Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' and 'Limelight'

The Sainsbury Building Weir Borders

The planting of the borders beside the two Sainsbury Building weir pools were completed in early autumn last year, see blog entry for the 29th September 2017 'The Transformation of the Sainsbury Building Weir'. Eleven months later the plants have settled into their new home with the Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' putting on quite a show, its white and pale to dark pink floret filled, conical flower heads being reflected in the stillness of the water. 

The showy display of the Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom'

The Casson Building Borders

Another hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight', is also putting on a showy display. Planted several years ago in the borders of the Casson Buiding, these hydrangea are much lager than the younger 'Phantom' and are covered in larger conical, lime green to white floret filled flower heads. Both these cultivars of Hydrangea paniculata are worthy additions to the gardens and if these two are an indication of just how good the floral displays can be, H. paniculata 'Little Lime' and H. paniculata 'Pinky Winky', also in the gardens, will be well worth waiting for.

Hydrangea paniculata 'Limelight'

'Limelight' flowers

Large flower head

Waiting For The Cloudy Days To Return

The longest box hedge, section one (Before)

This summer cloudy days have been few and far between, so few that this has caused a delay in the trimming of the box hedging and box balls in the gardens. The task to trim all the box, usually completed in June, has now begun in earnest before the clear skies return. The box, Buxus sempervirens, is now looking very shaggy and although desperate for a trim, due to box being susceptible to sun scorch when cut in very hot and sunny weather, the team have had to resist, until now, the temptation to trim it. Waiting for the cloudy days to return, last Wednesday the team, using the cordless battery Stihl hedge trimmers, began to trim the box starting with the first section of the longest hedge and, by this afternoon, had completed all four sections and the 33 box balls, job done for this year. 

The longest box hedge, section one (After)

The longest box hedge, section three (After)

The longest box hedge, section four (After)

Some of the 33 box balls (Before)

some of the box balls (After)

Changing From Planters And Troughs To Borders

Display stone troughs and planters (winter/spring 2017-18 display)

The process of changing the method of displaying plants in the Pump Quad has been a gradual one. Once the proposal had been agreed, changing the stone planters and troughs to three, Indian sandstone edged borders, the project began. At the end of May the planters and troughs were removed from the quad and taken down to the sports field where they were to be used for plant displays in front of the pavilion.

Moving the stone troughs and planters 31st May

Loading a trough on to the fork lift attachment

Once emptied of the winter/spring plants and the spent compost, the now much lighter, but still very heavy, stone troughs and planters were moved out from the quad one at a time. Lifting them up onto the pump truck they were carefully wheeled out from where they have been in situ for some twenty years. With the sports field being at the opposite end of the college from the Pump Quad, the New Holland with the fork lift attachment was used to transport them to their new location.

Taking the trough to the sports field

Safely delivered

Trough and planter planted up for the summer, 31st May (L)

Once they had been placed in front of their new home they were filled with a mix of multipurpose compost and leaf mould before being planted up with their summer display.

Trough and planter planted up for the summer. 31st May (R)

Pavilion 3rd July

Five weeks later trough and planter (L)

Five weeks later trough and planter (R)

Border construction complete

Eight weeks later the next stage of the alterations continued with the creation of the first border by the landscape contractor, Pro Bits Landscapes. 

Yew in place

Filling the border

With the first border construction complete the team filled it up with a top soil/leaf mould mix and planted the architectural plants, two topiary yew.

Is the top of the root ball level with the top of the soil?

Two architectural, topiary yew planted

The second border construction completed

A further three weeks have passed and the construction of the final two borders were completed yesterday. Today the team worked on filling the new borders up with soil and planting the four remaining architectural plants, two topiary yew and two large Euonymus japonicus balls.

Loading the wheelbarrows

Filling up with top soil and levelling it

Treading down the soil

One and a half tonnes of the top soil mix was transported from the the trailer in to the Pump Quad using wheelbarrows and tipped in to the empty borders. The tipped out piles of soil were levelled using a landscape rake and trodden down to remove any air pockets and to prevent the soil level dropping in the future. By the end of the day the borders had been filled and the four plants planted, more shrubs, possibly hydrangea, will be planted in the coming months.

Two completed borders

New border (R)

New border (L)

The Pump Quad with its new borders

The Giant Inflorescence Of The Chinese Parasol Tree

18th December 2013

Planted in 2011-2012, the Chinese Parasol Tree, Firmiana simplex, has been causing quite a stir within the gardening team. Five years ago it was the giant leaves that gained its entry on to the blog, see entry for the 18th December 2013 'The Giant Leaf Of The Chinese Parasol Tree' but this time it is due to the numerous giant inflorescence that have never been seen before as this is the first time they have appeared. (Inflorescence: the complete flower head of a plant including stems, stalks, bracts, and flowers). As with the leaves the size of the inflorescence needed to be measured, the size, 28 inches in diameter and 24 inches from top to bottom. Hidden from view, this rare tree is located at the far end of the Nash Courtyard, the production of flowers have taken the team by surprise but the floral spectacle has been well worth the wait. The large inflorescence contain many small fragrant flowers, cream and white in colour with a hint of pink, and the pollinators love them too. 

 

7th August 2018 (See how much it has grown in five years!)

Hidden from view

 

Firmiana simplex, Chinese Parasol Tree

Covered in giant inflorescence

One giant inflorescence, 28 inches in diameter, 24 inches from top to bottom

Buds and flowers

Flowers

The pollinating insects love the unusual flowers