Search - Articles

Watch Monty Don's video demonstration of how to plant a yew hedge, with advice on drainage, planting distances and mulching.spring or autumnMore advice on plantingPlanting a bare-root rosePlanting a shrubBare-root plantingPlanting a bare-root tree

Clear away annual climbers, like sweet peas and morning glory, growing on obelisksPick seedheads and evergreen foliage and mix with fruit such as clementines or limes to make a fresh Christmas wreathMove tubs of shrubs or winter bedding to a

150 years. It feeds on the fruits, using its stylet mouthparts to suck out the juices, in autumn moving to the berries of yew, which also grows profusely on the chalk downs.However, during the 1990s Gonocerus was found, first, at Bookham Common

on a frosty day is one of the greatest pleasures. The winter is when evergreens come into their own and the frost just makes yews look even better. Hedges seem to be draped with diamonds and the shiny leaves of box glisten. There is not a great deal

yew or privet, the other 'classic' choices for evergreen hedging. But then the owner moved on and within 18 months it was a mess; two years later the new owner had given up and dug the whole thing out.On balance, however, it's probably best to look

China. It was only brought back to this country in 1949, so all the examples we see in this country are quite young. The leaves look a bit like yew (Taxus baccata) except that they turn golden and fall in the autumn. Quite fast growing and will reach 60m

to Podocarpus macrophyllus (or Japanese Yew).Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' is a maple with dark red, lacy-edged leaves. It will stay within the height limit, although it is susceptible to middle aged spread and will cover a largish area. It can also be grown

concealed. The tricky bit is that anything I plant has to fit in with the surrounding landscape. If you look around, most native woodland is a bit short of evergreen—there might be some ivy climbing up a tree or the occasional yew.  If you suddenly start