Secrets from National Trust gardeners

Every National Trust gem has its own special character. Here, the people in charge of some of the most beautiful gardens in Britain share their wisdom…

 

Create a better lawn

Glyn Jones, from Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, says... One of the best ways of encouraging grass to grow strongly is to mow it regularly but never in the same direction for more than two or three cuts. Changing direction when cutting helps to prevent stalky grass establishing.

 

Best plant for tricky places

Sam Youd, from Tatton Park in Cheshire, says... Ferns are one of the groups of plants we take for granted in the garden, but they're ideal for a problem place. Hardy ferns tolerate conditions many plants would find unacceptable - for example under trees, in north-facing aspects or wet areas. I like to use evergreen ferns that don't die down in winter but continue to look lush even in the harshest temperatures. The shaggy shield fern (Polystichum aculeatum) and hard shield fern (Dryopteris cycadina) look good all year round. Another favourite, despite the fact that it dies down in winter, is the Japanese royal fern (Osmunda regalis), which produces wonderful curled-up fronds in spring that unfurl to stunning effect. It can grow anything up to 2m high and, once established, is almost impossible to kill.

Expert know-how: Ferns really love moisture, they dislike strong sunlight and love a soil enriched with organic material.

 

Prettiest trees for small gardens

Mike Buffin, from the National Trust Central Office, says... Selecting the right variety of tree for a smaller space is one of the most challenging decisions any gardener will face. There are three groups: Clear-stemmed trees that are naturally small or slow growing - my top choices are: Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida and C. kousa), the weeping silver pear (Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula') or the conifer Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Filifera Aurea'.

Large treelike shrubs: The serviceberry (Amelanchier lamarckii), Chinese privet (Ligustrum lucidum) or the Chilean fire bush (Embothrium coccineum), all of which need pruning to maintain a clear central stem.

Trees that respond well to pruning to keep them smaller: Indian bean tree (Catalpa bignonioides ‘Aurea'), the silver wattle or mimosa (Acacia dealbata) or the smallleafed lime (Tilia cordata ‘Winter Orange').

Expert know-how Best tree for year round beauty is the Chinese paper bark maple (Acer griseum).

 

Basic rules for gorgeous containers

Peter Hall, from Powys Castle in Wales, says... No matter what the type of container - grand planter or simple teapot, all need to give plants the right conditions for growth.

Here are the basic rules: Air Roots need oxygen to grow, so good drainage is essential. Coarse gravel is fine, or I use bark chips. With poor drainage the plant can become waterlogged and roots die. Too much drainage and the compost will drain too rapidly, so water is wasted - and with it its nutrients.

Light: Most container plants prefer full sun for much of the day to promote good flowering.

For a shady spot: try Impatiens, Nicotiana and Convolvulus sabatius.

Water: The best containers are sumptuous with foliage and flower, and really have to be a labour of love. Water loss increases in a breezy, open site, so pick a sheltered spot.

Nutrients: We use a peat-free compost mix combining ground bark, composted woodchip and sterlised loam - similar to a John Innes-type mix but with more organic matter. I can't over-stress the importance of using the best quality compost. I add slow-release fertiliser to containers to provide a longer-term feed, then supplement this later in summer with liquid feeding.

Expert know-how: Planting up the perfect pot: A good idea is to have a central feature plant for the design - for example, Fuchsia triphylla are excellent for rich foliage and flowers, as are scented pelargoniums such as ‘Clorinda' or ‘Scarlet Pet'.

Favourite trailing plants include the double red nasturtium ‘Hermine Grashof' with its round leaves, or clear blue Lobelia richardsonii.

 

Good housekeeping!

Alan Power, of Stourhead in Wiltshire, says...

Make sure pruning tools are sharp and clean and, when pruning, remove the debris from around the base of the tree or plant as soon as possible as this can play host to pests and diseases.

 

Top plants for winter interest

Richard Todd, from Anglesey Abbey Garden in Cambridgeshire, says... Producing colour without using lots of flowers makes winter gardening challenging and exciting.

Good-sized, bold groupings are important for impact as single plants get lost in the mix. Contrasting colours or shapes draw attention, and bright stems such as dogwoods (Cornus) and willow (Salix) give colour for months, even on the greyest of days. The bold leaves of oleaster (Elaegnus) and Mexican orange blossom (Choisya) make fine backgrounds for other plants. Activating the senses is what winter gardening is all about, and the sense of smell demands to be explored. Try mahonia, viburnum, honeysuckle (Lonicera), wintersweet (Chimonanthus) and Christmas box. We often position these on corners to give pleasant surprises, especially on days that are still and warmer.

Expert know-how: Use low winter sun either to highlight or backlight plants for best effect.

 

Flowers for free

Cat Saunders, from The Courts Garden in Wiltshire, says... Save some seed as you go through your borders - but collect it on fine days, laying it out on newspaper until it's thoroughly dry. Store it in a plastic box in the fridge, with silica gel inside to help keep the seed dry. Yes, you can put weeds on the compost heap...

Richard Todd, from Anglesey Abbey Gardens in Cambridge, says... Invasive weeds with fleshy roots, such as bindweed, couch grass and ground elder, can be made harmless by putting them into a black plastic bag, leaving them somewhere to rot down for some weeks, then adding them to the heap.

 

Choose colours that work

Paul Farnell, from Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, says... People often talk about shape and form when they're looking at plants but, in summer, bedding is less that than colour - lashings of colour - put together in a way that's pleasing to the eye. For this

I find a colour wheel invaluable. There are three ways of putting together colours in a harmonious way, the most subtle of which is to use tints of a single colour. The most restful way is to match shades that lie next to each other on the colour wheel, while the boldest is to use contrasting colours, which are opposite on the wheel.

 

Top tips for beautiful borders

Heather Aston, from Upton House in the West Midlands, says... The mixed border is the backbone of any garden and is part of what makes gardening so exciting...

Establish a routine of plant husbandry - in other words, don't leave it for years, then do it all at once!

Research your plants and find out what they like before planting them. Do they prefer wet or dry conditions, heavy or light soil?

Keep a diary of maintenance routines, noting dates of planting, feeding, composting and so on.

Constantly stand back and view the border. There's always room for improvement and new combinations, such as different varieties of clematis around wooden poles for height and colour.

 

 

 

Extracted from 'Gardening Secrets From National Trust Head Gardeners' (National Trust Books, £5.99). © National Trust Books. To buy this book, visit www.amazon.co.uk

 

 

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