The small patio is shielded from the sun, in a south facing garden, by an Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’. The tree caught my eye while on a trip to Kent. Must have one of those I thought. The sapling was bought and is now well mature. Some of the limbs show signs of viral attack, but it soldiers on.
Early to leaf, in February, the leaves are green and red. It produces sap, which attracts the aphids. With the aphids, the small birds make regular visits to eat the goodies. The birds include Blue, Great and Coal Tits, Robin and Goldfinches. The Dunnocks also pay a visit, foraging in the growth below, together with a variety of bees including the distinctive yellow faced variety. Soon after, it will produce a vast amount of blossom, and after that very small sycamore-like seeds. In time and onto autumn, the leaves go from yellow to orange and then fall, covering all the surrounding ground.
We attempted something a bit different at this meeting! Our Chair Stella introduced the evening by asking the audience to imagine we were all sitting relaxing in the CABAHS garden shed surrounded by our gardening friends. She then introduced the “panel” and to start the conversation rolling, asked how they first became interested in gardening.
The four panellists, Ruth, Kathy, Lynda & Pat each had different but similar personal stories, and it was usually a parent or grandparent who first sparked their interest.
The next question was about the tastiest vegetable or fruit we had ever grown.
For Pat this was Sungold tomatoes. Lynda is known among members for growing Goji berry but she chose sweetcorn as the tastiest ever. Ruth thought figs from her allotment were amazing, especially as she had inherited them from the previous holder. For Kathy it was “Mr Green’s” (the previous owner of her garden) summer raspberries, which have been in the same bed for over 35 years.
Now on to the best Show flowers (topical as we have the Spring Show coming up next month). Stella put in her vote for Penstemon ‘Garnet’, certainly a very good do-er in the Walled Gardens at Charlton House.
We hope you enjoy a spring walk around the walled gardens at Charlton House! Look out for:
Forsythia
Forsythia is in the olive family, renowned for its vibrant yellow flowers which appear in spring, long before the leaves unfurl. The one by the Charlton House stables is quite old and we are not sure of the exact variety. We pruned it back hard a year ago and it seems to have loved it!
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
A ‘background’ evergreen plant most of the year, but quite striking when the white candle flowers appear in Spring. Although we call it a laurel, it actually isn’t – it’s in the cherry family! We know that an early resident of Charlton House, Elizabeth Puckering, introduced cherry laurels to the gardens. She was friendly with the diarist John Evelyn, who lived in Deptford at the time, and exchanged cuttings with him in around 1654.
Daffodil (Narcissus ‘Thalia’)
A fragrant and vigorous trumpet daffodil which is now in it’s third year in the walled gardens, so has formed some nice big clumps. It starts off creamy yellow and fades to white, and is sometimes referred to as an orchid daffodil. For fans of BBC Gardener’s World on TV, you might recognise it from Monty Don’s writing garden!
Brunnera has lovely heart-shaped, silvery-veined leaves that look as if frost has touched them. The leaves light up shady areas of the garden. It has long lasting, bright blue flowers that look very much like forget-me-nots, and which provide lots of nectar and pollen for visiting bees.
Wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides var. robbiae)
Wood spurge is in the Euphorbia family, so take care! If the stems are broken, they gush with a thick milky latex substance that can cause blisters on skin. They are handsome perennial plants, shade loving, with zingy lime-green flowers in late Spring and rosettes of glossy dark green leaves. Another name for this plant is ‘Mrs Robb’s Bonnet’ – we would like to see the hat that inspired that name!
Still going strong, winter into spring!
Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)
The Lenten Rose is a perennial flowering plant and is part of the Buttercup family, so not a rose at all! Its common name comes from the fact it usually flowers between Ash Wednesday and Easter – the period known as Lent. Hellebores (Lenten roses) can be white,
Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
We grow the English or ‘common’ primrose in the walled gardens, which is the natural pale yellow one that gives its name to the colour Primrose. It is often one of the earliest plants to flower in Spring (the Latin word ‘prima’ means first). Early butterflies like the Brimstone benefit from its nectar. Plants will hybridise (cross) very easily with the garden bedding Primulas that come in lots of different bright colours, so seedlings can come up a surprising colour!
1. I sowed my sweet peas early in the month five seeds to a 3 inch pot and then placed them on a light window sill or greenhouse if you have one. They don’t need bottom heat and I don’t soak or nick the seeds but of course you can if you wish. Keep turning the pots so they don’t all lean towards the light.
Sweet Pea seedlingsDreaming of this…
2. Remove browning blooms from camellias to keep the display going especially the white ones which never seem to drop their spent blooms. I just wish I had room for more as they’re such a cheerful sight.
I have a choice plant in my garden which, amazingly, I have managed to keep alive all these years and it’s all thanks to Margaret T, who kindly gave me an off-shoot such a long time ago.
To make sure it was protected, I planted this bergenia in a pot on the shady side of the steps, so that the plant would stand out and not get damaged. It flowers every winter and has been flowering all through February this year and the elegant white, nodding flowers are still hanging on, fading to a shade of blush-pink. The rhizomes have outgrown the pot now so I will be thrilled if I can return the favour and offer Margaret T an off-shoot of this beautiful plant. Plants are difficult to obtain but I understand seed might be available on the market.
The botanists and growers regard this species as the most elegant of all the Bergenias and I can see why, as this compact plant with its rosette of neat, oval, apple-green, shiny leaves enhances the dainty flowers, which are held aloft on elegant, often blush-pink stems.
Seed was first collected from the limestone cliffs in Sichuan in the Himalayan mountains in 1935 and again in 1982 by Roy Lancaster who introduced the species to the UK. Cambridge Botanic Garden website mentions that Bergenia emeiensis can be seen growing in their Alpine House and that they are also trialling the species in their woodland area. The plant used to be regarded as tender but I regard it as a hardy perennial in my small courtyard garden which, like many London gardens, has its own micro-climate. Even so, I do, unfortunately, sometimes lose plants during colder winters but this species has not yet been damaged and so it’s a great treat to be able to admire this handsome specimen from my kitchen window.
The residents of London, SE3 and SE7 are treated to a two-month spectacle every year when the spring bulbs burst open beneath the London Plane trees in their local green space, called Batley Park.
Batley Park consists of a triangular space at the heart of the south-east London shopping centre, known as The Standard, surrounded by the busy, one-way B210 road.
During the winter, the park comes alive with the thousands of purple, mauve and white crocus sprinkled amongst the green sward, followed quickly by swathes and swathes of yellow daffodils, glowing like bright lanterns in the soft sunlight. It’s mother nature’s tapestry and a lovely sight to behold.
The park’s existence is all due to local campaigners, including The Rev John William Marshall, in the late 19th century, unhappy about the appearance of their village green. At that time it was known as Sheepgate Green, and due to their determination the space was transformed. Trees were planted and railings installed and thus renamed Batley Park, after the philanthropist, William Fox Batley, who contributed to the improvements. In 1889 a final touch was added – a Memorial Fountain was included on the south-west corner of the park. If you have not yet seen this year’s spectacle, do visit the park whilst visiting The Standard. At the time of writing I noticed that the daffodil clumps were still producing buds so that means local residents can enjoy this display for a few more weeks.
We are always keen to hear about how member’s gardens are growing or about what you can see from your window but occasionally we receive shorter messages. So here are a few we’ve had recently.
Angela thought members might like to see a photo of her Amaryllis lily. She says “Their sale in supermarkets at Christmas has rapidly become a tradition. Their very decorative, over the top flowers people either hate or love. I love them. They are easy to grow and spectacular. I planted mine after Christmas and it has now produced amazing flowers.”
Viv sent us a photo of the first tulips of the year in her garden with some other pots. Unsurprisingly, she is getting excited about spring…
For those who haven’t visited, Beth Chatto’s Garden is a horticultural paradise located in Essex, England. In March, visitors can expect to see a range of unique features and highlights that make Beth Chatto’s Garden a must-see destination for anyone with an interest in gardening or nature.
One of the most striking things about Beth Chatto’s Garden in March is the abundance of early spring blooms. As winter fades and the weather begins to warm up, the garden comes alive with an array of colourful flowers and blossoms. The famous Gravel Garden is a great place to start exploring the garden. This innovative garden was created in the 1990s, and features plants that are adapted to dry conditions, making it an ideal spot for early bloomers like crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. Visitors can expect to see bright pops of colour as they stroll along the winding paths that wind through the garden.
In addition to the early spring blooms, March is also a great time to explore the woodland areas of Beth Chatto’s Garden. The woodland gardens are home to a wide range of plant species, including ferns, shrubs, and trees. Another highlight of Beth Chatto’s Garden in March is the chance to see the garden’s many rare and unusual plant species. Beth Chatto was a pioneer of ecological gardening and her garden is a testament to her commitment to sustainable practices. Visitors can expect to see a range of native and non-native plants that are perfectly suited to the local climate and soil conditions.
The Barbican Conservatory is a tropical and sub-tropical botanical glass-roofed garden located on the third floor of the Barbican. It’s an ideal place to visit during the winter months (and all-year round) but on 16th March we hit the jackpot and were thrilled to see Clivia plants in full flower – perfect timing, as it is this month’s Plant of the Month!
This is the second largest conservatory in London (Kew Gardens’ Temperate House being the largest). Opened in 1984, the walkways and terraces have been designed to encourage visitors to wander the pathways and along the walkways in order to explore and experience an urban jungle and to observe the characteristic form of every plant.
Amongst the tropical planting, various exotic palms stand out and the handsome foliage of Monstera deliciosa (swiss cheese house-plant as we know it) is there to be admired. The majestically tall weeping fig tree emphasises the height of the conservatory and frames everything around it. Wide, arching stems of the handsome tree fern and the striking tree, Araucaria heterophylla (which we rested under), plus unusual climbers and shrubs including yuccas and cordylines, are amongst the 1500 plant species on show for the public to appreciate.
Epimedium or BarrenwortClose up of Epimedium flowers
The blocks of Epimedium look stunning at the moment, the flowers show up beautifully – it was worth cutting back the old leaves at the beginning of the month. New green leaves are just coming through, with lovely red markings.
Prunus lauroceracusExchorda (Peace Garden)Geranium Bill Wallis
Lots of the existing shrubs are coming into flower now, especially in the Peace Garden.
Hand Weeding in the OPG
All Hail to the Volunteers! (Literally in this case, as our session was abandoned due to hail!)
Charlton and Blackheath Amateur Horticultural Society 