Garden Flowers

Garden Flowers: The Japanese Quince – thorny but beautiful!

2 Written by Lisa on 2nd Mar 2012 in Garden Flowers

March sees the official start of spring and although the early focus in the garden is on the appearance of bulbs, there are other plants that really shine at this time of year.

This month, the feature of the Garden Flowers blog post, which I write with Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona, is the Japanese Quince, also known as Chaenomeles or Flowering Quince.

It’s a colourful shrub which can add colour to your garden and the cut stems also look great in your home.

Chaenomeles are bushy deciduous shrubs that tolerate the worst garden soils, even those that dry out completely in the summer.

They don’t mind exposed windy sites either, in fact they’re happy anywhere really as long as they get a bit of sun throughout the day and they look particularly great planted against a wall in a position where the sun catches the flowers.

Being a thorny plant, they can be somewhat unfriendly towards the unsuspecting gardener, but the bright cheery flowers that appear in spring somehow make up for it.

In fact, they can be quite useful plants for a front garden or on boundaries if security might be an issue!

Flower colours range from white to salmon pink to scarlet and they emerge on the bare woody stems from early spring.  The blooms are followed by fragrant fruits which last well into the winter.

Annual pruning really helps to prolong the flowering period from year to year and they should be cut back immediately after flowering.

This will allow the maximum time for the development of new growth which will provide the following year’s flowers.

So, if you’re looking for some colour for your garden, why not pop down to your local garden centre this weekend…

(Images : Flickr – tanakawhojumbo185usaBonguri)

 

 

 

 

(Original content source: Garden Flowers: The Japanese Quince – thorny but beautiful!)

Garden Flowers: Camellia sasanqua – a winter flowering gem

0 Written by Lisa on 3rd Feb 2012 in Garden Flowers

In this month’s Garden Flowers blog post, which I write with Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona, we’re looking at an evergreen flowering shrub with delicate blooms to brighten up your garden in these winter months…the Camellia sasanqua. Read more

Garden Flowers: Drive away the January blues by planting your summer roses

0 Written by Lisa on 6th Jan 2012 in Garden Flowers

There’s always something to be getting on with in the garden, whatever the season, but in the deepest depths of January it’s often difficult to motivate yourself to get out there, especially when it’s grey and cold.  Read more

Garden Flowers: Hellebore…a winter flowering plant

0 Written by Lisa on 2nd Dec 2011 in Garden Flowers

Now that winter is well and truly on its way, it’s sometimes a challenge to find plants that will flower in your garden throughout the next few months. Read more

Garden Flowers : Cyclamen hederifolium…an autumn-flowering gem

0 Written by Lisa on 4th Nov 2011 in Design Tips, Garden Flowers

I hope you’re enjoying my new monthly Garden Flowers series which I’m writing with Rona Wheeldon of Flowerona.  This month, we’re featuring a very unassuming but pretty plant, Cyclamen hederifolium.  Read more

Garden Flowers: Now is the time to plant your spring-flowering bulbs

4 Written by Lisa on 7th Oct 2011 in Garden Flowers

Now is the time to plant your spring-flowering bulbs. Read more

Garden Flowers: A popular garden favourite, the rose

2 Written by Lisa on 2nd Sep 2011 in Garden Flowers

Welcome to my new monthly series with floral blogger, Rona Wheeldon called Garden Flowers. Read more

Lisa Cox Welcome

I specialise in helping families to turn their gardens into an extension of their home and into a space that can be used and enjoyed all year round.

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