Read about our new bird feeders with Dr Chris Gibson
Weekly catch up with garden & propagation
POSTED 12th June 2025
Garden Team
At this time of year, the woodland starts to settle down. With its dry shade condition, while ground covers and ferns are still providing a structure for the green tapestry, the burst of colour and flowers from early spring is gently fading, giving the woodland an unruly quietness. A good hint for us that it’s time for a tidy up.
Paths are being swept of fallen leaves, spring flowering shrubs are being pruned, and many of the early spring flowering plants are now withering, flopping and dropping seeds. We are cutting some back, such as Melica uniflora f. albida and colchicum (the leaves of this bulb die back after spring and make way for flowers in the autumn). Plants like symphytum and Geranium phaeum will benefit from the cut back to give us a second flush of growth later in the season. Although it may look bare for a week or so, you’ll soon see new shoots covering the beds.
We are keeping the prolific self seeders and spreaders in check : pulling bracken and arums (which tend to be hard to control here in the garden), containing the bright yellow flowered Doronicum pardalianches (Leopard’s Bane) to certain areas, and editing the limey green Smyrnium perfoliatum to control future numbers of this seedy biennial.
Being immersed in the woodland, we’re observing the subtle changes and new interest arising. Everything seems to be racing given the dry spring we’ve experienced. The delicate Paris quadrifolia are emerging, with their stunning single whorl of green leaves, Aruncus dioicus feathery flowers are gently swaying in the wind, and even the Actaea rubra’s red berries are making an early appearance, letting us wonder what late summer interest we will be witnessing.
Propagation Team
It's been a glorious week in the growing department, lots of plants have put down roots and have made their way onto the nursery.
Lelia has been an absolute star at the potting benches, creating a whole field of plant prospects which are currently on their own journey towards the nursery. These include: Penstemon 'White Bedder', Linum perenne, and Ferula tingitana 'Cedric Morris'.
Penstemon 'White Bedder'
Linum perenne
Ferula tingitana 'Cedric Morris'
Debs has been hard at work on cuttings, such as Baptisia 'Purple Smoke', a wonderful new form from North Carolina Botanical Garden. Purple flushed stems with large spikes of pea-like purple flowers in early summer. Dark seed pods for winter interest.
Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'
Pete and Callum deserve a big slice of recognition for their diligent work in the packing department. It takes a lot of skill to make sure our plants arrive safely and these two have it in abundance!
Miya and Sean have been keeping the stock beds in order, whilst Rob, Mel, Tina and Hannah have been working their way through the tunnels, keeping stock looking lush. And as always, when not teaching propagation classes (head to our website to find out more) Emily has been conjuring her seedling magic!
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