Daisy RootsEarly Spring 2013

Irises For Everyone

Welcome to our first E-newsletter !

As I create this newsletter, snow is thick on the ground

outside and a job in front of the computer is a (&warm!) distraction.

I hope that this will be the first of several newsletters this year tokeep you up to date with what’s going on at the nursery

In May of 2013 Daisy Roots will be

celebrating our 10th Birthday.

A whole decade of healthy, hardy plants grown in

Hertfordshire!

To mark this milestone we are holding a whole

series of

special offers, talks and lecturesto inform and inspire you to make the most of

I hope this newsletter brightens a dull winter day & reminds youspring, and another year full of exciting garden possibilities is just

around the corner.The nursery opens again on March 1st

I look forward to seeing there!

At Daisy Roots, I sowaround 200 packets of

seed every season.I find getting seeds to

germinate is relativelyeasy but how best to deal

with them afterwardsseems to be where many

peope fall down.

£5 per person

Join me for ‘Sow It, Grow It!’ on Saturday March 9th and Iwill explain how to save, store and sow seed and how to deal

with the young seedlings to get the very best results.

Whether you want to grow your own perennials, annuals orvegetables from seed, the basic rules are the same.

You will get to ‘have a go’ and take home your experimentsat the end.

It’s easy when you know how!

Call me, Anne on 07958 563355or email anne@daisyroots.com

to book your place

Dainty, bashful ladies of Spring

Geums are hardy, adaptable plants that usually occur naturally onmoist, rich soils in meadows or around woods.

Those shown here add warm tones to the spring garden, usually from earlyApril, but there are other forms that will flower from early-late summer .Low clumps of downy, scalloped leaves produce stems that display theirflowers at around 20-40 cm high, depending on variety. Quite often theflowers have a pretty, nodding habit - giving the plant a coy, bashful appear-ance.

The flowers are followed by small, dry fruits which if left will often lead tosome self seeding and, possibly, new forms of previously unseen

Geum ‘Marmalade’

Geum rivale ‘Leonard’s Variety’

Geum ‘Mrs W Moore' has palest blushcoloured petals opening from red tintedbuds

Geum ‘Farmer John Cross’ produces clearyellow flowers, opening from red tinted buds

from mid april through to July

Geum ‘Abendsomme’ trans-lates as ’Evening Sun’

Geum ‘Bell Bank’ has outward facingsoft, peachy pink double flowers

Geum ‘Mrs W Moore' has palest blushcoloured petals opening from red tinted

Geums do best on a retentive soil in sun but will tolerate some shade . To keep them flowering well, clumps should be lifted and divided every3 years or so after flowering or in the autumn.

This year I am holding a series of talks & demonstrations in myown garden, to inform and inspire you to get the best from your

own plot.In 2012, Gosselin Road was featured on BBC Gardener’s World, in‘The Garden’ & ‘Gardens Illustrated’ magazines and in the Mail on

Sunday.In 2013 you can join me on a journey through the whole year atGosselin Road month by month. We will look at what’s in flower

and all the jobs that need doing in the garden that month.Numbers will be limited to allow everyone to see what’s going on,so booking is essential. We may, however, hold extra sessions ifsome months are over subscribed, so don’t be afraid make a lastminute enquiry. Some months will be held on Saturday Mornings

and some on Thursday evenings, so check dates carefully.You can book as many or as few months as you like. Each sessioncosts £10, including tea and homemade cake, and will last around

an hour and a half.Visit www.daisyroots.com for more details

‘‘Book earlyto avoid dissappointment !

I will make you very welcomewhen you arrive’’

If you wish to book a place please send your name, address and con-tact number, stating which month(s) you wish to attend and

enclosing a cheque for £10 for each month. You will receiveconfirmation of your booking.

Send to Anne Godfrey, 8 Gosselin Road, Bengeo, Hertford.SG14 3LG.Feel free to contact me should you have any further questions.

anne@daisyroots.com 07958 563355www.daisyroots.com

Iris reticulata ‘George’

Iris unguicularis

Iris bucharica

Iris chrysographes

Irises For Everyone !

There are somewhere in the region of 300 species of Iris, found growing all over the globe. There areIrises that like sun and tolerate drought, those that thrive with their feet in pond margins and those thatprefer shade. In the UK it is easy to have variety of Irises in flower from November through to August.Literally everyone can grow Irises, you just have to determine which one is most suited to the conditionsin your garden.Shown here are Iris unguicularis which enjoys being baked by the sun and rewards us with scented flow-ers on & off from Nov-Feb. Iris reticulata flowers in February from bulbs planted the previous autumn andlikes a sunny, well drained spot. Iris bucharica too likes sun & good drainage and gives us flowers inApril, becomimg dormant once more by mid summer. In contrast, Iris chrysographes, prefers lime freesoils that do not get overly dry with the promise of velvet black flowers if we meet it’s needs

Irises For Everyone !

There are somewhere in the region of 300 species of Iris, found growing all over the globe. There areIrises that like sun and tolerate drought, those that thrive with their feet in pond margins and those thatprefer shade. In the UK it is easy to have variety of Irises in flower from November through to August.Literally everyone can grow Irises, you just have to determine which one is most suited to the conditions

Shown here are Iris unguicularis which enjoys being baked by the sun and rewards us with scented flow-ers on & off from Nov-Feb. Iris reticulata flowers in February from bulbs planted the previous autumn andlikes a sunny, well drained spot. Iris bucharica too likes sun & good drainage and gives us flowers inApril, becomimg dormant once more by mid summer. In contrast, Iris chrysographes, prefers lime freesoils that do not get overly dry with the promise of velvet black flowers if we meet it’s needs

Iris sibirica is a tough,hardy plant that enjoys asunny position on reten-tive soil, flowering in

Irises For Everyone !

Bearded Iris are the most commonly recogised member of the Irisfamilly . They are so called because the fuzzy caterpillar of stamensthat crawls out of the centre of the flower along the lower petals - ‘thebeard’. Bearded Iris come in every colour of the rainbow and everycombination of colours that one can imagine. This, combined with thefact that many varieties are heavily scented makes them one of myfavourites in the early summer border.

The secret to getting these Irises to flower well is to make sure thattheir rhizomes are sitting on the surface of the soil where they get agood baking by the sun. They like a fertile but well drained soil - waterlogging will quicly lead to rot setting in.

Bearded Irises come in a number of heights, with the shorter varietesflowering from April and the taller varieties flowering May-June.

Clumps can become congested and benefit from dividsion every thirdyear in July-September. Join me for What the Books Don’t Tell You tofind out how

I.’Stepping Out’

I. ‘Sable’

I. ‘Snugglebug’

I. ‘Jane Phillips’has large sky-blueflowers with good

strong scent.

I.’Stepping Out’ I. ‘Big Dipper’ I. ‘Patina’

I. ‘Sable’ I. ‘Megabucks’ I. ‘Syncopation’

I.’Beverley Sills’

I. ‘Snugglebug’ I.’Warsails’

· Feb 24th Snowdrop & Hellebore Event, Goodnestone Park, Kentwww.hpskent.co.uk/category/plant-sales

· Mar 26-27th RHS Great Spring Plant Fair, Westminster Hallswww.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-London-Flower-Shows

· Apr 14th Great Comp Spring Fling, Great Comp, Kentwww.greatcompgarden.co.uk/diaryofevents.html

· Apr 20th Plant Heritage Plant Fair, Hyde Hallwww.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Hyde-Hall/What-s-on

· Apr 28th Walthamstow Farmers Market, Town Square, E17 7JNwww.lfm.org.uk

· May 4th Plant Heritage Plant Fair, Highgate, North Londonwww.nccpg.com/In-your-area/Local-Groups/London.aspx

· May 5th Queens Park Farmers Market, Salusbury School, NW6 6RGwww.lfm.org.uk

· May 12th Ashridge Plant Fair, Berkhampsteadwww.friendsofashridge.org.uk

· May 19th Islington Farmers Market, Chapel Market, N1 9PZwww.lfm.org.uk

· May 25-26th Herts County Show, The Showground, Redbournewww.hertsshow.com

Daisy Roots

Show Diary 2013

· Jun 12-16th Gardeners World Live, NEC, Birminghamwww.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

· Jun 30th Mackyre End NGS Open Garden, nr Harpendenwww.ngs.org.uk

· Jul 9-14th RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Showwww.rhs.org.uk/Hampton-Flower-Show

· Jul 21st Chenies Manor Plant Fairwww.cheniesmanorhouse.co.uk/plant_fair.htm� Jul 28th 35 Digswell Road Garden Open NGS, Welwyn Garden City

www.ngs.org.uk· Aug 10-11th Great Comp Garden Show

www.greatcompgarden.co.uk/diaryofevents.html· Aug 18th Reveley Lodge NGS Open Garden, Bushey

www.ngs.org.uk

In 2012 Daisy Roots were awarded3 Silver Gilts and 1 Silver medal at

RHS flower shows.Will 2013 be the year we finally get

our hands on a much covettedGold ??

Daisy Roots has built it’s reputation on growing hardy

perennials, but we also offer a small selection of unusual an-

nauls that you will be hard pressed to find offered by many, if

any, other nurseries

Cosmos ‘Double Click’Both double and semi-

double flowers inwhite, light and darkpink on tall strong

stemmed plants.Freely produced

upuntil frosts

Mimulus pictusBushy plants produce

clusters of whiteflowers with devineintricate patterns in

dark maroon.Likes sun on retentive

soil. Deadhead tokeep flowers coming

Daucus carota ‘Dara’Flat cow parsely like

flower heads arestained wine red.

Good ferny foliage,good cut flower, self

seeds

Cleome Pink QueenTall (5ft) back of border plants that

Produce masses of pink flowers withlong spidery stamens from mid summer

until frosts

Calendula‘Touch of Red Buff’’Gorgeous pale buffpetals with a redflushed reverse.

Hardy annual that willself seed and return

year after year

Cleome marshalliiWhite flowers framedby brown red bractsfrom mid summeruntil frosts. Likes

sun on well drainedsoil. 50cm

Cosmos ‘Double Click’Both double and semi-

double flowers inwhite, light and darkpink on tall strong

stemmed plants.Freely produced

upuntil frosts

Cerinthe purpureaHardy annual

producing pendantpurple flowers heldin violet blue bracts

above grey bluefoliage. Good in boththe border and as a

cut flower

Nicotiana mutabilisTall, graceful and airy

plants producemasses of white

flowers that age topink from mid-summerright up until autumn

frosts.

NicotinanaAntique Lime

Upward facing per-fumed flowers from

midsummer untilFrosts. Lime greenflowers with a pinktint to the reverse.

50cm.

Daucus carota ‘Dara’Flat cow parsely like

flower heads arestained wine red.

Good ferny foliage,good cut flower, self

seeds

Nicotiana sylestrisTall (4ft) plantsproduce clustersof elegant white

flowers. Useful forboth sunny andlightly shaded

borders

Prune RosesPrune Wisteria

Cut down spent Raspberry & Blackberry canesPrune Apple TreesGet mower serviced

Clean out greenhouse, steralise seed traysOrder seeds

Sow seeds that need cold to germinate

Visit www.daisyroots.com and make out a wish list !

Daisy RootsOpens in 2013 from

Friday March 1st& then every Friday and Saturday

until the end of October10.00 am - 4.00pm

See you there!