Gardeners Corner – January 2025
In this edition
• Wrapping our heads around botanical Latin
• Deciding what to grow in the veg garden
• Ideas for sunny corners in smaller gardens
• Useful links
Plant names: no need to be a Latin scholar!
With the Christmas decorations safely packed away for another year, thoughts frequently turn to the New Year and what we might do differently. While the dream might be to make multiple changes at once, the art of creating sustainable change – as many gardeners understand- is to limit the goals and to prioritise how they will be tackled.
A key personal goal last year – to start learning Latin again after a gap of almost 50 years- fell away because of changing priorities, so I have recently restarted. About 60% of words in the English language are derived from Latin, often indirectly (for example, through French) or introduced during the centuries spanning the European and English Renaissances and the Industrial Revolution, when cultural, scientific and industrial innovation led to substantial expansions of language. But although I enjoy recognising plants by their labels, some of my friends complain that they can’t understand the words and wish that they could be translated into plain English. Perhaps that day might come – but meanwhile, I’d like to show how and why the Latin can still be useful- noting that most of the words are not ancient Latin at all, but later adaptations.
The Renaissance led to a huge expansion in botanical discovery and knowledge, including the introduction of the classification and renaming of thousands of plants. The Swedish scientist and doctor Carl Linnaeus introduced his classification system of “binomial nomenclature” in 1753, which was highly controversial at that time because he classified plants according to differences and similarities observed from their reproductive parts. Linnaeus effectively constructed an enormous “family tree” of all known plant (and other forms of) life at that time; the size of the undertaking resulted in several layers of classifications which most gardeners don’t need to be familiar with. However, the lower classifications of “genus” and “species” are still on every plant label and in every plant book, catalogue and magazine. The genus is the given name of a plant- for example rose, acer, acanthus, dahlia, hellebore etc. (noting that the genus names may or may not be directly translatable from ancient Latin or Greek). The species are the “siblings” within a genus, sharing a lot in common but possessing a defining characteristic which is reflected in the second (or species) part of the name. So, we might see plants labelled as acer japonica (Japanese acer), acanthus mollis (the soft-leaved acanthus), or helleborus foetidus (stinking hellebore).
The next level up of the Linnaean system – the “family”- bundles the genera into much larger groups, although you won’t usually see the family of a specific garden plant mentioned on labels or in gardening magazines. One of the most recognisable garden plants of all- the rose genus – is merely one of 91separate genera (the plural of genus) within the family of Rosaceae, which comprises a vast range of trees, shrubs and herbs. Within the rose genus there are several species roses (such as the Dog Rose, Gallica and Floribunda) which have been cross bred or hybridized by generations of rose breeders to give us the reliable beauties that we cherish in our gardens, parks and stately homes. Most roses familiar to us are hybrids or subspecies, frequently named after famous people, events or places. An authoritative book on roses tends to show the parentage or lineage of the most well-known hybridised roses.
The even larger mint family (lamiaceae) has 234 genera and over 7,000 species within it, all sharing their ability to produce volatile aromatic oils in their leaves - used for thousands of years for ornamental, pollination, antiseptic, medicinal and culinary purposes. Familiar examples include salvia, rosemary, thyme, mint, and many of the “mediterranean” plants grown for their aromatic leaves and drought tolerance.
While the range of plants has continued to expand through discovery and breeding, and DNA sequencing has led to reclassifying and occasionally renaming some plants, a modified Linnaean system of classification with its Latin-derived names is still in everyday use.
But why bother when people have always known the names of plants that they are familiar with? Shakespeare’s Ophelia spoke of columbines, later classified within the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family and named “aquilegia vulgaris”- yet they are still known to many gardeners as columbines, or alternatively, “Granny’s bonnets”. Whether aquilegia as a name more accurately reflects its form is open to doubt; it is a corruption of the word aquila (eagle) adopted because the flowers vaguely resemble an eagle’s talons. Vulgaris is simply the “wild” species- noting that while modern aquilegias are heavily hybridised to produce many colourful varieties, over time their seed will revert to the more delicate, single coloured white or purple “vulgaris” species.
Of course, the charm of names that reflect their cultural associations and native languages have been edged out by a blunter tool. True Latin has its own rhythms and romance. Back in the 1700s, with Latin being the most widely understood among learned folk across Western Europe, it was perfectly natural to apply Latin nouns, verbs and adjectives- if in a somewhat corrupted format. The good news for gardeners is that the notoriously complicated grammar can be overlooked; only the two words used to describe the genus and species are really needed to help identify a plant. The schoolboy poem about “Latin killed the Romans, and now it’s killing me” really doesn’t apply here!
Naming a key characteristic of each plant within a genus merely brings standardisation and certainty among scientists, breeders, buyers and researchers. And while the genus still reflects commonality within its own group, the species is usually named after a colour, texture, size, place of origin, growth behaviour or similarly recognisable feature which is unique to that one exemplar. These days it is not unusual to see plants with two species-specific words- the name of an explorer or breeder might be added on - but the aim is always to clarify rather than confuse. So, I thought it might be fun to share how some of the species words (this list is far from exhaustive) can help you to gain more information about a particular plant or tree that might catch your eye. When combined with the genus, you have the plant label version!
Types of plant
Deciduous – shedding its leaves (from decidere, to fall down or fall off)
Herbaceous – (herb-like), lacking in woody stems above the ground
Sempervivum – evergreen (literally, always living or “green”)
Annual – lasting just the one year
Perennial – lasting through the years, where per = through
Size
Grandiflora, -um; grand, large or showy- flowered (e.g. magnolia, jasmine)
Macrophylla, -um, -us: large-leaved (e.g. hydrangea macrophylla; acer macrophyllum)
Microphylla, -um, -us: small or baby leaved
Giganteum: gigantic or mammoth
Nanus/ parvus – small (nanos is Greek, parvus is latin). NOT a reliable indicator of dwarfing growth, because the adjective may only refer to the size of flowers or leaves
Texture and shape (can apply to bark, leaves or flowers)
Folium, -us, -a: leaf, leaved
Anthum, -us, a: flower(s) – such as helianthum (sunflower, helios being Greek for the sun)
Angustifolia – narrow-leaved
Argutifolius: sharp-toothed leaves (such as the Corsican hellebore)
Dentatus, -a: toothed
Dissectum, -a: serrated or dissected (think of the acer dissectum with those finely serrated leaves)
Fragrans: perfumed, sweet scented
Fulgens: gleaming or shining
Hirsuta: fuzzy, furry (hirsute)
Laevis, levis – smooth (from Greek, leios). E.g. leianthus = smooth flowered
Latifolia: broad-leaved (think of latitude, or breadth)
Lanata; lanatafolia: woolly-leaved (lanolin comes from wool).
Mollis: soft-haired (e.g. acanthus mollis, Alchemilla mollis)
Plicatum: pleated (e.g. viburnum plicatum)
Reticulata: net-like (think of the pattern on the delicate iris reticulata)
Rugosa – wrinkled or ridged
Serratus, -a: serrated
Spinosus, -a: prickly (e.g. acanthus spinosus)
Tomentosus, -um: top side of leaves covered in dense woolly hairs
Vulgaris: the wild species, or growing in the wild
Growth Habit
Arborescens – tree-like (arbor = tree)
Contortus, -a: twisted (e.g. Corylus avellana “Contorta” – the corkscrew hazel)
Procumbens – trailing, mat-forming (but not rooting)
Prostratus – low-growing, spreading (prostrate)
Pendulus, -a, -um: hanging down, drooping
Robusta – robust, resilient, hardy (for its species)
Scandens – climbing
Colour
albus, -a, -um: white
caeruleus, -a, -um: blue (cerulean)
croceus, -a, -um: saffron yellow (the colour of wild crocus)
grisea, -um: grey (e.g. acer griseum, the paperbark maple)
flavus, -a, -um: yellow (pale) (riboflavin)
fulvus, -a, -um: golden yellow
luteus, -a, -um: yellow
lividus, -a, -um: black and blue (livid)
niger: black
purpureus, -a, -um: purple
ruber, rubra, rubrum: red
roseus, -a, -um: rose-red, pink
There might also be places of origin, such as Canadensis (Canada); Sinensis (from the east, usually assumed to be Chinese but could also be Indian or Himalayan, for example); Japonica/um (Japanese). However, consistency in species naming isn’t guaranteed. The most commonly grown forms of wisteria are Chinese wisteria (wisteria sinensis), Japanese wisteria (wisteria floribunda), silky wisteria (wisteria brachybotris, which actually translates as “short clusters”) and American wisteria (wisteria frutescens, meaning shrubby). Only one has its geographical origin as its species name.
Not all is as it seems with plant names
A word of warning about plant names which look as if they have a Latin origin but don’t. A good example is the Magnolia, which back in the 1700s was an evergreen bull-bay tree named by Linnaeus in honour of a noted French botanist, Pierre Magnol. The best known and most widely grown deciduous Magnolia Soulangeana was bred several decades later by a French plantsman Etienne Soulange-Bodin. Although more commonly known as the “saucer magnolia”, it has no connection with the Latin for a saucer; nevertheless, its common name does reflect the shape of the blooms. In fact, the classification of magnolias is both complex and creative because there are so many species and hybrids, as this official source reveals:
https://www.magnoliasociety.org/Classification
Of course, my own Latin is still “work in progress” and I apologise to readers with a better grasp of botanical Latin for likely imperfections and omissions. But for other readers, I hope to have at least stimulated an eagerness to look at the names of plants with fresh eyes. Meanwhile I will be getting to grips with rote-learning my Latin grammar while digging up the brambles!
Time to Sort your Veg Seeds
Now is a great time to review what did and didn’t work on your veg plot, and decide what changes you might make. It’s also the best time to buy veg seeds, because supplies are plentiful during midwinter and there are some good discounts if you are quick.
It isn’t possible to prepare for every eventuality, but I am trying to be more systematic and less wasteful about deciding what to grow, rather than being swayed by doctored images or journalists endorsing vegetables which, when researched, frequently turn out to have less flavour or nutrients than what I’m more familiar with. So here are my main criteria:
• Personal preference. I have stopped growing veg which we don’t like to eat or can buy more cheaply and reliably in the supermarket. There is no reason to slavishly follow either tradition or fashion. While reducing food miles is a consideration, growing food on a small scale can be uneconomical and labour intensive. So I try to grow fruit and veg we love, which can be more difficult to buy in the shops and/or are relatively expensive.
• Height – especially in raised beds, it can be very difficult to support climbers and cordon tomatoes once they are in full growth. After battling with tall plants blown over in last summer’s high winds, I will grow a higher proportion of French climbers, bush beans and “determinate” (bush) tomatoes for an easier experience!
• Size –although there has been a sustained boost in “grow your own” gardening, comparatively few people have an allotment or large space for veg growing. Breeders are responding by introducing more varieties suited to containers, raised beds or grow bags - and some of them are very good in terms of quality, yield and resilience. And in a large plot, compact plants can make it easier to grow a wider range of varieties.
• Sun requirements – part of my veg garden is shaded by tall trees. While I initially believed that full sun is preferable for almost everything, many leafy crops and herbs prefer partial shade especially in the heat of summer. Even the shadiest corner of my patch works well for gooseberries! Try using the online website filters to help you find varieties that are bred to cope in shadier conditions. Conversely, knowing which crops require the most sun can enable more efficient use of the sunniest spots.
• Bolting – it is always worth trying bolt-resistant crops if your crops and herbs typically run to seed too quickly – assuming that they are not exposed to too much dry heat. I was reminded of this while researching the use of supermarket coriander seeds to grow my own; unfortunately, these are probably harvested from plants bred to produce seeds quickly and in volume, and therefore less ideal for long-season leafy growth (I might still sow a few to compare performance with a bolt-resistant variety).
• Greenhouse or open ground? Some veg, like aubergines, need very consistent heat and light exposure. Failing to provide the ideal growing conditions for a particular variety is wasteful and soul destroying. Varieties bred for the greenhouse may not grow well (if at all) in cooler, more exposed outdoor areas. Same with buying packs of seeds from a holiday destination (which may not even be the same varieties as those sampled from the local supermarkets or restaurants!).
• Resistance to blight, viruses, mildew and other nasties – if there are resistant varieties available, these can be very helpful, mindful that they cannot completely compensate for neglect or prolonged bad weathe
• Protection – for me, this is related to time availability and the source of attack. While fitting cover protection against cold weather takes relatively little time, daily hunts against the annual armada of Spanish slugs require more motivation. So I have decided that crossing broad beans off my seed list this year is a positive, pragmatic step (why are gardeners so quick to brand ourselves as failures if we cannot grow something for reasons beyond our control?)
• Level of difficulty – some websites like Suttons have a filter for this long overdue feature. Some veg and veg species are easier to grow than others, and there is absolutely no shame in easy successes (who is judging us anyway?)
• Something different- I love the odd experiment. Two years ago, I accidentally grew a chilli plant which produced one fruit of suspicious strength (very baggy, orange-hot, and just touching it set my fingertips on fire). The plant was carefully transported – with the fruit still attached- to a friend’s cousin on the South Coast, who prizes “interesting” chillis and rated it near the top of the Scoville scale; apparently it still lurks in his conservatory of “hot horrors”. However, last year’s experimental little black chillis were too lacking in heat or flavour to use even in salads. This year… who knows? The choice is vast – but I have promised to grow some reliably good chillis for Peter’s culinary requirements!
So – I will aim to be imaginative but also evidence-based and realistic with this year’s choices. In addition to ordering seeds (and while I draw the line on washing pots and seed trays in freezing cold weather), I also top up on greenhouse supplies at this time of year. A humble packet of seeds represents hope when the weather is unspeakably dismal. In Ancient Roman times, if January was named after Janus (the god of beginnings and endings) February was about cleansing and purification (the februa rituals) in readiness for Spring, the season of fertility and growth.
How to get a Big Tree effect in a small space
I can almost
guarantee that most gardening magazines published in Autumn and Winter will
feature spectacular displays of shrubs and trees in perfect wintry landscapes.
Currently, a very popular theme in grander garden design is a large lake
reflecting a collection of bright- barked acers, birches and dogwoods, perhaps
artfully echoed by a painted bridge or pagoda. Currently on-trend are the
magnificent groupings of the white-barked Himalayan birch (Betula Jacquemontii,
named after a famous plant explorer) underplanted with cherry-red dogwoods, and
similar displays of paperbark maples (acer griseum) or Tibetan cherry trees
(prunus serrula) with their banded bronze bark shining above swathes of pink
cyclamen. There is much to be admired here- but only if you have the budget and
space! While these images are supposed to provide inspiration for readers,
there is rarely any useful information about how to “downsize” the effect.
Often, we are encouraged to “plant in groups of three” as if a trinity of trees
is a hallowed number. But what if three is too many and we are planting a
future garden management disaster?
When a Lost Cousins gardener wrote to me about her recent move from a larger garden, and her desire to plant three white birch trees in a corner of her “downsized” garden, I questioned whether there would be space for the roots, adequate water, light and nutrition for the trees – and how much of the desired white bark would be seen from the comfort of a snug chair near the window in winter. I envisaged three spindly white trees battling for survival, with shallow roots undermining fences, paths and lawns, and casting long shade over her own and possibly neighbouring gardens in the warmer months. To my mind, whatever is planted in the sunniest corner of a small garden has to earn its keep all year round but also be manageable. The dream may not be so satisfying after a few years of reality.
However – most tree nurseries are familiar with this dilemma and have come up with a solution; the multi-stemmed tree. In the nursery, a young tree is encouraged to grow several large stems instead of a single trunk, so it grows rather like a tall shrub while retaining the elegance of a tree. A single multi-stemmed white birch tree in a sunny corner of a smallish garden plot will produce plenty of desirable white bark from close to ground level, while remaining healthy and within easy reach of the loppers. If necessary, a surfeit of new stems can be nipped out at the base to keep it more tree than thicket. The spectacularly bronze-barked Tibetan Cherry also makes a good multi-stemmed tree in a similar location. Both trees are better pruned in late summer to mid-autumn to reduce the risk of disease. And if not a tree, then one or two “winter stem” dogwoods (cornus) would make standout alternatives in brilliant red, orange, yellow or lime green - provided that you are willing to carry out regular annual pruning (otherwise they turn into veritable thickets in no time!). https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/cornus/for-stems
Underplanting of these winter garden “stars” might include cyclamen, hardy ferns (especially those with bronze winter foliage), elephants’ ears (bergenia), hellebores or spring bulbs. Summer ground colour might be achieved with geranium nodosum or a shade tolerant ornamental grass. The effect may not quite replicate a sweeping drift of tall trees underplanted with bright dogwoods, but you will have achieved a similar effect at far less expense and effort.
And I forgot about the reflections of the trees in the lake. If there is no space, budget or maintenance appetite for a nearby water feature, perhaps some lighting might illuminate the beautiful bark on dark evenings- or painting the fence to create more contrast? This would be hard to achieve at scale, but having fun with colour and lighting is one of the benefits of having a smaller garden!
This article demonstrates the increasing popularity of multi-stemmed trees even among garden designers. It isn’t just a practical solution, but an aesthetically pleasing one.
https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/plants/trees-and-shrubs/multi-stem-trees/
More ideas for sunny corners in smaller gardens
If instead you prefer the idea of a productive fruit tree in a sunny corner, why not try an espalier or fan shaped tree? This can be trained flat along a fence or sturdy frame, and the choice might even stretch to a peach or apricot tree if sufficiently sheltered from cold temperatures and winds. Alternatively, cordon fruit trees grow to 6-8 feet and produce fruit along the length of the main trunk, so they do not produce a shady canopy (with lots of fruit out of reach) and can easily be kept manageable. However – the ground under fruit trees should be kept free of weeds and other plants, so that the tree can be fed, mulched and watered to boost yields.
Given a set of wheels to move large containers around, I might be tempted to grow a fruit cordon, fig or citrus tree in one container, and an ornamental tree or shrub for colourful winter bark in another pot. Then have the fruit tree on display during the warmer months, replacing it with the ornamental tree during the cooler season. Both would individually have the best soil and care for their needs – until at some point I would probably have to plant the multi-stemmed one in the ground and find another location for my fruit tree.
And let’s not forget the sheer variety and beauty of Japanese maples (acer palmatum) for their slow growth and ability to change colour throughout the growing season. Even in a small space they can be grown as a major feature, grouped together and combined with a modest water feature and/or pots of seasonal flowering plants. My containerised Japanese acers are displayed with pots of fuchsias for a big boost of late summer and autumn colour- this year I will add small spring bulbs to the fuschia pots, too.
Some of the fancier Japanese acers will go through three different colour changes during spring, summer and autumn. Others- like the snakebark and “orange dream” varieties- might also have bright red, yellow or green winter stems. Japanese acers are well behaved in containers and enjoy a sunny sheltered spot, but they are naturally woodland margin trees, so most prefer some hours of shade - otherwise in hot weather their delicate leaves will scorch and drop off. I usually plant them in an equal mixture of bagged mature plant compost, ericaceous compost and bark chip. Top up with a spring feed and bark chip for a few seasons, then periodically repot or pot on using fresh potting mix. There should be no need to prune a Japanese acer unless a diseased or wayward branch is spoiling the look of it. They appreciate a moist but well drained soil – don’t let them stand in a shallow pot with a lot of water rotting the roots!
So that’s a few more ideas to help lift a corner of a garden plot, where something attractive all year round will earn its keep. With spring and fall just around the corner depending on where in the world you are, now is a great time to research and plan your planting.
Happy gardening!!
Useful Links
Gardening Express has keen prices on a large selection of small fruit trees and Japanese acers:
Ornamental Trees: excellent supplier of multi stemmed trees, with January discount!
https://www.ornamental-trees.co.uk/multi-stem-trees-c225
Crocus – 10% off everything, including three large multi-stem trees ready to plant in Spring
Primrose – 20 different multi-stem trees to really whet your appetite, plus 10% off sitewide:
https://www.primrose.co.uk/search/_/search.multistem/sort.0/
Suttons seeds - a good selection of reliable veg seeds with some attractive discounts:
Amazon – these very durable Elixir seed trays are one of my best buys; they are strong, durable, and they don’t crack or warp. The Elixir brand is also very reliable and economical for other garden essentials too- particularly mycorrhizal fungus, specialised plant feeds and other garden fertilizers.