VERTICAL gardening is a useful trick for those in a hurry. If you want instant height in a border, try a tripod, a wigwam of pea sticks, a metal obelisk, or even simply a wooden post, then plant an annual climber or two at the bottom and watch the plants race to the top in a couple of months. They can also clothe your new walls long before more permanent things are ready to take over.
If you are careful about what you pair with what, annual climbers can co-exist with long-term choices. I am still waiting for my favorite ‘Bengal Crimson’ rose to spread its wings in the courtyard, so a good companion, for the time being, is Lathyrus matucana, the sweet pea with the best scent of all. The deep red of the rose and rich dark velvety purple of the pea are fine together. But the rose has to win, so only a few strands of L. matucana are allowed to climb among and above the thorns. Rhodochiton atrosanguineus, of the tiny purple bells and in a similar color range, would also work. Or I might have tried morning glory, Ipomoea tricolor ‘Heavenly Blue’, which is true to its name, but shivers at any hint of cold. I had some grown by a friend and, even in the greenhouse in late April, they became wan after I banished the heater too soon.
Denne historien er fra August 25, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 25, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
