October 2015 News from the Nursery

With lots of sunshine and the moist ground from the rain in August, the gardens are looking very good for the beginning of October.
Hardy Fuchsias are looking splendid – they have a very long flowering period which is only brought to an end when the wintery weather comes along.
Also looking good are the late perennials like Asters and Sedums, great for the insects like moths and bees, which are so important in the garden.
Astelia banksii and A.nervosa Westland are useful evergreens for containers to give winter interest. They require good drainage and a sheltered spot – happy in light shade.
For those looking for really low ground hugging plants, check out Leptinella sqalida 'Platt's Black' or the slightly taller grass Seseleria caerulea with its striking silver-green leaves.
Thinking small and compact – Sarcococca hookeriana humilis the mound forming ''Winter Box'' will give you evergreen foliage and lovely sweet fragrance from the small white flowers in winter. They will thrive in shade.
We now have a new crop of Hydrangeas varieties available. Plant them now for long lasting flowering displays next year. Easy to grow, just remember not to prune all the shoots back at the end of the year. Some older branches can be taken out to ground level when the plant is well established, to encourage new shoots to form – but in moderation!
Now is also a very good time to plant evergreen hedging. We have a nice selection of Buxus including the plain green B. sempervirens, B. sempervirens Elegantissima with bright white variegation and the dwarf B. sempervirens Suffruticosa for edging or a low neat hedge.
Finally can I recommend the much under used Bupleurum fruticosum. This lovely evergreen shrub has blue-green leaves and umbels of tiny yellow-green flowers for months through the spring and summer. These are followed by equally attractive seed heads. It makes an ideal companion for the herbaceous border or as a stand alone specimen. It also makes a good wind and salt tolerant hedge.