Surrey Homes | SH97 | February 2023 | Education Supplement inside

HERITAGE SPECIALISTS
BUILT ON REPUTATION & QUALITY
TRADITIONAL & MODERN ROOFING
Ashford &
Cranbrook Roofing
01580 242925
www. c r a n b r o o k r o o f i n g . c o. u k
CLAY TILE , SLATE & CEDAR ROOFING
PROUD TO SUPPLY AUTHENTIC HANDMADE KENT
PEG TILES THROUGH OUR PARTNER SPICER TILES
out of place. There are at least
half a dozen mature hazelnut
clumps. One or two have already
been cut right back and any good
stems stored away to use as pea and
bean supports in the summer. I must
say that the borders look better
already and definitely less congested
although seven huge plants are about
five too many. A Lonicera nitida hedge
has been pulled out as it was as good
as dead and perfect for the basis of a first
bonfire. Lonicera, if kept under control, it is
a fast growing alternative hedging plant but
it soon topples over if left to its own devices
and becomes unwieldy and ugly. Give me
a native hedge any day – think of the advantages for wildlife.
An overgrown rambling rose has had dead wood taken out
so far but, as it is growing just by the one and only seating area,
it may be replaced unless it is particularly fragrant or beautiful.
Bath Stone walls on one side of the garden aren’t improved by
having a couple of very elderly tree peonies looking very tired
and soggy leaning against them. There’s not much else there
but what fun they’ll have ‘clothing’ this wall and perhaps doing
away with the narrow border at its base. But as there are some
bulbs poking through as we speak, there may be something there
that is worth hanging on to, so it’s worth waiting to find out.
And then we come to the buddleias. They really do self sow
like mad. Think of all the ones we see from the train on the way
into London. As they are a great source of nectar for butterflies,
it is great to have one or two in a garden but perhaps where their
height fits in with everything else. Cut them back in late February/
early March so that they’ll be flowering as the butterflies emerge.
There is a laurel hedge that hides the pub garden next door
– the house is wedged between an ancient church on one side
and an ancient pub on the other! The Packhorse Inn dates
from circa 1498 but was rebuilt in the 17th century. It closed
in 2012 when its owner intended to change it into flats. The
villagers had other thoughts, managing to raise over a million
pounds from 430 investors to buy back the pub. It reopened as
a community pub four years later having been totally renovated.
The garden alone took 1,000 hours of volunteer help to landscape
and it seems that 25 tonnes of earth was shifted by hand!
But back to the laurel hedge. Laurel is one of my least favourite
plants and, as we know, is used as instant evergreen planting on
new developments everywhere we turn. At the moment this one
is too tall for its space, but bearing in mind that it is affording
privacy from the pub garden, a couple of feet off the top in
late spring will improve things – unless there are nesting birds
in there which will mean that it can’t be touched until July.
And finally, on wet or frosty days what better way is
there to spend your time than peering through gardening
catalogues and perhaps ordering a few dahlias and flowers
for this season’s cutting garden. Have you seen the
choice of cosmos there is now? So deliciously pretty.
Sue Whigham can be contacted on 07810 457948
for gardening advice and help in the sourcing
and supply of interesting garden plants.
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