substance which blocks the breathing pores of the pest, but again, you cannot guarantee to save the goodies from an undeserved death.

One of the easiest and quickest methods is to simply rub the aphids off the stems of plants. By the time I would have fetched a bottle of something nasty, I could have cleared the plant of the pest, and I can be more selective, saving the lacewings and ladybirds from meeting an unnecessary end. If you do choose this method, be sure not to damage any young flower buds. If you can’t bear to touch the little monsters, a jet of water from a hose will also help to dislodge them.

Keep an eye on any plants which you know to be susceptible. Check them quickly every day if possible. These beasts tend to arrive very suddenly and can do untold damage in a very short time. In order not to kill off the goodies, get photographs of lacewings and baby ladybirds and memorise their features. If you know who your friends are and look after them well, you won’t go far wrong.

Fluffy Bunny Brigade, read no further. Although I am pleased to say that no animals were hurt during the making of this article. However, quite a few plants died in the process. I am beginning to feel like Elmer Fudd from the cartoon Bugs Bunny. I am on the verge of jumping up and down shouting “I’ll get you, pesky rabbit !!!”
We are inundated with the furry destructors and even though I am an animal lover, I am definitely not amused.
When we were building the house, the site traffic probably disrupted them and they kept away. Last year I noticed a few, but nothing to cause alarm. This year they seem to have bred like – well, rabbits. I was going out one morning and counted eight !!!
Recently one night we were coming home in the dark and as we drove in, the garden was covered with the fluffy blighters. It was like a scene from Wallace and Grommit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Only not as funny.
When I was planting our trees, I put rabbit guards around their trunks. A good job too as they would have probably all been eaten by now. Rabbits enjoy nibbling tree bark, and if they strip the bark in a continuous ring around the trunk, it interrupts the flow of nutrients from roots to stems and the tree will die.
I planted out my lovingly nurtured Cosmos seedlings (approximately 200 of them) and returned the next day to ge greeted by bare soil. After executing a comical double take, I ground my teeth and went to buy more seeds. I will be lucky if I have any Cosmos this year as I think it’s a bit late, but we’ll see.
As an animal lover myself, and a believer in good Karma, I won’t be purchasing a large shot gun just yet. But I have discovered a cunning solution to outsmart the cute brutes. I planted my next lot of annuals (cornflowers and ox-eye daisies) interspersed with Nasturtiums. As the leaves of Nasturtiums smell and taste very pungent, I imagined that most rabbits would run a mile. Happily it seems to have worked. Either that or they just don’t like any of these latest plants and they are just biding their time until my new Cosmos crop appears…
During a conversation with our local butcher the other day, I asked him if he might be interested in dispatching a few and turning them into yummy casserole. However he politely declined, probably thinking to himself that I had finally lost the plot.
I would like to point out yet again that I am a soppy animal lover and I was only half joking about the casserole. Even when I see my new furry friends on the rampage like a crowd of lager louts on Saturday night, I still go “Awww !!! Look at the wee cuties !!!” and I think to myself, “well, it’s only a packet of seeds and everyone has to eat something.” Shame they don’t prefer dandelions and docken leaves as we have an endless supply of those…

Yes it’s that time again. May seems to be the month when everything green suddenly bursts into life. Unfortunately this also includes the weeds. Small, previously invisible and non-threatening weed seedlings suddenly become massive monsters almost bigger than your prized feature plants.
I ask myself two questions:
(1) How did that weed get so enormous without me noticing it before?
(2) Why don’t my prized feature plants grow as quickly as the weeds?
And the answer is: because that’s Murphy’s Law and one of the marvels of gardening !!!
I have two friends (actually I have more than two, but this story concerns just these friends…). One friend is a keen and extremely experienced gardener. The other doesn’t have a garden, but appreciates the importance of neat flowerbeds.
My first friend takes me for walks around their garden accompanied with dramatic throwing up of the hands in horror saying “Oh look at all these weeds !!! I’m never going to get it under control !!!” but doesn’t actually do anything about it, so eventually has to pay people to come in and do a massive blitz over a period of several days. This costs dear financially and aesthetically as the garden maintenance people aren’t in the business of treading carefully – they are of the “quick chop and tidy” school of thought.
My second friend came to stay with me last weekend. We were walking round the garden and she was asking what was what. We came to my rather weedy raised beds of onions. “Are these onions?” she asked “Yes,” I replied. “So these other plants in here are weeds, then?” “Yes,” I admitted – “no one is immune to the blighters…” and before I knew it, we were weeding and chatting and within 10 minutes, I had three beautifully weed-free beds. It didn’t seem like work because we were chatting the whole time. So if you have weeds threatening to take over, perhaps you could get together with some friends and plan a few hours to share the work in each other’s gardens. It is a real case of “many hands make light work” and the promise of a cup of tea and a good gossip is hard for most people to resist…

When we built our house, I did a garden design for the site. I am amazed that the layout has turned out pretty much as per the plan. It is particularly difficult to design one’s own garden because it is (literally) so close to home.
However, some of my plan is beginning to change now that we are living there. At the patio area, I had planned to have no lawn, just gravel with architectural plants. During the winter however, the area has become rather waterlogged. There is a bit of a bank and rainwater tends to congregate at the bottom. One option would be to lay pipes and drain it, but I thought a more interesting plan would be to channel the rainwater above ground in a rill and have it running into a small pond. Because the area is reliably boggy all year round, I had already planned to use moisture tolerant plants. Now they will be completely at home with their own natural water feature. Open water is lovely, but not ideal if there are any young children around, so if you are thinking of doing something like this, make sure it is fenced off securely or fitted with a reinforced grille below the surface of the water.

I have just come back from a trip to the south of England (work, not fun). I was amazed at the seasonal differences between there and Northern Ireland. The leaves were all out, wisteria and lilac were in full bloom. It was beautiful to see, but served as a reminder to be very wary of planting instructions which come with plants and seeds. Most of these come from England and they must be tailored to suit our climate. Many plants which will be happy to remain outdoors in the south of England for the winter would never survive our winters here. I have carried out many experiments over the years with tender shrubs and crops such as tomatoes, and they just didn’t do at all well. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible for seed and plant companies to account for all regions. But it would be very discouraging for novice gardeners to follow the instructions and fail through no fault of their own. Trial and error is the order of the day. Take growers’ instructions with a pinch of salt and a bucket load of common sense. Try to find out a plant’s natural native habitat, as that will help you to decide if it is likely to thrive in our climate. And even if you follow instructions to a ‘T’ and it’s still a disaster, just put it down to experience. Have a cup of tea and think of all the other things in the garden that you DID get right !!!