Garden Answers May 2022

This month, for the first time since 2019, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show comes home to it’s spring slot. The RHS and garden designers worked valiantly to bring us Chelsea in September last year, and although that autumnal show was a wonderful novelty, I’m glad to see it return to it’s rightful place in the gardening calendar. For me, it marks the time when gardens spring into verdant life and the warmth of summer finally returns. I look forward to the cutting-edge design ideas you can always find at Chelsea. These days, philosophies about how we can garden more sustainably wind through every show design, and over the page, Chris Beardshaw’s garden from 2019 – the last time we saw Chelsea in spring – is a great example of how…

“…harvesting bundles of cut flowers for grown-not-flown bouquets.” Alice Whitehead shares Life on the Veg Patch, p74 “…making time to visit flower shows and open gardens for lots of fresh inspiration.” Sue Fisher writes about camassia, p26 “…planting out my half-hardy seed-grown plants, after the risk of frosts.” Lucy Bellamy picks small space ideas, p18 “…this month I’ll be laying turf in my new Poison Garden.” Adrian Thomas give us wildlife tips for small gardens, p69 “…bringing on my veg seedlings and still digging my wildlife pond!” Rupert Paul writes our Green View column, p114 “…getting inspiration from Chelsea Flower Show for my small town garden.” Art Editor Gill Lockhart designs the magazine PHOTOS: ALAMY; GAP PHOTOS…

GAP PHOTOS/JOANNA KOSSACK; GILL LOCKHART; ALAMY 1 Yew domes punctuate the planting, their flattened forms creating a pause among the flowers. Tough yew is a sustainable alternative to box, which can now suffer from pest and disease problems. 2 Compact French lavender fits neatly into the planting while still offerring lots of nectar for pollinating insects. It is drought-tolerant too, meaning it can cope with our changing climate. H and S60cm (2ft) 3 The burnt orange and copper spires of verbascum ‘Clementine’ are insect-friendly and create an eye-pleasing colour counterpoint to the waves of purple planting. H1.5m (5ft) S60cm (2ft)…

Patio plants POPS OF PINK GAP PHOTOS/NICOLA STOCKEN An old wooden garden sieve makes a great rustic garden container. Line it with a piece of an empty compost bag, puncturing some holes in the base for drainage, then fill it with a 50:50 mix of peat-free compost and grit and plant dainty alpines such as Lewisia cotyledon ‘Elise White’ (H and S15cm/6in); the hot pink, scented flowers of dianthus ‘Aztec Star’ (H15cm/6in S10cm/4in) and long-flowering dianthus ‘Pink Kisses’ (H and S15cm/6in). Tumbling over the edge of the sieve are the prostate stems and magenta flowers of Phlox subulata ‘McDaniel’s Cushion’ (H10cm/4in S30cm/12in) and the fragrant foliage of thyme ‘Silver Queen’ (H20cm/8in S30cm/12in). GET THE LOOK Kitchen garden style Stock up on practical and pretty grow-your-own kit to help tend your…

A small garden needn’t be an obstacle when it comes to garden design, and certainly not at the world’s favourite flower show. With the introduction of new categories such as balcony and container gardens, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is recognising that many gardeners have limited outdoor space. Rather than viewing a small plot as a barrier to creating a beautiful garden, less outdoor space can be a blessing. Smaller gardens are easier to design under a unifying theme, quicker to make-over and easier to maintain. Chelsea Flower Show gardens past and present offer plenty of inspiration, from design tweaks that could make a big difference to how you use your space to novel ways to make more room for your favourite flowers. Here’s seven inspiring ideas for smaller plots.…

1 Allium hollandicum Starburst flowers in pompom shapes on tall sturdy stems. The vibrant purple blooms are reliably perennial, returning every year. ✿ H60cm S5cm (2in) 2 Solenostemon ‘Redhead’ Also known as coleus, these foliage plants with soft colourful leaves and serrated edges are great for containers. ✿ H and S80cm (16in) 3 Thymus serpyllum Creeping thyme forms an evergreen mat with small green leaves and tiny white flowers in summer. It releases an aromatic scent when brushed past. ✿ H20cm (8in) S40cm (16in) 4 Chamaemelum nobile Low-growing Roman chamomile forms a mat of narrow leaves that are smothered in summer with small white daisy flowers with a yellow eye. It can tolerate the occasional footstep. ✿ H and S30cm (12in) 5 Buxus sempervirens Useful for structure in a small…