Liquidambar styraciflua 'Worplesdon'
sweet gum
- Position: sun
- Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: May
- Hardiness: fully hardy
A gorgeous tree, with large, star-like, shiny, bright green leaves which turn brilliant purple, then shades of orange and yellow in the autumn. It has a rounded, heavy crown, and although it is not particularly fast-growing, it is not suitable for a small garden, as it is long-lived and will eventually grow to 25 metres. In Britain, it flowers intermittently and inconspicuously in spring, but it is for the foliage that this tree is prized. Grow it either as a specimen tree in grass, or as the centrepiece to a glade. Trees grown in a rich, damp soil in full sun will colour the best. - Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter.
Ajuga reptans 'Catlin's Giant'
bugle
Handsome evergreen ground cover
Crocus tommasinianus
early crocus bulbs
The best crocus for naturalising
Hamamelis × intermedia 'Orange Peel'
witch hazel
Good autumn colour and winter flowers
Trillium grandiflorum
American wake-robin bulbs
An award winning pure white form
Crocus 'Ruby Giant'
crocus bulbs
Large, robust, very early flowers
November pruning of trees and shrubs
By November the garden is well and truly dormant, so it’s a good time to prune many deciduous garden trees. As for October, prune newly planted trees to remove any damaged growth and help balance the shape of the canopy...
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The garden is at its most dormant right now, so it’s a good time to catch up on any pruning missed or forgotten since the autumn. If the weather isn’t favourable, you can leave it for a week or two,...
Read full articleAutumn Colour
Perhaps it is because the colours of autumn are so variable in the Uk, that we value them all the more when they appear. As levels of sunlight fall in autumn and the days become shorter, photosynthesis is no longer...
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