Felpham & Middleton Horticultural Society talk

Gillian presented some of the more unusual snippets from her Hampshire garden describing each one as it was passed around; details; details below.

However, the subject of Gillian's talk was that of her garden in Pays de la Loire, France, which she and her husband acquired from a farmer. With its chateaux and typically French food markets, the area is idyllically rural.

The garden covers an acre, facing south-west, high up on a hill and windy, so not an ideal position. When Gillian bought the garden it was covered in vast areas of black plastic membrane which is widely used by the French as a weed suppressant. The soil was uncultivated but with fruit trees including eight types of pear tree and a huge stump of a cherry tree, frequented by deer and hares.

Not an ideal position and posing quite a huge challenge even for the most experienced of gardeners. Gillian and her husband, Paul, set about creating the framework for their new garden venture.

Yew hedges were planted in cone shapes (creating a seated area), as well a laurel hedges, rose garden with 12 Rugosas, one for each corner, azaleas and a large pergola as well as an orchard, beech and oak trees, hornbeams and box plants, the box plants not having suffered from box blight or attacked by the dreaded box caterpillar, so far!

Gillian discovered that not only do French gardeners use plastic membrane widely but also have not caught onto the idea of meadows and therefore cut their grass very short. However Gillian has created a meadow within her garden and now has at least twenty species of different wildflowers which are attracting a large number of various pollinators which her neighbours are starting to appreciate.

A fruit cage has been created without netting, packed with various fruit trees and soft fruit, the surplus of which is shared with their neighbours and turned into gin by Paul. The elderly and energetic previous owner of the land and her brother often provide practical help and solutions to potential problems, such as putting a radio in the fruit trees to ward off birds which seems to work very well.

Gillian's original plan was to live in the garden for a few months every year but after Brexit, this idea had to be amended as she can now only live in the garden a maximum of 90 days within a year.

This presented her with a big problem with the care and watering of her beloved plants so she decided had to be easy care, had to be repeat flowering and preferably fragrant, to be self-supporting plants and they could survive after planting and initial watering for long periods.

The result is that the garden is packed full of hardy colourful plants that can fend for themselves after their introduction and initial care; plants such as Gaura, Echinacea, Gardenis, Siberian Iris, Helianthus, Allium, Globe Artichokes, Lavender, Mexican Daisy, various Clematis (but always the number3 variety), Japanese Anemones, Phlox and prairie plants.

Gillian does her main gardening jobs in the months of September and October and when she waters, only waters with a watering can which is a laborious task but worthwhile as the water really reaches down to the deep roots. However, Gillian maintains that if a plant needs watering after its first year then it is in the wrong place!

Gillian's next project for her French garden is to create a new sun garden with peach trees and roses which she expects to flower in 2025. She wishes to spend, hopefully, more time writing and reading and less time gardening after all her hard work in creating this jewel of a French garden!

Plants Gillian brought from her English garden were -

Teucrium hircanicum'Purple Tails', a semi-evergreen perennial with aromatic, pale-green leaves and long spikes of deep purple flowers flowering from July to October.

Salvia Forsskaoli, or Wand Sage, a tall perennial with brightly coloured purple flowers rather like snap dragons; a good plant for coastal gardens flowering from June to September.

Aster x frikartii x Monch, a vigorous tall perennial with strong stems and dark green foliage with lavender blue daisy-like flowers.

Liatris spicata, or the blazing star, prairie feather, gay feather or button snakeroot, is a herbaceous perennial with spikes of deep magenta 'bottle brush' flowers, wonderful for pollinators.

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Zorro' with a bushy upright habit with purplish black stems topped by flat blue lace-cap flowers occasionally with white centres.

Hydrangea panicula 'Wim's Red' is another deciduous hydrangea with a bushy habit with 'honey-scented' flowers that go from white to pink, then to a rich wine red.

Lastly two beautiful roses: Rosa Narrow Water, a rambling rose with shell pink/lilac semi-double fragrant flowers.

Rosa Lancashire which is a ground cover rose with arching stems producing dark green, glossy foliage with large trusses of double 'cherry red blooms' throughout the summer.

The society's third and final show of the year is the Summer Show on Saturday. August 17, 2pm - 4.30pm, at St Mary's Centre, Grassmere Close, Felpham PO22 7NU.

Our next talk is on Thursday, September 26 when Paul Abbott will talk on "Houseplants", 7.30pm at St Mary's Centre. Entry £2 to include refreshments.