Landscape Juice

Gardener Geoffrey Smith dies

Geoffrey Smith, the driving force behind the creation of RHS Harlow Carr, has died at the age of eighty.

The Telegraph reports his death saying that the veteran garden expert was a regular panellist on BBC Radio Four's Gardeners' Question Time over a twenty year period and also presented Gardeners World.

Geoffrey Smith 31st December 1928 – 27th February 2009.

Treating Peach trees for fungal disease

I was determined to treat my peach tree this year - even if it was to satisfy my curiosity and establish whether the tree, which my daughter had grown from a peach stone, would even bear fruit.

The tree was only a foot tall or so when we packed it into the lorry before moving here to France and it had spent about a year growing in a container before it was relocated to its permanent position at the top of the vegetable patch.

Warm weather floods South West France

Although the mornings are still crisp and sharp first thing, the second half of the day all this week has been clear and sunny - although in the breeze it has been a little chilly.

Today though we are literally basking in twenty degrees of warm spring sunshine.

There has barely been a wisp of cloud all day and the gentle southerly breeze is warm too.

How to make a rustic garden pergola

If you are planning to grow climbing roses, perhaps some honeysuckle or maybe a clematis or two, it pays to have something to grow them up.

Usually a sunny wall that is sheltered from the wind is ideal but what if you want a focal point further away from your house that is deeper into the garden?

A pergola is ideal for many reasons. Firstly you a three hundred and sixty degree view to give several aspects and effects and, depending on the time of day and the stage of flowering or leaf development that your particular climbers have achieved, shadow and three dimensional foliage architecture comes into play.

'Belle of Woking' Clematis of Jackman's Nursery

Alice Joyce proved that it is worth persevering when it comes to getting the best out of your plants.

In a recent blog post, she explained that only on the third attempt did her Clematis 'Belle of Woking' actually start to thrive - Alice said:

"Thinking that 'Belle' was doomed, I uprooted her one last time, placing the scraggly remains in a large glazed container of black bamboo at the rear of the garden. Here, the rare beauty did, in fact, flourish".

Sponsors pull out of the Chelsea Flower Show

Despite claims that tickets were selling well, the RHS have announced that only thirteen firms will be sponsoring show gardens at this years Chelsea International Flower show.

The BBC reports that last year saw a record twenty two sponsorships.

The RHS said earlier in the month that the Great Pavilion is well over subscribed and bursting at the seams.

Stronardron Douglas fir is Britains tallest tree

A group of specialist arboriculturalists have established that the Stronardron Douglas fir is the tallest tree in Great Britain.

The expedition is chronicled on Tree Climbers International website.

The fir, which was measured as being 63.79 metres, grows in the grounds of Dunans Castle in Argyll was climbed on the 20th February 2009 by a team from Sparsholt College in Hampshire.

Win this Scotts EasyGreen rotary fertiliser spreader

Are you planning to start restoring your lawn after the harsh winter?

If you are then, as part of the tool armoury, you will need a fertiliser spreader to accurately apply feed to the grass surface.

In conjunction with Lawn.co.uk, I am delighted to be giving away this Scotts EasyGreen rotary fertiliser spreader and a bag of sulphur coated slow release spring and summer fertiliser to help your lawn on its way.

Water features containing E.coli found in Wales

Water features, that have been tested in seven garden centres in Wales, have revealed that the water is contaminated with E.coli.Fifty two samples were taken at locations in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

WalesOnline quotes director of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Wales Julie Barratt as saying: “Our research has shown that water in ornamental water features may pose a health risk, particularly to children who find such things fascinating.

Sissinghurst' on BBC 4

I was too busy recovering from a hard day digging up trees, humping manure and replanting to watch much television last night.

Cat Fereday watched Sissinghurst on BBC4 and asks if 'TV redeems itself?'

Did you watch Sissinghurst - what did you think?

"I had high hopes for this one, but feel a bit non-plussed after watching the first episode - the National Trust hasn't come out as the big baddie, but then again, they'd hardly want to come across badly.... Maybe this is down to the editing, but Raven and husband don't feel like a couple you could get behind."