Silk in the borders

Silk in the borders

This week our Garrya eliptica seemed to suddenly turn a corner.  Almost overnight its long silvery catkins started to lengthen and our eyes were suddenly drawn to the back of the  border.

The silk tassel bush as it’s also known is diocious, that is, male and female catkins form on separate plants, but it’s the male catkins that are most spectacular.  The variety ‘James Roof’ has exceptionally long tassels that have earned the plant an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS.

Ours is a free standing specimen but it is often seen grown as a wall shrub.  Neglected specimens can be cut back hard to promote new growth to keep them tight to the wall and the dense evergreen foliage is a great draw for birds during the nesting season. 


Gardening explained - dioecy

Parents-to-be may have the sex of their newborn in the forefront of their minds but few of us ever suspect it to be an issue when choosing plants for our...
Read More

Plant folklore - orchids

We find there's always something magical about stumbling across orchids during a countryside walk.  With their stunning flowers they’ve been weaving their way into our stories and folklore for centuries....
Read More

Wildlife in the garden - dragonflies

If you’re lucky enough to have a pond in your garden there’s every chance that you’ll be rewarded with the spectacle of dragonflies skimming over the water’s surface.  There are...
Read More