My Global Garden

Architectural Plants weather the storms

28. November 2009

Its been incredibly wet and windy everywhere in the UK for the past week but also exceptionally mild for the time of year . Day-time temperatures in the South East have been around 14c and only dropped to 10c at night . This is well above the seasonal average and in keeping with climate change [...]

Architectural Winter Wonders - No 1

21. December 2009

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As promised here are a few excellent plant ideas for architectural interest in your winter garden. All of the following will retain their leaves throughout the year and have been suggested by Angus White who has a deep passion for this type of plant .His nursery in Horsham, West Sussex stocks hundreds of Architectural Plants [...]

Architectural Winter Wonders - No 2

22. December 2009

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Architectural Plants combine year round interest, attractive foliage and many like Phillyrea Latifolia are low maintenance and very hardy. Angus tells me that this plant is exceptionally popular at his nursery .It has the feel of an olive tree but he suggests it is more beautiful as the leaves are intense making it ideal for [...]

Architectural Winter Wonders - No 3

24. December 2009

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The third suggestion for low maintenance, high impact winter plants is Euphorbia melliflora - more commonly known as Honey Spurge.This plant provides instant gratification with attractive leaves similar to Oleander . It grows to about 8 feet in 10 years but needs protection in a rural winter environment if temperatures dip very low.http://www.architecturalplants.com/plant.html?code=EMNR This is highlighted [...]

Black Bamboo

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Phyllostachys nigra Description: Highly architectural plants giving stature to the garden as well as flowing form. Clump-forming and normally well behaved bamboo with green canes (culms) when juvenile, turning jet-black with age. Although this is currently the most popular bamboo, there are contless others that are well worth trying. P. bambusoides ‘Allgold’ for instancer [...]

Black Leaved Elder

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’ Description: Elder is a well known shrub in our hedge rows, but there are several highly garden worthy forms and Sambucus niger is certainly one of them. If pollarded (cut to the ground) yearly it will produce up to 2m of fresh growth. ‘Black Lace’ makes a striking plant for [...]

Bull Bay, Southern Magnolia

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Magnolia grandiflora Description: Glorious evergreen shrub and one of the first flowering plants on the planet, making it another plant that was around at the time of the dinosaurs! This impressive magnolia can get rather large, so needs to be positioned well. The oblong, pointed, glossy, dark green leaves are velvety-matt brown on the [...]

Cabbage Palm, Torquay Palm

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Cordyline australis Description: Striking tree that can get many meters high over the years. Best planted as a single trunked specimen, then after a few years its first flowering will cause it to become multi trunked from the top. If cut to the ground it will become multi-trunked from the ground. The greyish-green, strap-like [...]

Canary Island Palm

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Phoenix canariensis Description: Very large palm hailing from the Canary Islands and probably one of the most well known palms in the world. Found to be much hardier than originally thought in this country. They are grown for their very architectural appearance with their graceful arching green fronds that can be up to 6m [...]

Cardoon

10. April 2008

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Latin name: Cynara cardunculus Description: Resembling a giant thistle, this is a very dramatic and statuesque herbaceous perennial. It has enormous, thick, architectural greyish-green leaves up to1.2m across by 60cm wide. The purple thistle-like flower heads are borne in mid-summer and are held well above the foliage. On a hot summer’s day, myriads of bees can [...]