About five years ago we planted a hornbeam hedge on the front boundary that faces the lane and our neighbours opposite. Regular mulching and irrigation in the early years meant...
At busy times of the year it’s easy for us to forget to enjoy our gardens and spend time simply sitting and looking. Having done just that, we're happy to...
As we mentioned last week, some time in the borders tidying, dead heading, and tieing-in would be the order of the day. Many of the dahlias had broken loose from...
We’ve paid the price again for having a few days away from the garden. The lawns are now meadows, the weeds are appearing everywhere, and the perennials in the flower...
This picture of leaves may seem unremarkable but it shows encouraging signs for those of us with who enjoy the glorious sight of a horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) in flower...
We’ve written before about the range of climbing plants that envelop the walls here at Genus HQ. One such plant that we rarely see in other gardens is Schizophragma hydrangeoides...
We’ve been having suspicions for a few weeks. Bark stripped off a pair of Magnolia stellata, a ground cover rose relieved of all its buds, little scuffs dug out around...
We don’t have a huge collection of euphorbias here at Genus HQ but those we do have are cherished for their contribution to the beds and borders. In spring visitors...
In the Genus garden Malus, cherry, Sorbus, and Amelanchier are trees with exceptional blossom but a favourite on a totally different scale are the Aesculus trees - the horse chestnuts. ...
Gardeners are an optimistic bunch, never put off by failures, always trying again, and always looking to the future. Small but barely noticeable signs at Genus HQ have made us...
As you read this, galanthomania is sweeping the country and keen snowdrop fans, or galanthophiles, are dropping to their knees to inspect the delicate petals of some of the rarer...
Winter gardens concentrate the mind. It’s the detail that counts. Whether peering at the delicate formation of a snowdrops perianth, the frosted hairs on brittle seed heads, or the last...
The first thing you learn when using ‘black’ plants in the garden is that they’re rarely black; dark reds, purples, and sometimes dark blues are usually the norm. Despite this,...
‘Hands up who likes blackfly’? No, we don’t either. They often appear suddenly in the garden and can cause several problems that need to be dealt with.The bean aphid Aphis...
We love Aeonium ‘Zwartcop’. It’s a tender branching succulent that can grow up to 1.2 metres high and is a perfect specimen to have as an architectural centrepiece in pots...
We’re planting several hundred tulips this week. Hooray!! They arrived several weeks ago but we’ve been trying to make space in the beds to plant them. We’ve gone for some...
Ornamental grasses are extremely popular with gardeners in the UK. With their height, movement, and colour they easily earn their place in any garden. Last week could well have been...
It’s at this time of year that we realise the garden here at Genus HQ, whilst still retaining colour in the flower borders, is lacking colour elsewhere, particularly in the...
The north facing wall of the cottage at Genus HQ has a number of climbers but in autumn the ‘orange peel’ clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’ shines a light into this shadier...
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The Genus Garden - Musings From Joff, Our Head Gardener
