14


GARDEN SOUND


llWe sometimes take sound for granted. Every garden will have it’s own sounds, even if you can’t see what’s making the noise. Wind whispering through bushes, trees or long grasses are a good start but consider also running water and man-ma- de items like wind chimes to provide an irregular di- mension to the sound-scape.


The masters of song are the birds. Provi- ding food, water and shelter will return a resi- dent bird population that will change with the sea- sons from Skylarks in the spring to summer eve- ning Blackbirds and autumnal Starlings. Someti- mes simply providing planting for insects is enough to attract certain types.


3 April 2015 East Kilbride Post TOUCH


llEven a slight variation of planting will result in di- fferent textures being present in your garden (or con- servatory). Trees have bark, whilst grasses might ha- ve whispy seed heads and of course there are nume- rous types of leaves to utilise. Scale can also be used to advantage here, mixing little and large plants, leaves and flowers can add interest to the borders. A word of caution is required here – Some herbs and other plants can have specific uses, even in medi- cation and yet might cause allergies or be poisonous. Keep a particular sense in mind of how children might come into contact with such plants.


Again planting shouldn’t be the extent of your mis- sion. Sculpture can provide wonderful tactile adventu- res as can light and dark surfaces designed to absorb and reflect heat and cold to the touch.


Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia; relaxing, fresh aroma with tiny purple


SMELL


llSmell is the most evocative of the senses. A slight scent can immediately take us back to a time and place wi- th extraordinary clarity. This is perhaps why people have favourite blooms – perhaps from their wedding bouquets or those that grew uninterrupted in Granny’s garden.


It doesn’t stop at display plants. Hedges such as ‘Box’ can provide a superb scent and help to section off different aspects of the space. As well as that, many of the herbs we grow for the kitchen have pungent scents that of course, help to remind us of home- cooked favourites or even distant cli- mes where we’ve been for our holi- days.


Curry Plant, Helichrysum italicum; curry smelling leaves which give off


a spicy aroma on a warm, sunny day. This plant prefers a sunny, sheltered position on well-drained soil.


Sweet Pea, Lathyrus odoratus; a fl owering climber that gives off a


strong, sweet scent. Hardier than many think although do like shelter.


Lemon Scented Geranium, Pelargonium crispum; crinkly


leaves that smell of lemon when rubbed. A bit risky


outdoors but can smell up your porch quite easily.


Lamb’s Ears, Stachys Byzantine; as it's common name suggests, its downy leaves resemble the


ears of a lamb. That's got to be good.


fl owers. Thrives in Southern Britain but should cope with the East Kilbride tropics.


Silver Sage, Salvia Argentea; large, silvery –white leaves covered in cotton-wool like down. A group of plants makes


Cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus; beautiful, maroon fl owers give off a chocolate/ vanilla scent - a big hit with the kids! More common in the warmer borders, a conservatory environment would be best suited.


Chocolate


stunning ground cover for the front of a sunny border, raised bed or gravel garden, and provides a dramatic background for colourful summer fl owers.


Cape Sundew, Drosera Capensis; meat-eating plant


that catches insects using a glue-like substance on the surface of its leaves—watch out, it’s sticky to touch! I've included it here in the faint hope weould we get this to grow in East Kilbride? It could solve the midgie issue in Summer! Let us know how gardeners.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40