Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'
smoke bush
This deciduous shrub has magnificent, dark red-purple oval leaves, that turn scarlet in autumn. In July and August, it is festooned with...
Burgundy-red lollipop leaves held late into the year and, when the temperature drops, the leaves develop a bright-pink margin
GOES WELL WITH
How to control diseases
Prevention is better than cure with diseases in the garden so keep your plants growing as strongly as possible – allowing them to fight off infections naturally. A weak plant is much more likely to fall prey than a good, sturdy one. Also be vigilant! Try
Read full articleDouble interest flowers
Why is it that the majority of gardens look their best during spring only to turn dull and lifeless for the rest of the year? It’s partly because spring is when most gardeners buy new plants and partly because too few people consider what the plants will
Read full articleHoney fungus
There are different symptoms which point to honey fungus, some or all of them may be present at one time. Also, death can take years or be virtually instantaneous with plants being suddenly stopped in their tracks, half-opened leaves just frozen in time.
Read full articleMarch pruning of trees, shrubs and climbers
The following notes can be used as a guide when pruning trees, shrubs and climbers in your garden during the month of March. It's timely advice if you have any of the following in your garden. Abeliophyllum, Artemesia, Brachyglottis, Brunfelsia, Buddleja
Read full articleCotinus - puffs of smoke or lollipop leaves?
Smoke bushes (forms of Cotinus-coggygria) can be cut back hard in late-spring to produce much larger lollipop-shaped leaves, with fewer or even no flowers. Prune them lightly, or leave them alone, and they will make big shrubs (as wide as they are tall) t
Read full articleTall grasses and partners to gaze through in the autumn garden
As the days shorten, the autumn sun sinks a little lower every day and begins to backlight the borders, picking up detail and silhouette. There’s plenty to enjoy and seed heads, in suitably autumnal shades of brown and silver take centre stage, often last
Read full articleThe autumn lipstick reds and pinks
Come autumn the flowers may be fading away, eclipsed by shorter and cooler days, but there’s still plenty of foliage whether on the ground, or held aloft against a sinking sun. Touches of lipstick-red, sombre-burgundy, orange-peel and mustard-seed glow in
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