open squares weekend - 11th & 12th June

Every June the garden takes part in London Open Garden Squares Weekend.  The weekend is organised by London Parks and Gardens Trust and is a great opportunity to explore many of London's private gardens - the majority of the participating gardens are private squares and this is the only opportunity for non-key holders to have a look round.  The Phoenix, being open access every day of the year, closes to the general public for the weekend and is only open to Open Squares ticket holders.  This year was very busy with over 300 visitors on the Saturday alone, so it is a great opportunity for garden volunteers to show off the results of all the hard work they do throughout the year to keep the Phoenix Garden running.  The Open Squares visitors are viewing the garden alongside other gardens, many that have planting budgets we can only dream of, so it is good to get all the feedback and to hear how we stand up to the competition.  Many visitors are amazed that the garden is open to the public as a matter of course and there are many compliments regarding the planting and the design - of course I already know we are the best! Garden volunteers also run a refreshments tent selling teas, coffees and home-made cakes, and they were run off their feet keeping up with demand!

A long day greeting 300 visitors, and hearing a litany of complaints from those too tight to support 'their' charity garden, has exhausted the gatekeeper!  I should probably know better by now but I am still surprised at the unpleasantness freely directed towards garden volunteers by those unwilling to pay the £3 entrance fee for the day; "but this is MY garden you effing middle-class wanker!".  

I continue to be amazed at the commitment of the volunteer team who keep on running fund raising events such as these for such little thanks, so here is a Big Thank You to: Jane, Alex, Ray, Craig, Peter, Elizabeth, Graziella, Sharon & Pauline, who made the weekend such a success.

vegetables at wardour house

Popped over to Wardour House to get some vegetables started in the two veg planters.  We planted some small lettuce plants in green and red,  got the tomato plants in and a courgette.  Seeds were sown for carrots, pot marjoram and dwarf 'Hestia' runner beans.  Nasturtiums too - usually grown just for their pretty flowers, both the flowers and leaves are edible too, but be warned they are mustard hot! 

Pushing in runner beans,

 is easy to do.

Hope I get invited when they harvest!

return to sandringham - the roof

The first gardening day with Sandringham Court residents was a success so I was looking forward to the second to work on the middle roof.  This is how it looked when I first visited, under-used but great for drying washing - behind me, on other sections of roof (it is big), are a great selection of container plants already planted by residents.  The conditions are the same as most roof gardens; windy, sun-beaten, exposed, so when the residents asked for advice on planting and said they would like a mediterranean theme, I was pleased - plants from mediterranean climatic zones like sun and wind.  

First came the containers.  The same large wooden planters we used at Wardour House.  Big enough to hold a substantial amount of compost and affordable for the number required.  Arriving flat-pack they had been put together ready for the day and after being laid out in position,

the compost could be carried in to fill them.  Each container holds just over six bags each and they  are immovable after filling but they will be stable in strong winds.  We used soil based compost which is heavy so the planters were positioned mainly round the sides and well spaced out to spread the load.  Soil-based compost has more 'body' and supports plant growth over a longer period so is much better for the large shrubs chosen.  

Some could heft the bags easily, 

 For others it was 'many hands make light work'.

The plants were waiting in the residents hall ready for laying out - a selection of drought tolerant trees, shrubs, herbs and bedding plants for quick colour.  I encouraged everyone to have a tea break to give me time to get them out - it is difficult to make plant position choices with enthusiastic audience participation.  Working with the required 'mediterranean' theme one end will be an olive grove with scented foliage plants and blues, yellows and pinks, the other a scented herb garden with purple Cordyline and Phormium to move in the wind.  Once everything was in position everyone got to planting.

Then a break for lunch.  Yet another fine sandwich selection was laid on (bit frozen in the middle,  but nothing a quick blast in the microwave couldn't sort out).

After lunch we worked on the existing roof garden areas to renovate some of the old containers and add some new large planters.  Some of the old root-bound shrubs were released from their bonds and they  will get a new lease of life with root-room and fresh compost around them. 

As there usually is there was one surprise waiting in the wings - lots of the existing containers had broken glass hidden in them, mixed into the compost.  This caused the only injury of the day, a nasty cut finger.  It transpired that this had been added by someone due to a mistaken belief that it prevents slugs & snails.  I took the opportunity to explain that snails can dance along the edges of razor blades so it was not an effective deterrent - I hope the new planters don't get a similar treatment.

Apart from this and someone trapped in a lift with an enormous bamboo plant (fire brigade soon in attendance) the day went very well and this happy biscuit summed up the reaction to the finished 'mediterranean' roof garden.  It was great to see people get straight down to enjoying the garden, to chat. .

and for quiet contemplation.

The finished planters and the plants we used:

Cotinus 'Grace', variegated Phormium, Solanum jasminoides, Pittosporum Tobira.

Solanum crispum 'Galsnevin', Buddleja 'Lochinch', marguerites, silver Helichrysum.

Pittosporum tobira, Senecio 'Sunshine', green Sage, Cistus sp., Miscanthus 'China'.

Cistus sp., purple Fennel, red Cordyline, Buddleja, Pony Tail Grass (Stipa tenuissimma), Rosemary, dark leaved Phormium.

Buddleja alternifolia, Cistus sp., Oregano, yellow Bidens, variegated Phormium.

standard Olive tree, Cistus sp., Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve', Euryops pectinatus, yellow Bidens.

Ceanothus 'Autumnal Blue', purple Sage, Oregano, Geranium 'Ann Folkard', Solanum jasminoides,

Thyme, Lavender, purple Sage, Euryops pectinatus, Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve', Senecio 'Sunshine'.

standard Olive trees with Rosemary and Lavender.

Olives, Lavender, Cistus, Mock Orange, grasses and herbs.

  

dark Cordyline, dark leaved Phormium, purple sage and fennel. 

Wardour House Roof Garden

Almost a year ago I visited Wardour House in Soho after being approached by the TA to advise on gardening on the roof space.  This was much underused and as you can see was not all it could be (even so I was wildly jealous having just windowsills myself).  We worked out the budget for the garden so they could apply for some funds and I came up with a plant list for them, suitable for the conditions on most roofs - sunbaked and windswept - and quick growing, the roof is very overlooked and they are keen to gain some privacy. They were awarded a grant from the management body, Soho Housing Association, for the renovations, but building improvements wrapped the block in scaffolding for summer and autumn so we couldn't do anything further until now.

In working out the planting for the roof I wasn't surprised to see at the top of the wishlist were the large specimen plants - bamboos and palms - that everyone seems to want.  I am not an advocate for these as  large specimen plants often struggle to cope with the change of conditions from sheltered nursery to exposed rooftop and can be a disappointment when planted into small tubs that dry out quickly. [bamboos are woodland plants and don't really like droughty exposed positions - palms get tatty and grubby looking sitting dormant over winter, they are much better in hotter climates than ours]

Smaller cheaper plants will usually establish much more successfully than larger and they are substantially cheaper - i'd always go for £4.99 that grows than £100 that doesn't. With a limited budget (or unlimited for that matter) I would always advise that the majority should be spent on large planters and compost - large planters give stable conditions and are slower to dry out  

With the building works nearing completion the residents sourced the largest planters the budget would allow - large planters can be phenomenally expensive but they managed to find these reasonably priced ones online and at 150cmx50cmx50cm they can hold enough soil for good plant growth - 15 were delivered flat-packed along with 80 bags of compost.  Thankfully the end of the works coincided with the delivery and they managed to negotiate everything being taken up to the roof.  I don't think I could have managed  getting all that up all those stairs!

A couple of residents constructed all the planters during the week before the planting day and I accompanied the shopping trip for the plants.  I really do enjoy shopping for 'my choice' plants with other peoples budgets!  The plants bought included a range of Ceanothus, Lavatera 'Barnsley', Senecio 'Sunshine',  Callistemon, Buddleja alternifolia, Escallonia, rosemary, sage and oregano.

The planting day started with arranging the planters on the roof and agreeing on the arrangement - before they were filled (it's too late after!).  This done the containers were filled with 5 bags of compost each.  

It is always surprising how much compost is needed for a large container.

A break for tea gave me time to arrange the plants ready for planting and a chance to enjoy the odd burst of sunshine breaking through.

Planting up the tubs didn't take long...

and everyone got a chance to try their hand...

before posing for the obligatory group photo (the camera shy ran for cover at this point!))

Completed. I think it looks great, but I can see the future when everything has grown...

and before long those lavatera will be head height.  (I can tell no one quite believes this at the moment but at least they are going with me on this -  I shall be proved right come August!)

Well done Wardour House!

sandringham buildings - courtyard - november 2010

Sandringham Buildings is a Soho Housing Association block of 140 dwellings behind the bookshops on Charing Cross road.  The Tenants Association approached us to see if we could help with improving some of the communal garden areas.  The first session was planned to improve two ground level areas; the shady courtyard and an overgrown bed.  The materials and plants had been bought on a shopping trip earlier in the week, using a StreetVan transit van hired for the day was so much cheaper than the charges for delivery into the west end (we must get a designated driver registered for the garden).  The TA had put up notices for the planting day inviting residents to get involve and organised refreshments for the day

The first area to be tackled was the courtyard.  The existing planting was one large concrete planter with a fern and ivy, an old wash basket planted with a laurel and a few small pots with red-leaved heuchera.  All these were tucked into one corner to make a lone island of green in a large area of paving.  I felt increasing the number of planters through the whole area would look good, the area is in bright shade and all the plants used are tough and reliable in shade to give year round interest, the plants being repeated throughout to give a unified feel.  The TA had chosen half-barrels for the containers - a good choice in appearance and big enough to support good plant growth.  Attractive foliage and form will be the main focus of interest  using ferns, bamboo, sedges and grasses.  Other plants used all have good foliage and flower in season too. 

The courtyard, before.

The containers were put in position and filled with soil based compost - position first as full they are heavy! The plants were laid out in groups for each container and after the first was planted up as a demonstration by me - usual points made; drainage layer, use plant-in-pot to make mould for rootball, plant at same level as in pot, don't firm on top of the plant - then everyone got stuck in. 

 The theme of the planting runs throughout with the same plants repeated but used in different combinations.

Climbing Trachelospermum jasminoides, golden-leaved shrub Leycestreria formosa Aurea,  golden grass Hakenechloa  macra Aurea,  green sedge Carex testacea and Polystichum fern.

A bamboo Phyllostachys bissetti, with spring-flowering Euphobia robbiae,  the sedge Carex testacea, a fern and variegated ivy.

In the planter, variegated bamboo, the sedge Carex testacea, the fern Athyrium felix-femina, late-flowering Anemone japonica, spring-flowering Bergenia and ivy. In the terracotta pot - Pheasant-tail grass Stipa arundinacea, fern Dryopteris erythrosa and ivy.  The small pots of red-leaved Heuchera remain from before. 

Golden bamboo, sedge Carex testacea, golden grass Hakenochloa macra Aurea, fern Dryopteris erythrosa and ivy.

Climbing Hydrangea petiolaris, spring-flowering Brunnera maculata, golden grass Hakenochloa macra Aurea, the tree fern Dicksonia antarctica and ivy.

Phyllostachys bissettii,  Brunnera maculata, Euphorbia robbiae and Stipa arundinacea.

The containers have been spaced out along the wall, each container has had a number of spring bulbs tucked in to give a boost at the end of winter.  At the moment it still looks slightly sparse but come spring everything will soon thicken up.  

From above.  The bamboo should soon establish and fill out to move gracefully in the breeze, softening the hard landscape and will bring this area to life.

After lunch - a very satisfying spread of sandwiches and the like (well done Sandringham TA!) - we got cracking on the other area - this long bed.  

It gets half a days sun, is prone to drying out in summer and had become somewhat overgrown.  Feverfew, campanula porschyana and a couple of great big Acanthus mollis held their own with nettles and creeping thistle.  After lifting some clumps of feverfew and the campanula (wrapped in plastic bags so as not to dry out) and marking the Acanthus to be retained the area was dug over and as many of the weeds removed as could be.  I had the group go over the area a couple of times to get as many roots as possible out but expect the creeping thistle to be back re-invigorated in spring - then there will be weeding to do.  

The selection of shrubs and perrenials were laid out in their positions, included in the chosen selection are;  Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile', Choisya 'Aztec Pearl', Abelia x grandiflora, Bergenia, Geranium, Miscanthus - more on these no doubt as it gets established.

The planting got underway and was pretty straight forward with just the usual reminders not to plant too shallowly and not to walk on what's already in.  The potted memorial rose for a resident needed to be planted out into the bed, easily done, but on turning it out of its pot, much to everyones surprise, the ashes were revealed in a thick wet layer (remember: pots do need drainage holes!), slightly disconcerting but soon dug in under the rose and in the ground as they should be!  The rose should establish well now the roots aren't sopping wet.  

It soon became apparent that there was an unexpected single-mindedness to remove all the brick rubble in the bed - the bed level went down as the rubble heaped at the base of the plane tree went up (you can see the collection in the background) - after explaining a few times that plant roots don't mind stones and rocks the energies were redirected into planting the bed ... it now even has an unplanned but beautifully constructed gabion and rubble invertebrate habitat at the back of the bed (see what I did there?).

At the end of the day the bed was given a good soak to get everything settled in.  I'm looking forward  to seeing how it gets on come spring as it grows away and makes its mark.

We will be arranging further days with Sandringham residents to work in their garden, and I hope we get such a good turn out on those days.  It was good to see so many people be so enthusiastic about improving their garden space.  Well done everyone!