January 2017

Snowdrops for Galanthophiles
January and Spring not far off the first Snowdrops or Galanthus have sprung up and are well in flower. Snowdrops are a perennial favourite in Ireland and justifiably so. Galanthus and Leucojum ( Snowflake a large Snowdrop) are closely related and allied to Narcissus. It is believed that there are approx fifteen species of Galanthus . Galanthus nivalis is now naturalized in Ireland and the famous ‘Straffan Snowdrop’ was discovered in around 1875 by head gardener Frederick Bedford. It produces two flowering stems and is quite robust and does well in rich loamy soil. The beauty of this Galanthus is that the flowering is spread between the two stems thus extending the time of flowering.
The Snowdrop is now naturalized in Ireland, it like many of the garden favourites is not a plant that was indigenous to Ireland or even Britain coming from as far away as Spain and the Caucuses.
Growing Galanthus or snowdrops is not as easy as people might imagine as the tiny bulbs dry out and are often taken from wild plants thus endangering the naturalized colonies.

When is best to plant Snowdrops
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The very best time to increase your Snowdrops is in January to March while they are in growth. If you spot a flower you like take a garden fork and with great care digging fully down open up the clumps ensuring you have plant and bulbs exposed remove a few of the outer plants and bulbs very carefully potting them into the same garden soil.
Allow them to settle in a pot or plunge the pot into garden soil watering well. There is a nice video available on the web from the RHS showing how to move Snowdrops.


Another of the Irish Galanthus is ‘Hill Poe’ an attractive plant more robust than Straffan but single stemmed with a beautiful double flower.
Finally on Bulbs, a very attractive Irish Narcissus is ‘Cantatrice’ a white slender and very elegant flower in April or thereabouts. I am not sure on availability of this beauty. Suffice to say it’s well worth investigating.


January and February in your garden and outdoor space.


January and February are perfect months to garden with beautiful occasional sunny days everyone should spend time in the outdoors clearing the last of the leaves and tidying the edges of lawns or just enjoying the wonderful aromas from winter flowering shrubs and flowers.
Watering of window boxes in Winter sounds like an oxymoron but it’s an issue increasingly with climate change and dry winters.
So spare some time to check your outdoor potted plants and window boxes for water. An occasional water and feed especially for flowering plants in pots or boxes won’t be wasted.


Between the months of November and late March is also the time to plant Trees, Shrubs and
hedges. These are all available bare rooted and can save you money and are more likely to thrive & survive when planted in these months. Remember garden landscaping is best done from late Autumn to late Spring. Apart from the obvious it is also a good time to improve and augment trees and shrubs that may need pruning or change. Pruning at this time of year allows you to see the issues that leaves cover up in Summer. Lawns can be scarified in late February and an occasional mowing won’t go amiss.

Hamamelis mollis another intense and fabulous winter scented shrub.
Vegetables and fruit

Pruning of Raspberries and cane fruits. Cut out old stems and tie in last years stems.
A mulch of compost or leaf mould can be spread on the root area.( Sounds hard but easy and enjoyable too)
Apples and Pears can be tidied up now although as a student many years ago we were taught to prune between December and January these days it’s suggested the main pruning can be done in early Summer after the fruit have set. For me it’s still a Winter task!
Start off Spring lettuce and chit Potatoes for those who have the space and the inclination.
Plan your rotation of crops to avoid pest and diseases. Lime can be spread on ground where brassicas were grown before. Your Autumn sown Garlic should now be growing well.

Plants that flower in January and February often produce a fabulous all pervading aroma
The fabulous intense ‘Daphne Bholua’

Viburnum xbodnantense is another of the Viburnums with heady Winter scent.

And so many more including the Winter Heather ‘Erica Veitchii’ a white heather with a great fragrance.
Enjoy the late Winter in your garden or balcony.Working outdoors has far more to offer if you are outside looking in rather than inside looking out. Enjoy the glinting January Sun and long shadows the beauty of frost and snow.
Remember to plan and any ideas consigned to paper by you is a worthwhile investment in the long run it may not be a plan by a professional but it’s your feeling your emotion on paper; and as such it is very valuable.

Autumn Falls

The Autumn in Ireland is perhaps my favourite time of year. Autumn is really the Spring in horticulture terms it’s the time to get going to prepare, devise, reap and sow
As a garden designer my year begins in late September, My clients that desire success will always want their gardens created, planted and honed in Autumn. The best lawns are autumn lawns. The best herbaceous borders are mid to late Autumn sown. The finest shrub borders are Autumn sown. So let me encourage you to plan and design for this coming Autumn guaranteeing you success and universal envy amongst your friends and neighbours.
What you would like as a garden what inspires you can often seem impossible when faced with the enormity of the task allow us to help you choose an inspired choice in a simple manner and affordable style.
So for those of you who want the perfect lawn, the trendy organic vegetable plot or fruit garden we are here to help. From paving design to repairs we want to hear from you. For fine shrub borders to tree planting Moss&Green is here

Design on Autumn
Plan for next Spring with bulbs and hardy perennials .
Your chance to create an awe inspiring choice of colour from late December to June and into next summer is now.

Apart from the obvious Daffodils and Tulips you have grape Hyacinths or Muscari . Muscari are an opportunity to create a swathe of blue in any garden or lawn. Be brave plant in profusion and densely and allow the Muscari to run in a soft elegant shape.
Alliums are a firm favourite of Moss & Green garden design in both planters and more so in planting schemes. The choices are growing by the year and you can now select Alliums (Onion family) from early to mid April flowering into almost mid Summer flowering .
Varieties and colours abound within the purple pink spectrum. Once again be brave plan and plant in clusters.

Varieties of Allium include Schubertii, Nevskianum, Hollandicum, Firmament, Cernuum, Nigrum, Atropurpureum, Litvinovii and Karataviense.
Also available are the lovely whites and yellows of A. Amplectens and A.Pskemense and the yellows of A. Obliquum and A. Chloranthum.
Also if possible the beautiful lily of the valley type A.Convallaroidides


Violas and Cyclamens
Violas especially the small winter hardy ‘Pansy’ flower for months on end and into the following Summer cheap as chips and great value as are the little hardy Cyclamen.




Fruit and vegetables
Organic or non chemical as I prefer to call it. In essence any fruit or Vegetable allowed to ripen and picked at the time you desire it is always preferable and far more enjoyable.

Let’s start at the simplest! Garlic can be purchased from seed merchants and garden centres ( bred for these latitudes and different from the supermarket garlic) that when allowed grow will far outmatch any supermarket product. Garlic stock are generally purchased in mid October and split up into individual cloves. You prepare the soil by digging in good quality compost or well rotted manure in a small sunny location. The little cloves are pushed into the soil by hand within an a centimetre of the top of the soil allowing a space of say two large full heads of Garlic and be prepared to be surprised. Fabulous, easy and keeps very well ready for next July -September.

Winter lettuce can be planted in mid Autumn and will be ready the following March to May.
And perhaps my favourite Spring Broccoli is sown in early September and transplanted to any area of the garden and will produce crops from late February till May continually.

Fruit is harvested as it ripens and best consumed as you pick it. Remember pick those apples and pears for eating and tarts and chutneys.


​Tree and shrubs
In Autumn once the leafs have fallen is the perfect moment to consider the purchase of young trees and shrubs .
I always prefer buying young nursery stock and planting in well prepared and designed areas as they establish well and often quickly outstrip the growth of expensive container plants.

Good choices for hedging and trees are always available just remember to plan and design .


 An Autumn checklist is a good means to remember tasks.
Spring bulbs as already mentioned
Prepare and design new planting areas.
Winter containers and window boxes are planted
Get your gardener to weed and prepare beds
Remove fallen leaves from lawns and allow some to lie on the open beds to act as a herbaceous feed.. Tidy and cut away damaged or decayed growth..

In essence Autumn is a great moment in your calendar!

It’s your opportunity to design and create something wonderful no matter what size from a window box to a balcony and onwards into gardens and estates.

Moss & Green garden design inspire your home or workplace. .www.mossandgreen.net