THE DESIGNER’S GUIDE TO CREATING THE PERFECT GARDEN

GARDENS
& LANDSCAPES
Monthly edition | October 2021

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garden centre
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What Lies
Beneath...

HOMEMADE SLOE GIN POPULAR PERSICARIA BUYING BARE-ROOT

FOR CHRISTMAS THE DESIGNER’S FAVOURITE THE PROS AND CONS

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 1.

Welcome
I love Autumn! How can you not stand in awe of the wonder that is leaf
change? Even as a professional horticulturist I still marvel at the autumn
season. One of nature’s magic spells.

It’s a beautiful time of year and with a well-designed garden you can
still enjoy your outdoor space right up to winter with plants for interest,
elements of warmth and light.

So, in this month’s magazine we’ve shared some great hints, tips and advice so you can be out in your
garden, enjoying which we all know is a great mood booster (more on this later). And there’s even some
autumn tasks which you need to be thinking about now in preparation for winter.

Because gardens aren’t just for summer!

OCTOBER 2021

JODIE FEDORKO, EDITOR CONTENTS

3. Thoughts of a Garden 9. Nature’s Best
Designer Medicine

3. Leverage Leaf Fall - 10. DIY Vibrant Containers

Making Leaf Compost

3. Jobs for the Month 11. Word Unscramble

4. A Luxury Layout for a

12. Last Month’s
Prestigious Player Competition Winner

8. Nod to Nature
12. More FREE Design
Advice
ON THE COVER
Mr Maddison, Leicestershire
ARCHIVE
See our previous
editions on our
5. Homemade Sloe Gin in Time For website.
Christmas

6. The Pros and Cons of Buying

Bare-Root

7. Persicaria - Top Garden

Designer’s Staple Plant thegardendesignco thegardendesignco
@LeicsGardens thegardendesignco
2. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

Thoughts of a
GARDEN DESIGNER
H ey, it’s Jeff here,
Now the nights are really closing
in, it means we can enjoy our garden
in a different way to how we did in
the summer.
We have fantastic seasons here
in the UK, and it would be a shame
not to use the garden during one of
the most picturesque times of the
year.
Custom built fire pits are a great
feature, creating family seating
and entertainment focused areas.
Come the autumn they create cosy
corners of the garden where you can
spend clear, starry nights with the
family around a fire. Why not toast
marshmallows, just like in the movies!
Speaking of movies, I’m sure
you know how popular outdoor
cinemas are nowadays, but did you
know these can easily be recreated
in your own back garden with a
simple projector.
Imagine that…watching a movie
under the stars with all your loved
ones around the firepit. Dreamy or
what?!
Ready to revamp your garden
space for all year-round outdoor
living? Call Claire today on
0116 210 0760 to book your
FREE no obligation consultation.
Kind regards,
Kind regards,
Jeff Randall
Senior Design Consultant
GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR GARDEN
Leverage Leaf Fall
L eaf fall is beautiful at this time of year, but it can become a nuisance
in your garden. If, year on year, you’re faced with an abundance of leaf
fall smothering your garden and filling your garden bins, we have a great
solution to shred them down and use them to benefit your garden.
Leaf mould is easy to make and invaluable to the garden at any stage
during the rotting down process. Collect leaves from lawns using your
lawn mower on a higher setting or hand rake from your borders. Place
the leaves into a bin liner, moisten them if they are dry, then pierce holes
in the bag with a knife or garden fork. Tie the top loosely and stack the
bags out of sight for up to two years as most leaves take two years to
rot down fully. But it is quicker if well shredded.
Good quality, well-rotted leaf mould (more than two years old) can
be used as seed-sowing compost, or mixed equally with sharp sand,
garden compost and good quality soil for use as potting compost. Poor
quality leaf mould, or leaf mould less than two years old can be used as
mulch, soil improver, autumn top-dressing for lawns, or winter covering
for bare soil.
Jake’s Top Tip
Winter has detrimental effects on the garden if
its not in the best condition. Begin remedial work
now before the problem gets ten times worse!
Jobs for the month
Y Renovate old lawns or create new grass
areas by laying turf
Y The arrival of frosts will come all too quickly
now, so lift any remaining tender plants and
bring them in under cover or protect them
with cloches
Y Give the garden a tidy up - October is
definitely the time for clearing up greenhouses,
ponds, gutters and water butts may all need
cleaning out.
GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 3.
 The Transformation

A Luxury Layout for a Prestigious Player

Where it began
Before

PROJECT DETAILS

Location: Leicestershire
O ur Leicestershire-
based client wanted
to update his new home
in line with his lifestyle.
Build Time: 25 days

Materials: Light Grey

Complete with his own
Porcelain, White Render
football pitch, he wanted
and a Steel Pergola to open the garden up
for entertaining friends
and family without the
hassle of maintaining a
large natural lawn and mature shrubs. Away from home a
lot of the time he needed a place he could come back to
and still look as good as when he left it. So we came up a
design to suit his needs and fast paced lifestyle. the land containing the football pitch in its own dedicated
area at the back of the garden.
How we carried out the transformation
Light grey porcelain paving adds a touch of luxury
To make way for a new entertaining area, tall, mature shrubs throughout the entire space and accent lighting carries
were removed, and the main patio space was pushed this garden from day to night with a subtle glow. While a
further out into the garden. glass balustrade divides the garden’s zones, the view is still
uninterrupted.
As the garden originally sloped up towards the pool, the
flattening out of the patio area allowed for a sunken gas- Final results
powered fire pit to be designed.
Our client loves his new garden as he’s now able to spend
Steps led up onto a raised cooking and dining area, many sunny days enjoying the pool and entertaining his
complete with a built-in worktop fitted with a sink and gas friends and family without the pressure of high maintenance
BBQ. Covering the kitchen area and for extra interest to lawns and flower beds. Perfect for his busy lifestyle!
the garden, a steel louvered pergola provides shade and
protection where it’s needed the most. Want to take inspiration from this garden
transformation for your very own dream outdoor
The original lawn space was dug and flattened out ready space? To find out how we can help you transform
to install pitch grade artificial turf personalised with our your space into a garden to be proud of, call us for a
client’s motif, and sleeper walls retained the original level of free consultation on 0116 210 0760.

4. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

 GARDEN TIPS, TRICKS AND HACKS

From the Outdoor Kitchen

Homemade Sloe Gin

time consuming. There’s
Making sloe gin is ‘slow,’ but not
e as the sloes steep in
no cooking required, just patienc
e a tasty tipple ready
the gin. If you start now, you’ll hav
for Christmas.

Recipe
est for free !)
• 450g sloes (which you can harv
• 225g caster sugar
• 1 litre gin (any gin)

Method
s all over with a clean
1. Prick the tough skin of the sloe
d jar
needle and put in a large, sterilise
seal tightly and shake well
2. Pour in the sugar and the gin,
rd and shake every other
3. Store in a cool, dark cupboa
a week for at least two
day for a week. Then shake once
months.
lin into a sterilised bottle
4. Strain the sloe gin through mus
- you can find plenty of tasty
5. Serve neat or as a hot toddy
hot toddy recipes online

Recipe Tips
You can make blackberry brandy in the same way, substituting sloes for the blackberries, and gin for the
brandy. Blackberries do not need pricking. If you don’t have a liking for gin, sloe vodka can be made in exactly
the same way.

Picking Sloes Berries

There’s lots of debate about when to pick sloes. For the best flavour, wait until the berries are ripe. They
should be a rich dark purple and should squash easily between your fingertips. It’s a good sign if they’ve already
started to drop naturally to the ground.

If you’re picking them for sloe gin then traditionally you wait until after the first frost. These days, there’s no
reason why you can’t pick them earlier, bag them up and pop them in your freezer to mimic that first frost. The
theory behind this is that the frost splits the skins so the juices can flow into your gin without you having to go to
the effort of pricking all the berries.

If you’re looking for sloes, begin with hedgerows. Traditionally used in boundary hedging around the country,
the hardy blackthorn tree and its sloe berry fruits are abundant. Just proceed with some caution: as the name
suggests, the trees are covered in sharp spines.

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 5.

 What Lies Beneath
Gardens Are More Than What You See
T his year at the first Gardener’s World Live Show since
the pandemic began, one garden caught our attention
- a show garden called ‘What Lies Beneath’ designed by
Professor David Stevens.
It was an interactive, cross section style of garden which
aimed to explain the complexity and requirements of the
materials that lie beneath your garden installation.
People rarely consider what lies beneath the surface
when it comes to their new garden although this is the
most important part of the garden construction.
You can see costs of materials on the internet, So many
people happily look at these and try to work out the cost
of their garden by just adding up the veneer of paving,
decking or artificial grass that will cover the ground.
Then when you appoint a landscaper or garden design
you ask, how can it be that much?
You may be surprised to hear that almost 60 - 80% of
the cost of a garden is in areas that you won’t even see.
Maintenance Matters
YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO MAINTAINING YOUR GARDEN
The Last Cut of the Season
W hilst the last grass cut marks the beginning of the
autumn/winter wind-down, let’s remember that grass
never stops growing - it only slows down.
As we get into the autumn months, the frequency of
mowing will reduce gradually. In June, July and August you
may have been mowing once or twice a week. You will
have felt the need to cut in September, but approaching
October once a fortnight will suffice.
If you find that since your last cut at the end of October
your grass is still quite high, consider one final cut in
6. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES
That means, up to 80% of the investment you make will
purely be underground. All the groundworks, preparation,
and drainage you hadn’t accounted for.
Patios, paths, or driveways all rely on good foundations
and correct drainage. The sub-bases are the most
important part of the construction. Get this wrong and you
will have a whole host of issues further down the line.
Even the removal of soil and waste from a garden is a
very expensive action, so always bear in mind.
Before you consider a landscaper or designer as being
‘too expensive,’ remember there’s always a lot more work
that goes into preparation for your perfect garden. Way
more than you will ever physically see.
Looking for a designer and landscaper to
complete your project from start to finish? Call
our team on 0116 210 0760 or email us at info@
thegardendesignco.co.uk to book in for your free
consultation today!
November. You may notice this if the weather is still mild.
The aim of the autumn / winter cut is to top the grass
-leaving it today, and to never trim it too short in the winter.
If you cut too short, you leave the blades susceptible to
frost and
disease damage.
If you’re struggling with the upkeep of your lawn,
our team can help come up with solutions to take
the pressures off with a garden design better suited
to you and your needs. Call us today on 0116 210
0760 for a freindly chat.

Buying Bareroot
The Pros and Cons of Buying Soil-Less Plants
If you have seen the term ‘bare root,’ but you’re not sure
what it means, it does literally mean bare roots. During the
dormant growing season from November through to March,
(sometimes mid-April if there has been a particularly cold
winter), nurseries will lift field ground stock straight from the
ground, shake off the excess soil and dispatch it straight
to you.
There are many benefits to bare root plants, some of
which you may not affect you directly. To grow and look
after bare root stock, it’s more cost effective and less time
consuming for the nurseries to care for that stock.
Often grown in open fields, all they require is a little
irrigation as they are in unrestricted soil, whereas container
grown stock, which is the most expensive option to buy,
requires constant attention to keep it well watered and
well feed.
The amount of work a nursery needs to put into keeping a
plant happy and healthy all filters through to the consumer in
the retail price, making bare root hedging almost half the price
of container grown stock.
Another reason why bare root stock is more cost effective
is reduced shipping costs. As plants are dispatched
completely soilless, they are lighter and can be packed
smaller, thus reducing overall fees.
EXPERT ADVICE
However, there are a couple of words of caution. There’s
only a short window to get bare root stock, and once it’s
gone you will have to wait until next year for further stock.
Once your plants have arrived, you also have limited time
to get them into the ground. Although dormant, they will still
dry out if their roots are left exposed for too long – ideally
you should plant your stock as soon as they arrive or at least
cover the roots in soil until you are ready.
You must avoid icy or waterlogged conditions which can
kill the roots or inhibit growth, and windy days which quickly
dry the roots before you get them into the ground. With all
this in mind, it’s important to note that bare root stock has a
reduced success rate compared to container grown plants,
but it doesn’t hurt your pocket as much if the odd one or two
fail to grow in the spring.
Bare root stock is a great option if you have a long line
of hedging to install. Reducing your overall investment and
planting during the dormant season means you don’t have to
water it, just wait until spring to see your hard work flourish.
Ready to realise the garden you’ve always
dreamed of? Call our team today on 0116 210 0760
for your free consultation or visit our website www.
thegardendesignco.co.uk for more information.
GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 7.
 What Looks Good This Month
Persicaria amplexicaulis - Red Bistort

P ersicaria is in fact a member of the knotweed family, but before you panic it isn’t anything like the invasive Japanese
Knotweed we are all trained to fear. Adored by many top landscape and garden designers, Persicaria amplexicaulis
has a firm place in our plant portfolio.

Prized for its late season flowering period, long-stalked narrow spikes about 10cm long, of narrowly bell-shaped, bright
red to purple or white flowers, bloom from late summer through to autumn’s end. Its tolerance to heavy, partial shade and
poorly drained soils makes it sure to settle and thrive in any garden situation.

Whether your style is traditional and cottagey, or clean and contemporary, Persicaria seems to settle well into many
garden styles. Its robust nature helps it perform reliably and it’s easy to care for nature makes it undemanding in upkeep.

As a fairly large semi-evergreen perennial growing to a maximum height and spread of 1.5m, it the perfect specimen
for a back of the border position, carrying through colour and interest well into the autumn. Not to be put off by its dock
like leaves, paired with flowing grasses and daisy-like orange blooms from heleniums, the contrast of textures and colours
forms a striking and long lasting display. A real beauty for the border.

Nod to Nature
YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO ENCOURAGING AND CARING FOR WILDLIFE IN YOUR GARDEN

A last burst of activity with leaves turning colour and

berries ripening, many animals are busy stocking up
for the winter, so keep an eye out for birds feeding on
the ripened berries and looking for invertebrates in the
leaf litter. On damp woodland floors, the fruiting bodies of
many fungi species flourish in autumn with the return of the
cooler, wetter weather. While wild mushroom foraging is at
its best at this time of year, if you don’t know what you’re
looking for, be careful and don’t touch as some fungi can
be poisonous. Instead, get up close and practice some
amateur (or professional) photography skills as many wild,
native fungi are a spectacular sight.

8. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES

 TOPICAL ARTICLE

Nature’s Best Medicine

World Mental Health Day 2021

It’s no surprise that green space has

a huge impact on mental health.
After all, that is why during the
lockdowns we were encouraged to
spend our 30mins exercise in the
local park or nearby woodland.
In honour of World Mental Health
Day, we want to shine a light on the
science behind why our gardens
improve our wellbeing. There are very
few, if any, other activities that can
achieve all the things that horticulture
and gardening can.
Research in Sweden found that
the more people used their gardens,
the fewer incidents of stress they
suffered. Doctors are now actually
prescribing time in nature!
The Japanese expression “shinrin-
yoku” can be translated as “forest
bathing,” which nicely captures the
experience of being immersed in
greenery.
A growing body of research has
found all kinds of benefits from being
in natural landscapes. These studies
have found evidence that being in
greenery, or even being able to look
out on a green landscape, is linked
to better recovery from surgery,
less anxiety and depression, better
stress management, and many other
positive effects.
So, next time you consider your
outdoor space as just the ‘garden,’
realise it has great potential for your
health and happiness that you simply
haven’t discovered yet. You don’t
need to be green fingered either,
simply create yourself a pleasant
space to just sit in and reap the
benefits.
Read more about the benefits
of gardening in our blog: https://
www.thegardendesignco.co.uk/
the-benefits-of-family-gardening

A British Native In the Veg Plot

N ow is the time to plant your garlic bulbs. Garlic needs
a long growing season to do well, and autumn through
to early winter is the perfect time to sow so that plants
develop roots and shoots before the heavy frosts. Always
buy bulbs at the garden centre, or order from a seed
supplier – don’t use bulbs from the supermarket. Break
up the bulbs into separate cloves and plant the large ones
with the fat end downward.
Sorbus aucuparia
Mountain Ash, Rowan Glorius Garlic

S orbus are a favourite for wildlife in woods and towns

alike. It is commonly found in the wild in the UK,
but also widely planted as a street or garden tree, and
favoured amongst our native wildlife.

Flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other

pollinating insects, while the berries are a rich source of
autumn food for birds, especially the blackbird, mistle
thrush, redstart, redwing, song thrush, fieldfare and
waxwing.
GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 9.
 Easy DIY Garden Projects
Vibrant Autumnal Containers
A seasonal change of the containers in your garden is a
great way to frequently update and refresh your outlook
with relatively little expense.
At this time of year, garden centres become a little bare
as they divert their attention to Christmas stock, but you
can still get some staple container plants that will last you
through the autumn and perhaps even through the winter.
Now short-lived summer bedding plants have long gone,
think a little more permanent with perennials. Rusty toned
grasses such as Carex, Pennisetum or pheasant grass are
great container plants, along with rich toned Heuchera,
strappy phormium and winter pansies.
Here’s our recipe for a stunning autumn display
for your entrance way or patio.
Pick your favourite container (ideally a larger one),
remove the existing plants, empty the compost, give the
container a rinse with soapy water (dish soap is ideal here),
and replace the compost to give your new plants the
added nutrients they need.
Our top plants for this autumnal display are Pennisetum
‘Firework,’ Heuchera ‘Marmalade,’ white and purple
pansies and the trusty green trailing ivy. Add more
quantities depending on the size of your pot. With short-
10. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES
term container displays, it is perfectly advisable to cram as
many plants in as possible.
Position the Pennisetum centrally towards the back of
the container to add height to the display (we’re designing
this container with a face – or a good site, to be viewed
from the front.)
Next add the Heuchera (one or two plants) in front of the
Pennisetum but slightly off to the side. Plant two to three
ivy plants all around the sides of the pot evenly. Now infill
any gaps with the pansies.
With all the plants in position back fill around each of
them, making sure there aren’t any air pockets by lightly
pressing the soil around the root balls; a good watering will
also help settle the fresh soil.
Whenever you are planting containers remember:
• Stick to a limited colour palette
• Have a focal plant with height and spilling plants for
depth (this helps gives the display balance)
• Contrast textures - strappy plants always looks great
with frothy or spilling plants.
Position your pot in full sun to partial shade and enjoy for
many weeks to come as the weather changes!
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7. ELIX Have your email address and details ready and

we’ll add you to our mailing list.

Here’s some clues to help you

1. Popular in containers, bears red berries and is evergreen Did you know...
2. Known as the burning bush for its autumn colour For centuries, farmers and
sailors—people whose
3. Called beauty berry for its violet glossy berries borne on livelihoods depended on the
bear stems weather— relied on lore to
forecast the weather. They
4. Vibrant winter stems of yellow, acid green and red quickly connected changes in
5. Fragrant pink flowers borne on bear stems
nature with rhythms or patterns
of the weather.
6. Best known as Japanese maples
There are many weather-lores
7. Synonymous with winter and Christmas, glossy leaves in October that may ring true,
and red berries or some might simply be
myths.

Submit your answers via one of the following options Here’s a few you may have
heard:
*Please note that this Your Name:
competition ends • Much rain in October, much
Monday 25th October at 1pm * Address: wind in December
Via Post: • For every fog in October, a
The Garden Design Co
snow in the winter
Unit 11, The Warren, East Goscote
Leicester
• Full Moon in October
Leicestershire Email:
LE7 3XA
without frost, no frost till full
Phone Number: Moon in November.
Via Email:
Full terms and conditions can be found at
j.fedorko@thegardendesignco.co.uk www.leicestershiregardendesign.co.uk/terms-and-conditions-2017

GARDENS & LANDSCAPES 11.

Congratulations Garden Design
Guide
to last month’s winner...
Bev Taylor

£100 Dobbies e-Voucher

E
* FRE
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Write to us at The Garden Design Co. Unit 11,
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Call us on 0116 210 0760
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COMING UP IN THE Autumn Nights:

NEXT ISSUE... Intergrating warmth into your garden

12. GARDENS & LANDSCAPES