Plants For The Garden

To enable the different elements of gardening to blend comfortably and attractively, there has to be a balance. These elements can be largely dictated by the trees, shrubs and flowers that you choose to grow in it.

By opting for for plants that complement and harmonise with other aspects of the garden, such as the paving or lawn, and its overall size and shape, you can create a framework in which art and nature reach a happy equilibrium.

Making a garden is an intensely personal business. What one person loves, another may hate. Such varying reactions are often to do with the level of harmony and contrast in the planting. Very harmonious gardens, where all the colours match, and clashes or surprises are avoided, are soothing, restful places. Those who like more stimulation may prefer gardens with lots of vivid, contrasting colours, or a wide and dramatic range of leaf shapes and plant forms.

Harmony in gardens is relatively east to achieve with single colour schemes. White gardens are particularly rewarding and straight forward. Plantings based on colour contrast are more difficult to get right, and are much more personal. Mixing strong colours can create results that are vibrant to some, but obtrusive to others.

Some gardeners are happy to have most of their garden flowering at once. They like to see a spring garden with lots of bulbs, or an early summer garden with roses and perennials, and they are happy to let it rest for the remainder of the year. Most gardeners, though, prefer to attempt a long season of interest, which involves trying to interweave plants so that there is always something or some part, that looks good.

A garden takes time to develop, and never stands still. Planning planting for the short, medium and long term helps avoid the great gaps that can try the patience of even the most dedicated. Trees, needless to say, are the most long term, often maturing long after we have gone. Shrubs, too, can take many years to look their best, which can mean that a garden that is heavily reliant on them may take rather a while to develop. Herbaceous perennials look established with remarkable speed, whereas annuals fulfil their promise and disappear within a year. It makes good sense, then, to include all these different plant forms in a garden.

Harmony and Contrast in the garden

Soft Harmonies
The delicate blues, mauves and pinks and softly billowing shapes of a herbaceous perennial border in summer are a study in gentle harmony.

Making a garden is an intensely personal business. What one person loves, another may hate. Such varying reactions are often to do with a level of harmony and contrast in the planting.

Very harmonious gardens, where all the colours match, and clashes or surprises are avoided, are soothing, restful places. Those who like more stimulation may prefer gardens with lots of vivid, contrasting colours, or a wide and dramatic range of leaf shapes and plant forms.

Harmony in gardens is relatively easy to achieve with single colour schemes. 'White gardens' are particularly rewarding and straight-forward. Plantings based on colour contrast are more different to get right, and are much more personal.

Mixing strong colours can create results that are vibrant to some, but too obtrusive and clashing to others.

Mixing colours and shapes
Big, bold shapes, like spiky variegated agave, make a striking feature against softer planting. Vibrant colour contrast can be provided by using yellow/green agave and pink sedum.

Growing Strawberries

These low growing herbaceous plants are grown for their delicious red, occasionally yellow fruits. Strawberries, which grow to 45cm (18in) high and 60cm (24in) across, will tolerate most soils that are well-drained. They are relatively short lived with a cropping life of about three years, so new plants should be planted on a regular basis.

The second year is the most productive.

Planting: Plant in early autumn at a distance of 45cm (18in) apart and 75cm (30in) between the rows. Plant on a very slight mound with crowns at ground level. The plants must be firmed well and watered.

Cultivation: Newly planted strawberries have a shallow root system and must be kept watered until well established. As the fruits develop, they will hang down onto the soil, so a mulch of straw will prevent them from marking and rotting; black plastic can also be used as an alternative, but fruits actually touching it may become scorched in hot weather.

Pruning: Cut off any runners (modified side shoots) bearing new young plants in Summer. Cut down the foliage to approximately 10 cm (4in) above soil level in the autumn, after picking has finished.

Harvesting: Harvesting begins in early summer for early fruiting cultivars, and continues through to autumn for perpetual-fruiting types (see below). Pick the berries complete with their stalks, when they are red over about three-quarters of their surface and handle them as little as possible, as they are easily bruised. Pick fruits every other day, as they deteriorate fast. Fruits intended for freezing and preserving can be picked slightly earlier than those destined for dessert.

Strawberry Tips:
Strawberries are divided into three distinct groups

• Alpine Strawberries - produce a light crop of small, delicately flavoured fruits. Reliable, cultivars include 'Alpine Yellow'


• Perpetual Strawberries - flower and fruit in mid-summer and again in mid-autumn. Reliable cultivars include 'Gento'


• Summer-fruiting Strawberries - produce a heavy crop over a three or four week period in the summer. The season can be extended by selecting cultivars carefully: 'Elvira' fruits early 'Cambridge' Favourite in mid-season and 'Domanil' late