Author: Gary Webb

Ginkgo Moments

| Gary Webb

The presence of trees in our world should never cease to astound. Take a look at this Ginkgo, for example, living its moments peacefully in a Herefordshire garden. Note: This article, previously posted autumn 2023 has been reworked for this autumn, renewed after meeting the tree again recently. I hope it triggers some tree-like exploration…

Standing beneath its mature crown looking up, it was hard not to be impressed by the tree’s volume and its many stems shooting out in different directions. Dare I say, the tree may not have been an artistically formed treasure like the trained fruit in the walled garden nearby, but it did hold a rugged charm. If however the tree lacked any refinement in its structural form, it more than made up for this in style, its many clustered leaves shining en masse with a fiery yellow intensity.

With confidence the tree spoke too, proving it wasn’t all about the frilly foliage display. A soft purposeful sound emanated from its crown, a tune that hushed with each southerly breath of wind. As this cool November breeze blew in from the park, I moved in closer,

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Worth and Wonder

| Gary Webb

It’s about more than just buying a specimen plant or container, its the journey and experience it offers along the way. Let me explain, through Worth and Wonder.

Growing large plants in containers can be hugely rewarding, whether you’re looking to create an eye-catching floral focal point or simply provide some seasonal screening. Once you’ve found your specimen plant however, selecting the right container can become a trying task due to the seemingly infinite selection on the market. Furthermore, should design, depth and diameter of drainage holes not present enough challenge, the high cost just might, often nudging that idyllic pot solution into the ‘out of reach’ zone.

Putting aside aesthetics for a minute, one judgement we need to make is whether any given pot is sturdy enough to stand the test of time. In that respect it’s worth remembering that it’s not just the ageing process that dictates longevity, but damage from

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Pulling Pollinators

| Gary Webb

Food plants and flowers aren’t always seen as bed companions, yet there’s so much to gain from squeezing in a few ornamentals, aside from pollination of course! Let me briefly explain…

When first acquiring an allotment plot, an aspect that wasn’t lost to me was the opportunities it presented to support wildlife. As a result, one of the first areas to be established on our Warwickshire plot was a flower-focussed border, or ‘Nectar Bank’ as we call it. Wildlife borders, nectar banks, pollination stations, call them what you will, they’re undeniably valuable, but on an allotment, a space traditionally reserved for food production, should this be the norm?

If you’re familiar with my green gardening ways, I think you’ll know what my answer to that question would be, believing as I do that wildlife supporting elements should be considered in all gardens. Indeed, if you’ve paused your day

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Rain’s Good for the Garden

| Gary Webb

We often hear it said that rain is good for the garden, a typical response meant to lighten the mood of a rainy day. Where though, does a rainy day leave the gardener, is a rainy day good for them too? Well, after years of living and around gardens, here’s my naturally positive take on this situation.

After what seems like days and weeks of rain, autumn’s dampness has well and truly settled in, and it feels like I may not see dry soil in my own garden again for some time. I don’t state that as a complaint though I have to say, as I’m understanding that weather’s balance constantly moves back and forth, some days or weeks sitting wet, some dry, and in between, hopefully, there comes some useful middle ground.

An image of a lake with swans, and autumnal trees in the background. Above is a sunny and dark sky and rainbow.
When the weather turns – Sourlands Pool, nr Farnborough Hall, Warwickshire. Gary Webb.

Where gardening and garden visiting is concerned, striking that perfect balance between weather and conditions can be a fine thing indeed, and most of us do live in hope of this garden idyll. If, however, I’m to wait until the soil is dry, or postpone

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Trim and Propper

| Gary Webb

Today I’ve brought forward and rewritten an article originally created whilst working at a garden in Northamptonshire, called Sulgrave Manor. My aim now as then, is to pay homage to the formal garden hedge, an often overlooked feature that in my opinion deserves more understanding and appreciation. After all, given that much of our land is laced with hedgerows of one form or another, is it that we’ve grown to see hedges simply as dividers of territory? 

If like many other garden folk you already have a longstanding respect for a good garden hedge, not just those ones between gardens but those placed within gardens themselves, you’ll understand exactly my angle of approach to the subject. If however you’re a ‘flash the trimmer over and move on’ kind of gardener, and don’t wish to hedge your bets by reading to the end, (pardon the pun) then I wish you well on your own hedge trimming journey of discovery; farewell my friend.

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Growth Potential – Down at the Allotment Garden

| Gary Webb

Think allotment gardens are just about food and flowers? Think again! Thoughts on an afternoon session of growth on the allotment.

Cabbage whites out on manoeuvres,

Get through those nets if you can,

Sunlight is bright despite all this cloud,

Trimmer blades rattle along a hedge in the distance,

Beans are climbing their canes, at last.

–

A welcome breeze sways taller stems back and forth,

Spins now and then two little sun bleached windmills,

Raises goose bumps on my now resting arms,

Maybe later, rain will come after all.

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A Dream Garden

| Gary Webb

There is a place, where one glorious garden space after another can be found hidden behind tall foliage covered walls. The garden is the sum of many parts, each one offering a picture-perfect scene: a sunken pool with a cherub here, an ancient cold bath over there, and across the way, beyond an old sundial, old orchard trees grow, and bees float poetically above rich meadow grass.

At its heart and wrapped all around an evocative Tudor house this garden’s presence is delivered, unconditionally, through first-rate cultivation. Traditional flower borders grow deep and delicious, terraces are packed with perennials and tender exotics, and golden grasses gently

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A Great Escape?

| Gary Webb

Bolting to the hills for some peace and tranquility, to relax and connect with nature beneath the stars. Well, that was the plan…

Our journey consumed motorway and main road miles until eventually, we found ourselves driving in and out of shady hollows and threading along narrow twisty lanes. By the time our dirty tyres rumbled over the farmyard’s concrete and gravel, a sheepdog barking its welcome, it felt as though we’d literally bolted for the hills. Our retreat, it must be said, whilst feeling a little selfish did seem long overdue, being much needed to restore some kind of balance.

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Writing on Gardens and Nature

| Gary Webb

I might have sunk into the depths for a while there, but I’m back now and getting into my old writing ways, on gardens and nature.

If you gave me the stage with an open mic, words would probably fade and I’d likely find myself with little to say of consequence. However, if you gave me a scribbling stick and asked me to write something down, I’d likely be back to you in no time at all asking for more paper, and a pencil sharpener. Writing does something for me, and over time it’s grown to the point where I couldn’t imagine living without it in some shape or form. Lately however I have needed to step back a little.

Recovering from illness, I’ve hardly found myself not able to write for a few weeks now, and I have genuinely missed it, indeed my last post back in April took quite a while to pull together. Feeling under parr has made it

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