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36
LIFE
June/July 2012 www.esb.ie/em
U.K. SUMMER DESTINATIONS - We are inspired by the Lake District and Cornwall
Try Gravel Gardening!
GARDENING
Once used almost exclusively for paths and driveways, gravel has found a new role in recent years in gravel beds, writes Gerry Daly.
MODERN GARDENS are much smaller than those of older houses and this has caused a re-think in how the surface area of gardens is used. The traditional lawn has been very much reduced, or entirely dispensed with, in many new gardens. But to pave over a high proportion of the area tends to leave a harsh finish, so gravel areas are often used, and gravel is less expensive per square metre to lay.
Gravel areas associate very well with paving, either natural stone or concrete slabs. The smooth solid surface of the paving contrasts effectively with the softer surface of the gravel, each setting off the qualities of the other. While solid paving is ideal for the sitting-out areas and for furniture, gravel is perfect for areas that do not need to be walked on much, and the paved areas can be set in a surround of gravel.
Apart from appearance, gravel areas offer other benefits. Every square metre of lawn replaced is a square metre less to mow, and if the lawn is replaced completely, there is no mowing to do at all. Gravel is good at keeping weeds down too. The surface tends to dry out quickly and weeds find it more difficult to find rooting material.
Even within large gardens, gravel beds or scree beds, can be laid out for their visual qualities and their value for growing plants. Many plants like to have a ‘dry neck’, especially alpine plants. Besides, an area of gravel planted with well-spaced plants can look really well. Gravel especially suits grasses and these plants are very much in vogue. Gravel is excellent for highlighting plants of good structure or foliage, such as pencil junipers, Japanese maples and aralia.
Although gravel has many good decorative qualities — a range of colours being among them — and can be used to reduce the amount of time and effort expended in the garden, it is not completely maintenance-free. After a time, leaves and other debris blown onto the gravel surface and rot down to make a base for weeds. Rake off fallen leaves in autumn.
Gravel areas should be laid on weed-preventing fabric, which allows water through to the plant roots and allows dust and debris to filter down, at least to some degree, and not on polythene. The fabric can be sliced through in a cross shape to allow planting. As it ages, gravel can become stained with algae and it benefits from occasional raking over to freshen it.
Sudden die-back of conifers
“We have quite a few evergreens, conifers, in our garden and three of them have died in the last two years. I am worried that something is spreading and they all might die. Is there any action to take or treatment for this problem?”
It is not unusual for an occasional conifer to die suddenly. They are prey to damage by several kinds of pathogenic fungi, notably root rot and honey fungus. The exact diagnosis is difficult and not of much value since the plants are already dead, and there is no effective treatment — because the fungus is in the soil and difficult to access and, anyway, you do not want to be dousing the garden with chemicals. The problem is more common on wet soils and it can be of help to ensure any existing drains are functioning properly.
Never too late for containers!
If you are quick off the mark and get your summer bedding plants in during the last half of May or early June, you will gain the full benefit of their colour and foliage for the summer, but the summer and early autumn has a long way to go and it is never too late to pop in a few bedding plants into a couple of pots or baskets for instant effect. As time moves on, buy well-grown strong plants and water and feed them well, and you will still get several months of value from them. Bedding lasts well into October in most years!
British Hideaways: Travel Break
TONY CLAYTON-LEA
TRAVEL
This issue we look at two different parts of Britain that are perfect for summer breaks
THE LAKE DISTRICT
Although craggy hills make up much of England’s rural landscape, the northwest corner of the country has quite a few (actually, make that loads of) waterholes filling the spaces in-between. In the Lake District, in Cumbria, livestock, literary legacies and some of the prettiest cottages you’ll ever see fade in the lakes’ reflections of jagged peaks, windswept mountains and forests. Surrounded by the borderlands of Carlisle and Hadrian’s Wall to the north, the soft, sandy estuaries and rocky headlands of the Cumbrian coastline to the west (a haven for wildlife), the rolling rivers of the Eden Valley to the east and the resorts and ports of the Lake District Peninsulas to the south; the entire area has been justifiably named England’s Most Beautiful Corner.
FACT FILE:
WHERE TO STAY: For a tranquil stay at one of the Lake District’s most secluded country houses, try Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, Longtail Hill, Windermere, Cumbria www.lindeth-howe.co.uk (0044) 15394-45759.
WHERE TO EAT: You’re spoiled for choice, but if you want something truly atmospheric try Lucy Four Wine Bar & Bistro, Ambleside www.lucysofambleside.co.uk (0044) 15394-34666. Casual, buzzing with activity, terrific food, good wine list, great service.
WHERE TO DRINK: The Travellers Rest Inn, Grasmere, is a refurbished 17th century pub/small hotel. Great pub food, very satisfying pints of ale.
MUST SEE/DO: The Fells of the Lake District.
CORNWALL
Cornwall has a history that dates back to prehistoric times. It also has a separate language and culture still celebrated in druidic meetings at ancient holy places such as St Michael’s Chapel, Roche Rock, near St Austell. Cornwall has always been removed from the rest of Britain, yet strategically placed for commerce. With trade came new philosophies and new religions - early saints passed through it en route between Europe and Ireland and you can see the last remaining vestiges of their passage dotted throughout the countryside, in the weather-beaten high-crosses and holy wells, and in the names of the churches. Most of Cornwall’s south coast is sub-tropical, creating horticultural wonders like the Abbey Gardens on the Scilly Island of Tresco and the Amazonian ravine garden of Trebah on the Helford River.
FACT FILE:
WHERE TO STAY: The village of Mousehole (pronounced ‘mowsel’) was once described by Dylan Thomas as England’s loveliest village. It is home to The Old Coastguard, a very fine, modernised hotel with the bar/dining area overlooking the sea. www.oldcoast-guardhotel.co.uk
WHERE TO EAT: Old Success Inn, in the village of Sennen, is a characterful 17th century fisherman’s inn with exceptional bar food.
WHERE TO DRINK: Sloop Inn, St Ives, is a 14th century bar bedecked with paintings by local artists. Sip a pint and make a purchase!
MUST SEE/DO: Cornwall’s most prized tourist attraction - the Lost Gardens of Heligan, is the result of the largest horticultural restoration project in Europe.
