Good Companions
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Growing the right mixture can save effort - and chemicals
Growing good mixtures of plants can have many bebeficial effects, not the least of which is beauty. But some plants deter aphids, some repel flies or gnats, some are both decorative and edible, some smother weeds, some enrich soil and so on. So instead of just showing pictures of individual plants here, we are showing some of the collections we have put together, with reasons for choice.


Gunnii hedge - Gnat repellent.
If you prefer you barbeques to be when you bite beef without providing supper for the gnats at the same time, growing a hedge like this can provide shelter and is also reputed to deter such creatures from venturing near. It is quick to establish, and thickens up well to provide wind protection as well, extending the BBQ season - especially if you have a patio heater.
Plants can be grown together for colour
Cerastium tomentosum, Berberis gagnepainii, Lonicera nitida baggessons gold, Thalictrum delawayi under a dwarf Eucalyptus pauciflora nana. Bugs seem to leave this mix alone, and across they year, it provides colour and interest, The gold and blue background of Lonicera and eucalyptus is enhanced by the Berberis yellow flowers, follwed bu purple fruit. Meanwhile, the cerastium touns white with flower in summer, and suddenly the elegant and very lovely thalictrum erupts in flower, growing up through the shrubs, sparkling like the night sky seen from behind, glowing yellow and mauve. In winter, the red hues of the gagnepainii foloisge add warmth in the darkest days.
Winter cabbage, awaiting frost
We've given up trying to grow brassicas in summer, it just feeds cabbage white. Ornamnetals are perfectly edible, and things like purple flowering choy sum, green in snow etc will grow happily through the Surrey winter, when there ain't no caterpillars.
From our Moscow Correspondent
Una Sinyaeva's garden, near Moscow, July. She's Maria's music teacher, we send her seed sometimes.This picture has nothing to do with us, the nursery or companion planting.
Baby Eucalyptus
One of them even being called "Baby blue". There is a growing trend to instant garden with more customers buying the bigger plants, but one of my favourite periods is when the nursery beds are covered in very young plants.
Propagation Stock
Some of our plants are from division, cuttings etc instead of seed. Here, specimens chosen for propagation are stored and nurtured away from the reach of the buying public.
Chaenorrhinum and Heuchera
Chaenorrhinum will flower as long as winter will let it. Heuchera "purple palace" will provide rich foliage colour, unless it gets bitterly frosty cold. Putting the two together seems sensible to us. But then, we're not sensible.
This is as far as I've Got to
Hereafter, you are in the realm of the template bequeathed to me by 20m.com - a fate worse than death!
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These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
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These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
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These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
Image title would go here.
These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
Image title would go here.
These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.
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These are a few of my favorite photographs from my different travels. Feel free to browse them as you like. If you want one, click your right mouse button and choose "Save As" from the menu.


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