New Material - Buckingham Nurseries

Ive been looking for some new native material. While cruising the local lanes and woodlands i couldn't see anything there that inspired me.

I decided to explore the hedging nurseries for material. Buckingham nurseries is an easy drive out of London on a Saturday morning.

http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/index.html


All of the species i wanted to start this year were available in several sizes.




I picked up a few Hawthorns and Copper beeches. The Beeches were 120cm and the Hawthorns 150cm tall. These larger plants were all £2.95 each.

These trees are supplied bare root - and wasn't 100% certain how this was done. As you can see in the pictures they have bushels of them sitting loosely in the ground. Once you have decided what you want the staff gently tug them out for you. You get a reasonable amount of root.


I have the roots soaking in water now and I'l make up some soil for them and get them potted tomorrow.

More images in the next few days.

Spring Buds

The first spring buds are starting to swell on the Field Maples and the Japanese Maples are bleeding through some sealed wounds. 

Note the cat fur on the poor little field maple. My cat loves gardening. Sometimes she's a little too enthusiastic though. Here's a picture of her pruning a maple for me. Very kind.

Time to start work on the repotting.

Note to cat. Akadama isnt kitty litter.

Oak

Now that we are through the dead of winter i have begun to work on the plants again. they've had a nice break and are ready to gear up for another good year.

The little oak had its trunk chopped. I took about 60cm off the top and sealed it off.

I left a few centimeters above the next apex bud for it to die back a little. Its probobly going to have this procedure performed a few more times in its life so no need for surgical precision at this time.



















I'l give it a week or two to get over the fright before i move it to its new pot. The oak is the beginning of the chain of the repotting season as i have several plants that want new pots this year and they will all be inheriting pots from their older siblings.


This one is going to go into an akadama / fuji grit mix. It was in a 3 part mix of sharp sand , john innes and horticultural grit - which worked extremely well and may have contributed to its explosive growth. I think i will use that soil mix again in the near future.


The work on oaks will continue with planting of a few more acorns. I got lucky and picked up a few acorns for quercus brantii while walking in a restaurant garden - so il see if i can get them to germinate as well.