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4 I RURAL LIFE tlgS
Wednesday,September,20141
Wednesday, September24.2014
PLANT OF THE MONTH' Acer. .
.■ '
.. With autumn colour in mind, there are , few that can surpass acers pr maples. it . ;
, , There are a huge number, of varieties , •» in this family, from large trees such/- /
■' as acer platanoides to small weeping >
; ■ varieties, such
as.acerdissectumi ' ■' The green-leaved varieties tend to. .
■ 'give the best autumn display with rich-,-,:
1 ’ reds and golds, and often coloured;-,. ; V: seed pods and coloured stems for--., _,:v winter interest. There are also many
differing leaf shapes so that if you - „ j.-
"•"havea collection ofacers they will . .- . / j ■ each have their own Unique style and ■ ■ autumn colour.’, .; - T
: Acers are just as interesting in the 'Hi::; V ' j J S t * . . 3 u 3 & . ’ #
spring, when many emerge with bright golden or apricot leaves, which turn to green in the summer and back to a glorious rainbow of colours in the autumn. ' / .
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For winteVinterest it is worth con- ■/ sidering the coral-barked acer -Sango /
: kaku', or for the larger garden a real . • feature tree is the acer davidii—the : > snakebarked acer/ / / ‘ - , Acers are relatively easy, to grow in ;
this area, however they do require fer tile soil, which should be moist but free draining and, ideally, in partial shade orsun. Many of the acer palmatum varieties can suffer in cold winds, so 1 plant in a sheltered position.
j^ v Y o i ir monthly ; ■ -’garden advice column with Michelle
^
j ; U n s wo rt h ;•; fi) Troni So Plants : -
: Boutique Garden/;,
j .Centre, Preston / : / ! Road, Lohgridge;.
So Plants Boutique Garden Centre SO Plants is a unique cottage garden centre with a contemporary twist#
a haven for plant lovers of all ages. Specialising in British and locally grown hardy plants. Basket and Bedding Plants.
| S summer fades l : i ’
Mm away, autumn arrives i in a glorious blaze of Icolour, and our atten
tion is drawn to the multi coloured leaves displayed on . trees and shrubs. It's a great reminder of
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the excitement of child hood, when we collected leaves, seeds and conkers for collages and school nature
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tables. " Acers are notable for their
autumn displays, along with liqui- dambar (sweet gum) amelanchier, cotinus and hamamellis. Fruit bushes can also offer fabu
; t !
lous displays, with the blueberry probably being the most spec tacular. It produces fruit through out the summer, then ends the season with glowing red leaves. Autumn flowers also contribute,
/ i ;
with Michaelmas daisies, autumn crocus and cyclamen hederifolium looking particularly striking at this time of year. If your garden is looking a little
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dull right now, it is worth look ing around to see what colours and interest you could introduce. There is far more to the autumn/ winter garden than evergreens. Late September and October
■m 111I jl; IIMli: p . ' f f ' i ' i ; E i r
are a great months to plant bulbs. Ideally plant as soon as you have purchased, as they form good root growth during early autumn. • Check for good strong bulbs
and ensure the ground is well pre pared, with plenty of well-rotted organic matter incorporated into ' your soil. Bulbs usually only have a short
period in leaf after flowering, so fertile soil is essential. Summer baskets and tubs are past their best by now, but all is
not lost, there are some wonder ful plants available for the autumn and winter, and with a little care these will last right through to next spring. Pansies and violas give a
long and reliable show and are now available in a great range of colours. Mix with less common container plants such as grasses, heathers, heucheras, gaultherias and cyclamen and small berried shrubs for striking effect. It is also well worth considering
under-planting with bulbs. To complete your all-year
display, consider having two sets of baskets and tubs, so that you can plant up your autumn/winter plants whilst your summer baskets still have colour.
'jfei mi >. g c tg
TOP ROW L-R: Heuchera Marmalade and Solar Eclipse; painted heather; blueberry SECOND ROW L-R: Physalis; Crab Apple Malus Rudolph THIRD ROW L-R: Autumn basket; Michaelmas Daisy BOTTOM ROW L-R: Autumn's colours; Pemettya; Partheno- cissus quinquefolia
Springs Bulbs NOW IN Autumn Bedding and Planted Tubs Alpines, Herbaceous, Trees & Shrubs
• Gardeners Gifts & Cards
Also: seeds, houseplants, sundries, composts, stylish gifts and cards, crafts, wild bird food, • garden pots,logs, coal and kindling.
Call in with your own baskets for filling, or for advice on planting your garden. Open Tuesday to Sunday every week 9am to 5pm; 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Open Bank Holiday Monday's
M i QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Autumn - the year's last and loveliest smile .: ; William .
’ " Cullen Bryant
TO DO LIST
- nanrs jnri , lme o r®uturnn lawn mainte- <;nw!nn hara ia t scarifying, aerating and re-
to encourage root growth. I • Finished herbaceous plants can be cut bacl
autumn fpedlnn^ ^S’ 1 u-3 u° l 9reat time f° r generally to the crown, and mature plants caf autumn feeding using a high phosphate feed be split and divided now.
Tel: 01772 784010 •
www.facebook.com/soplants SO Rlants, Spout Farm, Preston Road, Longridge, Preston PR3 3BE
;,| iookfoiyyard to meeting you there soon" Michelle Unsworth - SO Plants
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