Wealden Times | WT199 | September 2018 | Education supplement inside
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
Wealden Times - The lifestyle magazine for the Weald
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Garden<br />
Early autumn at Great Dixter<br />
GardenproudWT198.indd 1 10/07/<strong>2018</strong> 15:46<br />
May the<br />
forest be<br />
with you.<br />
The force of nature<br />
can be strong.<br />
Request a<br />
free estimate.<br />
Qualified and Insured<br />
• Tree Works<br />
• Hedge Maintenance<br />
• Stump Grinding<br />
• Woodland Management<br />
• Tree Surveys<br />
irresistibly tactile little grass for the front of the border. Grasses<br />
last for a long time (most will stay standing right through the<br />
winter) and bring movement, texture and drama to a scheme.<br />
The trick is to grow them so that the autumnal sun, which hangs<br />
lower in the sky and slants at an angle, is behind them. The<br />
golden light then shines through and silhouettes the outlines of<br />
perennial stems and seed heads against the grasses.<br />
Late summer shrubs and structure<br />
Shrubs provide height and presence, acting as the backbone of<br />
the border and there are some great late summer flowering ones<br />
that have their starring moment right now. Hydrangeas have<br />
long-lasting bracts that fade beautifully into autumnal shades,<br />
Hibiscus will provide an exotic boost in shades of pink, blue or<br />
white, and the Buddleias bring in butterflies and bees. Smaller<br />
shrubs are useful in the middle of the border. Caryopteris has<br />
small sky blue blooms. For the front, low growing Ceratostigma<br />
willmottianum, with cerulean blue flowers highlighted among<br />
deep red and russet leaves is hard to beat.<br />
I’ve changed my mind while writing this. <strong>September</strong> can<br />
never really be the new July, no matter how much I would wish<br />
it, the light is all wrong. The earth is turning away from the<br />
sun and there is an inevitability about the change of season. But<br />
while summer’s passing is always poignant, I hope that along<br />
the way we’ve discovered that <strong>September</strong>’s borders can be just as<br />
brimming with life and beauty as they were in earlier months.<br />
Let’s stay out there.<br />
Contact Jo on 01233 861149 for details of her courses and<br />
workshops hornbrookmanor.co.uk<br />
Arboricultural & Consultancy Service<br />
Call us on 01580 715596<br />
www.thelivingforest.co.uk<br />
Live safely among trees.<br />
Cotoneaster horizontalis<br />
wealdentimes.co.uk<br />
LivingForestWT198.indd 1 02/07/<strong>2018</strong> 14:26<br />
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