Cotinus 'Grace'
smoke bush
In July and August this vigorous, deciduous shrub is festooned with fluffy plumes of purplish-pink flowers that look like a haze of...
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 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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