A New Winter To Spring Pot Display

Three Rusty Iron Crates, 4th June 2015

In June 2015 the team took delivery of three iron crates for use in the gardens, for the first time see blog entry 4th June 2015 'Three Rusty Iron Crates'. The following summer, rather than being used as part of a border display, they were used to showcase plants in pots at the entrance to the Nash Building, see blog entry 20th June 2016 'The Three Iron Crates Make An Unexpected Return'.

The Three Iron Crates Make An Unexpected Return, 20th June 2016

As the winter approached the display was dismantled, the crates removed and placed in to storage.  Last summer the exhibit returned but, instead of putting them in to storage for the winter, the team decided to use to showcase bulbs and plants that are best during winter and spring.

15th January 2018

Heuchera 'Obsidian', Cyclamen coum, Arum italicum, Helleborus argutifolius

Pots of  plants Heuchera 'Obsidian', Cyclamen coum, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens', Arum italicum, Matthiola incana 'Vintage Mix' (Winter Stocks) and Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican hellebore) were the mainstay of the display and for the first four months of the year different pots of bulbs were added and removed as they flowered and faded.
In January and February these pots were Galanthus nivalis and Galanthus nivalis 'Magnet' (Snowdrops) which were then replaced by Narcissus 'Mother Duck', Narcissus 'Peeping Jenny' and Narcissus jonquil 'Sweetness' as well as Fritillaria elwesii and Fritillaria hermonis Amana (Fritillary). Two pots of tulips were added in April but, due to the unseasonably high temperatures between the 18th and the 20th, flowered for just a few days and by the end of April the last pot in flower was Narcissus jonquil 'Bellsong'. 
This new display has had numerous positive comments since its inception and will now become a regular fixture during the winter to spring months.  

27th March 2018

Narcissus 'Mother Duck', Fritillaria elwesii

   

Fritillaria hermonis Amana

9th April 2018, Entrance To The Nash Building

24th April 2018, Fading Flowers

26th April 2018, The Last Of The Plants In Flower Narcissus jonquil 'Bellsong', 

Magnolia salicifolia 'Wada's Memory'

Magnolia salicifolia 'Wada's Memory'

The collection of Magnolia in the college gardens has grown in the last five years, two of which have previously been mentioned in the blog, 15th April 2014 'Magnolia Elizabeth' and 26th April 2013 'Magnolia Manchu Fan'.  Also planted during this time was the willow leaved magnolia, Magnolia salicifolia 'Wada's Memory', which is now starting to put on quite a show of its own. Its numerous large, scented, star-shaped white flowers gracefully droop downwards as they fully unfurl and, as with the other two, is worthy of praise and its place in the gardens. 

Magnolia salicifolia 'Wada's Memory' (Front)

Large, Scented White Flowers Gracefully Drooping

The Flower Of Magnolia salicifolia 'Wada's Memory'

Pruning The Fig In To A Fan

Fig 25th March 2015, It Looks Like This Again 3 Years Later!

Whilst it is still dormant the large fig in the garden is in need of its annual prune but this year support wires will be put up on the wall behind it. The fig was last given a hard prune three years ago as it began to exceed the confines of its gravelled corner, see above photograph and blog entry 24th March 2015 'Pruning The Fig (Ficus carica)' and it is now filling the corner again.

Removing The Dense Old Wood

Every year it produces a reasonable crop of delicious figs on the end of the younger wood but is its size has to be controlled every few years. Removing the large, almost horizontal wood the wall becomes accessible for the new support wires to be put up. From the remaining wood the youngest and strongest are selected to be tied to the six new wires, three on each wall and, over the coming years, the fig will be trained against the wall as a fan. Annually the oldest wood will be removed, the not so old wood shortened and the shoots produced during the year tied in to the wires of which some will be shortened to encourage bushier growth. The fig will probably not have a large crop of fruit this year, fruit is produced at the tips of the previous year's growth, but by next year the fruit should be plentiful and accessible.  

TIed In To The New Wires

The Youngest Wood Tied In (Stone Wall)

The Youngest Wood Tied In (Brick Wall)

Hard Pruning The Winter Flowering Honeysuckle

The Large Winter Flowering Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, (Before Pruning)

Last mentioned in the blog two months ago, see blog entry for the 9th February 'Sensory Overload From The Winter Flowering Shrubs', the fragrant flowers of the winter flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, have faded indicating that it is now time for it to be pruned. Pruning had been planned for a few weeks ago but the first pollinating insects to have emerged were still visiting it to feed on the few flowers that remained.

The Flowers Have Faded, Time For A Prune!

With all the flowers now faded, and having checked the shrub to see if the blackbirds were not nesting in it this year which they are not, the pruning took place this morning. 

The First Cut

Pruning The Honeysuckle

Over the last 10-15 years this honeysuckle has had an annual light prune to keep it tidy but this has created a large, woody shrub with very few young stems, the majority of the stems are old with leaf on just the top 1-2 foot below which is bare. This growth and lack of young stems gave rise to the long overdue decision to prune it hard back to rejuvenate it. Using secatuers, loppers and saws the shrub was cut down to 2-3 feet, hopefully it will respond to this pruning by producing strong new stems and flower on the new wood grown this summer, only time will tell if this brave decision was not too harsh.

Four Bags Full

Pruned (After)

Pruned (After)

Cut Low Down To Create New Young Stems

Layered

Layered Plants Potted Up

Whilst pruning the honeysuckle it was found that it had layered itself, some low stems had bent down and rooted in to the ground so were dug up and potted. New growth was also collected and used for cuttings which are now in the greenhouse mist unit where, it is hoped, they will root.

Cuttings

Pricking Out The Seedlings

Pricking Out The Seedlings

The pricking out of the seedlings began last week and continued today. Sown last month, see blog entry for 9th March 'It's Seed Sowing Time!', the seeds have been germinating and growing quickly and, with over fifty pots of seeds having been sown, there are still plenty of seedlings to be pricked out. Working their way through the pots Simon and Peter choose the largest, strongest seedlings and, holding on to the seed leaves, use a dibber (or the tip of a plant label) to gently ease them from the compost. Depending on their size, the seedlings are planted in to either individual small pots or cellular seed trays filled with compost, then placed out on to the greenhouse staging and watered in. Three quarters of the pots have now been pricked out, the rest will be completed next week. 

Individual Pots

Pots On The Greenhouse Staging

 Cellular Seed Trays On The Greenhouse Staging

Seedlings In The Cellular Seed Trays

Drooping Racemes of the Oemleria and Stachyurus

Oemleria cerasiformis (Indian Plum)

Drooping Racemes Of Oemleria

Two shrubs, in close proximity to each other, are putting on their own different displays of drooping racemes. Each seem to be attempting to catch your eye as you walk along the path beside the lake. The first to greet you is Oemleria cerasiformis, the Indian Plum, whose almond scented, small white flowers droop delicately along its stems and, if you walk past it without noticing its display, seems to gently tap you on the shoulder to catch your attention. The next shrub, determined not to be outdone by the Oemleria, is Stachyurus praecox, the Early Stachyurus, seems to be shouting "Look at me, look at me!", its small, pale yellow flowers drooping along bronze stems creating an unusual display. But which shrub has the best display? 

Stachyurus praecox

 

Drooping Racemes Of Stachyurus