‘Disa’ orchids - Dave Parkinson Plants

I’m always on the prowl for exotic looking plants and the ones that caught my eye this year at the Hampton Court Flower Show were the

Dave used to grow salad crops commercially but then turned his love of these orchids into a business. They come in pink, yellow and coral and orange colours, with petals that are have a striking intensity.  Disas are not difficult to grow, but like carnivorous plants, you have to know what their requirements are (both fairly similar as it turns out…).

Disa orchids mostly come from South Africa.  They tend to live on the edges of streams, so they are used to having wet feet at all times. This doesn’t mean they like stagnant water, so when growing them at home, leave them in a saucer of water which is changed every few days.  Disas do require peat to grow well (although most gardeners have moved away using this for general purpose gardening, some specialised plants like these do require it).  It’s also a good idea to mix some perlite in to the potting mix to help with aeration – around half and half with peat.

Like other orchids, never firm the soil down when you pot them on says Dave, just give the pot a tap on the table when you’ve repotted to make sure the peat has settled.

“One of the biggest reasons people kill them is that they over-feed them” says Dave.  He recommends a very small amount of fertiliser in spring to help the plant put on growth (seaweed fertilizer is perfect), then a little in the autumn when re-potting to help fill out their food storage bulbs.  Eventually the middle section of the disa dies down leaving new young plants around the edge, these are the ones that should be potted on. When watering, water the pot and let the water run through advises Dave, but feed the plants by putting the feed in the tray, not on the plant. It is vital to use rain water and not hard water as the salts will kill the plant.

If you have a cool greenhouse to grow disa orchids in, so much the better. Although they can go out for the summer they are not completely frost hardy and benefit from the protection of glass in winter.

For ordering disa orchids or for more information go to www.daveparkinsonplants.co.uk

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Journey to Awakening - Makoto Tanaka (Sekitei Design)

After the formal perfection of Chelsea Flower Show gardens, the relaxed atmosphere at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show acts as a welcome contrast.  There’s plenty of room to spread out in this gorgeous setting, and providing a tornado isn’t blowing or the heavens haven’t opened up, there’s nowhere nicer to be in July.

The RHS deliberately puts the emphasis on ‘grow your own’ at Hampton Court, so this is a good show for new ideas on what to grow.  As well being a buying show where you can purchase plants, the other difference from Chelsea is that the RHS includes a section on Conceptual Gardens, which for me are one of the highlights of the show.

In previous years the RHS has tucked these gardens away in a corner somewhere, almost as an afterthought.  This year they have been laid out along a path with plenty of room around them so that they can be viewed and experienced from 360 degrees.  This year the gardens are stronger than ever.

A Fable For Tomorrow by University College Falmouth highlights the pressures faced by native British Flora, with some species facing extinction. A seed bank, dramatically parted in two acts as a ‘modern day Noah’s Ark’. The copper inside glistens against Cornish sand. Viewed from the outside this mounded garden suggests there is a siege going on, the bunker-like structure reminiscent of WWII gun turrets on the beach.

Supermodel by Alan Gardner poses the hypothesis that thinness is what now defines beauty.  Tall, pink poles and tall thin plants dominate.  It’s a simple, but effective idea when you see it and think about it.

Hearts and Minds Heat Sand Mines - Steve Wooster

Hearts and Minds Heat Sand Mines by Steve Wooster, who is a distinguished photographer as well as a designer, commemorates the fact that more than 400 soldiers have recently been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan with more suffering terrible injuries, both physical and mental.  Four corridors, made from breeze block and lined with chip board, lead to a central figure.  These walls are enclosed in metal gabions or cages.  They are topped off by red plastic to symbolise blood.  The materials are ugly and feel make-shift, again adding to the sense of disquiet. The figure in the middle, bathed by strong sunlight, suggestive of foreign climes, is made by Walter Bailey.  Seen from these narrow corridors one is reminded of a sniper down an alleyway, but who is the person at the end and who is the sniper?  The figure at the end seems that of universal man or woman.  Around the outside, olive trees are the emblem of peace.

The Pansy Project Garden by Paul Harfleet left me with mixed feelings. The large, shattered concrete blocks symbolising homophobic hate crime were powerful, but as a gay friend who saw it with me said: ‘I think we’ve all moved on from the idea of homosexuals being pansies’.  There are so many varieties of pansy, in the strong sunlight the ones in this garden looked a little washed out and didn’t provide as much contrast to the pale concrete as they might have done. (This garden was awarded the best garden in the Conceptual Garden category, so I’m obviously out of step with judging here!)

Forces of Nature by Guy Petherham looked at the contradiction between the way we control nature and our dependence on her, showing us that we are more vulnerable than we think.  A willow figure props us a tree, one of a group of silver birches which have been planted at an angle.  As the wind blows the trees rustle and the figure clings on, blown a little from side to side.

My favourite garden in this catergory was Journey to Awakening by Japanese designer Makoto Tanaka (Sekitei Design). This Zen garden was created for the purpose of meditation and enlightenment.  It’s a series of concentric rings: the black metal slats outside represent the 108 desires Buddhists believe cause human suffering. The reflective pool inside is our unconscious mind: you step through into it, carefully and through a narrow path.  The words which are written on the outside, upside down and unintelligible make a reflection in the water the right way up: fear ….anger… the impulses which cannot always be seen from the outside but which prevent clarity in the mind.  There is no denying that Japanese designers have a special affinity with light, almost as if they were taught that it’s a separate element in itself.

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The Naturally Fashionable Garden - Nicholas Dexter Picture Credit: BBC

So, you’ve seen the show gardens and taken in the Grand Pavilion.  Now what?  Fancy building a Corten steel structure?  Planning on filling the back garden with tree ferns? Or do you fancy inviting the cow parsley in?

Unlike designers building a Chelsea Show Garden, most people have to grapple with a small space, limited budgets and even more limited time.  Lovely though they are, perfect, expensive gardens bear no resemblance to the average garden.  Are they ‘aspirational’ in the way of catwalk clothes or is there something you can take home from Chelsea?

One thing that caught my eye, which I’d like to try at home, is  the use of silver birch logs as a natural form of adornment in the garden.  In The Naturally Fashionable Garden they were at different heights, standing on end, softened and brought together by grasses and light planting.  The logs not only looked beautiful, they provided an architectural, vertical accent, as well as a good home for bugs and other wildlife.

Jo Thompson’s ‘Thrive’ (The Unexpected Gardener) also used logs, this time lying horizontally.  The repetition of circles added a pleasing decorative touch to this chic garden.  Stacked in a high tower, they provided another vertical statement that draws the eye.

The Unexpected Gardener - Jo Thompson Picture Credit - Thrive

The Bradstone Biodiversity Garden proved that sometimes the only thing to do in a small garden is to think big.  The monumental sunken arch made of a pleasing, yellowy reconstituted stone was a striking feature that acted as a perfect foil to the delicate planting in front.  When confronted with a small space, don’t be afraid to be bold: large leaved plants can provide the drama you need to liven up a confined area.

Sunken gardens are one of the topics covered in designer, author and journalist Chris Young’s new book: ‘Take Chelsea Home’.  Chris has been through thousands of photographs of the show and selected the most useful ideas in them.  He quotes designer Bunny Guinness who says that a sunken and contained area in the garden is highly conducive to great conversations. She advises using wide, custom made seating and adding coloured cushions on top for dramatic swatches of colour.  A central fire pit will keep you warm all night.  Slot in an outdoor projector and you can watch old films outside. (Use a white sheet if you don’t have a blank wall).

The book also features some interesting shots taken of gardens at night. If you are lighting your garden, consider using coloured light – there’s a stunning example of a tree spotlighted in pink light.

The Bradstone Biodiversity Graden - Paul Hervey-Brookes Picture Credit: BBC

If you don’t have space for vegetables in your garden, grow them in containers.  Sow directly in them and choose ‘cut and come again’ varieties of lettuce.  Don’t mix zinc with terracotta or plastic as this can make the place look cluttered.  Stick to one kind.

My last take home tip from the Chelsea Flower Show is to think  again about conifers and pines .  They don’t have to be funereal plants inhabiting a wasteland of suburban rockeries.  Seek out pines that have blue-green leaves and mix them up with lavenders, Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’ and other matching foliage,  as well as grasses, tall, spindly plants like Verbena bonariensis or Dierama pulcherrium (Angel’s fishing rods).

For more ideas on taking Chelsea you can visit the RHS website

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