Late Summer Colour - Hydrangeas

I wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of hydrangeas; yes I liked them, they’re a useful shrub, but...then I visited Holehird Garden in the Lake District late last summer and was bowled over!

The Lakeland Horticultural Society holds the National Collection of Hydrangeas. With some 300 specimens gleaming in a rich tapestry and backed by lush green fells it’s a sight to convert us all to the beauty of these often underrated shrubs.

Hydrangeas offer flowers from July – October, plus they have interest overwinter with the dried flower heads remaining on the shrub, which also protects the new flower buds behind.

They thrive in light shade, in a slightly acidic and humus rich soil to allow the full colour range to be admired. They’re fairly easy to maintain, so long as you get the pruning right. Although I understand that they’re not too keen on being moved – it seems they may change flower colour if you do!

If you can visit the garden there’s still plenty of time to see hydrangeas and other late flowering plants, but even if not, enjoy the photos! (click on a photo to enlarge)

You’ll find the websites in topical links

Midsummer Borders

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine. “
(William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream)

A few photos to set  you dreaming...

“DOING THE 92”

Steve Hall is a Brit who lives in Spain and who loves football.

His plan is to cycle to all the 92 football league clubs in England and Wales between May and August 2010. Why? Read on...

September 2010

This is the time of year when holidaymakers often return home to a nightmare of a garden.

We have designs on those nightmares to change them into a midsummer night’s dream.

So if you know of a returned holidaymaker who would like to return to a vision of paradise give them our details!

Services offered:

Our designs can change the look of your whole garden or refresh a border. If budgets are tight, we can offer a design only service, or a two year plan of priorities.

For Managing Agents and Residents Associations we can arrange Maintenance schedules and consultancy visits for communal grounds and gardens to make the best use of your resources. Keeping the grounds looking at their best makes flats easier to let and residents can enjoy the open space to the full.

We also offer Gardening Tutorials, for example to learn how to prune or how to ‘grow your own’. These take place in your own garden, so are very individual. They make an excellent birthday gift!

For further details of these and all our services, check out the rest of the web site or email us to discuss a tailor-made plan to suit your individual needs.

Inspirational ideas; flexible solutions

Facebook fan page

Facebook fan page is up & running; and always looking for more followers and joiners-in.

For those of you who like facebook Plews Garden Design has a facebook fan page – come and find us! Feel free to join in with your own chat, photos and queries or just look at what others post up.

www.facebook.com - then look for Plews Garden Design in the search Box

Charity of the Month September 2010 Harris HospisCare

All designs and consultancy visits commissioned during September will generate a £5 donation from Plews Garden Design to Harris HospisCare.

 Please visit the Potting Shed for more details.