Design Tips for Small Gardens – Mary Swan

Presentation:  Design Tips for Small Gardens by Mary Swan

Mary, who is a garden designer and lecturer in horticulture, gave us a workshop on garden design using illustrations from courtyards in Marrakech to our local York Gate garden in Adel.  We learnt key design tips including landscaping, texture and colour.  We then had to undertake an exercise in teams which involved putting the theory into practice, which proved quite difficult.

We spent an enjoyable and informative afternoon and will look at our gardens through new eyes.

We have the opportunity to visit Mary’s own garden later in the year.

Mary also gives workshops locally. 

Display Table

 Kate’s Crinodendron Alf Robbins which bears white flowers

 Janella’s Cyclamen

 Dorothy’s Crocus chrysanthus Advance

From her garden, Ann’s bouquet includes Galanthus nivalis, Leucojum vernum,  Iris unguicularis, syn. Stylosa, Iris reticulate, Crocus tomassinianus, Narcissus tête-à-tête, Corydalis malkensis, Puschkinia and Hepatica x Ballardia

 Gill’s posy has Hellebore, Brunnera, Cardamine and Sarcococca

 Carol's Spring posy includes Pulmonaria Angustifolia and Sissinghurst White, Bergenia, Viburnum Tinus and Dawn, the attractive Heather Golden Starlet and the still flowering Fuchsia microphylla

Gardening Matters
Janella told us about the Ring-necked parakeet which was feeding in her garden but are mainly found in south-east England.  
Many members agreed that the frogs are now very active in their ponds.

Notice Board

Garden centre trip:  The Fuchsia Society has opened its annual trip on 19^th April to non-members.  For the cost of £10, the coach will leave Paxton at 8.30 am stopping at Reighton Nursery, Hunmanby at 10.30, the Piebald Inn 
http://thepiebaldinn.co.uk/
(decide your choice of lunch) and Deans Nurseries returning to Paxton by 5 pm.

If interested, please contact Julie of WY Fuchsia Society on 07736456414

Friday Forum day trip to Southport Flower Show on 21^st August: If you or your friends want to book, full details are on the Garden Visits page.

Next Meeting

6^th March – Forum on Houseplants. 

Houseplants are quite the trend.  Member Eric will give a talk but please bring in any ailing, thriving, interesting, unnamed houseplants of your own.

A short time to make a long border

Presentation: 

Garden designer Mary Swan gave a fascinating entitled: A short time to make a long border in which she explained the highs and lows of preparing a show garden for RHS Chatsworth.

 Mary Swan

 

Mary studied garden design and horticulture and now lectures at Craven College as well as running her own garden design company.  After experiencing being part of a team who put together show gardens, Mary decided to go solo.  She decided to attend a seminar run by the RHS to find out more and discovered the Long Border category at Chatsworth was still open to entries and so she applied for this – with just two months to prepare.

Mary then took us through the hairy process of making the garden with the theme given as Movement.  She used the idea of the wind and the transition from spring to summer to complete the raised bed.  We heard how she drew up the plans, sourced the plants plus a steel screen while following the criteria and contending with the weather.  The list of plants used and details about workshops on design can be found here https://www.maryswangardens.com/garden-design/rhs-chatsworth-flower-show-gold/

One of the useful tips she gave for our own gardens is to take a colour card to the nursery with you to ascertain which plants matched well with others.

The outcome?  A gold medal!

Display Table

Janella’s Hamamelis x intermedia Pallida which she intends to place in her garden near a shrub which shows colour at this time of year.  The plant is commonly known as Witch hazel as the branches were used as divining rods

 Kate’s vase includes Epimedium, Snowdrops including S. Arnott, Ipheion  Alberto Castillo, Cyclamen coum, Hellebores, Iris, Sarcococca, Viburnum bodnantense dawn

Trevor’s Iris recticulata Cantab

 

 Ann’s spring display:  Iris Palm Springs, George, Pauline and Sheila Ann Germany, Primulas and Geranium

A bargain, yet to be identified, from The Arium

 

 Gill’s basket contains spring flowers including the Daffodil Jet Fire

From her garden Gill brought Coronilla, Snowdrops, the scented Daphne retusa, Primrose and Hellebore, which last longer in a vase when a slit is made along the length of the stem.

Jill J’s pot of Crocus Cream Beauty

 

Margaret M’s Helleborus Gold Collection Joker

Notice Board

Early notice about Paxton Spring Show and Plant Sale on 30^th March.  Dorothy has made a request for plants. 

 Next Meeting

1^st March – Forum meeting:  John Freer will be giving a short talk and demonstrating how to stage entries for our Mini Show (or the Paxton Spring Show).  We will also be discussing shade loving plants so we would like examples from your own gardens.