Bonnie’s Blog of Wow Factor ‘Naked Garden’ Episode 8
This garden has a luxurious, contemporary feel. Glass boundaries evoke a sense of security associated with sectioned areas, whilst the transparent nature maintains the feeling of spaciousness.
Hydrangeas are not typically associated with contemporary schemes, but in this garden they have been planted en mass and this unusual use of them looks very sleek. It just goes to show that plants should not be stereotyped; it’s the way you use them that sets the style. On reflection the big pompom flower heads and chunky leaves create very strong, clean outlines.
When planting Hydrangeas be aware that they are the chameleons of the plant world. The white flowered varieties stay white but the blue ones have a tendency to turn pink in alkaline soil and the pink ones change to blue in acidic soil. If you have got the wrong soil type for a particular colour or if you are not sure what soil you have, it is best to plant them in pots instead of directly into the ground. Be aware though that they will need extra watering if they can’t get their roots out into the soil. If you want to maintain a blue hydrangea you will need to fill the pot with ericaceous compost, if you want to keep a pinkie general potting compost should do the trick.
If you are up for the challenge of maintaining their colour in the open ground here’s how you do it: If you want to change a Hydrangea from pink to blue you need to add aluminium and remove aluminium if you want to convert a bluey to a pinkie. To keep a Hydrangea pink you can add dolomitic lime several times a year, use a plant feed with nigh levels of phosphorus. To keep a blue Hydrangea you should add aluminium sulphate to lower the pH of the soil; you can also add organic matter including ground coffee, fruit and veg peelings and grass clippings. If you use fertilizer a potassium rich feed is best and avoid superphosphates and bonemeal.
If you have tried all of this and your Hydrangea is still being disobedient it could be that your water is the wrong pH and is therefore contaminating the soil…it should not be higher than 5.6. Equally if you have planted your blue hydrangeas near concrete foundations, some of the lime and will leach out increasing the pH making it very tricky to keep blue Hydrangeas.
Hydrangeas are best planted where they have got room to spread out, as even when pruned they tend to quickly regrow to their original size the following year. If you do want to prune a mophead or lacecap Hydrangea you should do so no later the July, otherwise you risk losing out on the following year’s flowers (they flower on old wood). Once the plant is 5 years old you can rejuvenate it by pruning one third of the older living branches down to ground level every summer.
This garden could have been quite manly with the solar panel and heavy use of hard landscaping but David has blended it with femininity by incorporating a lilac fence which compliments the purple tones of the hydrangea flowers. The fence was a bold choice, but it has really paid off and will keep the garden bright and cheery when the hydrangeas fade in the winter.
The Cercissiliquastrum (also known as the Judas tree) are sensational trees. The repetition of them throughout the garden brings unity, and their graceful habit adorns the fence in an understated way. They offer a string of interesting features, flowering in May on bare branches before leafing up, and then in late summer they are decorated with masses of purple pods which stay until winter. The leaves turn a light yellow and then chestnut before falling.
The Canna Lilies are an obvious choice for a contemporary planting scheme, with the chunky tropical looking leaves which ooze simple sophistication. The purple leaves have been specifically chosen to tie in with the Hydrangea stems. The planting really softens this structural garden and allows the eye to move easily around it.
Garden ER is brought to you by Anglian Home Improvements. Have you entered your garden into the Best In Show competition?
(PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS PROGRAMME HAS NOW FINISHED!)
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