‘How did you get to be on television then?’ asked a recent visitor as they gazed at some bindweed flowering in the miscanthus hedge. That’s a very good question. Without going into the subplot of how I have shamelessly waylaid any poor unsuspecting professional (or good garden blogger😉) who happened to be passing, in my quest to pick their brains about how I can improve upon my work, the answer is ‘Thanks to the NGS’. Horticultural journalists like Mandy Bradshaw with a critical eye for plants, design and the niggling details found us in The Yellow Book in 2013 – their flurry of articles sent us on our way.
© Western Daily Press. This was the hedge back in 2013, in July of this year Mandy noted how the rudbeckia is diminishing
Cotswold based, she recently ventured across The Severn Bridge and braved the narrow lanes, this time to visit Jackie Healy at nearby Greenfields. Since we last met Mandy has set up a great website, The Chatty Gardener.
I love this image of Jackie’s nasturtium hedge! © Mandy Bradshaw.
She has kindly posted two pieces, the second ‘Gardens on the edge 2#‘ is about how my grassy garden has developed over the years.
Bindweed drives me bonkers …..
The title made me laugh, perhaps she means ‘of reason’ too?
Barn House Garden 
The NGS has a lot to answer for, they were responsible for us appearing with Carol Klein in her programme “Open Gardens” You and your garden came across very well, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing you and your garden in more detail!
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I remember the programmes well, just think I’ve seen your garden too! It was an excellent series, I wish they’d repeat it. It’s nice to know so many friends watched our bit last week.
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I grow Morning Glory, there is a white one with a faint blue line, so that when someone notices the bindweed waving away in the back of a border, I can say, no I think that is Morning Glory. I have no shame!
I think BW looks lovely flowering along the hedgerows.
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Oh, what a good idea! I do admire the tenacity of BW, especially the hedgerow sort. Some are such strong growers you could use it for bootlaces.
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The NGS saw my garden in a book on design a few years back and asked if I would open it for them in summer. I agreed and although we only charged 50 pence an entry (it’s a relatively small town garden) a substantial amount was raised. It didn’t happen again because the NGS couldn’t persuade others in the street to do the same. There are several very good gardens around but to view would involve entering the houses which understandably no one felt happy about. It’s such a worthwhile charity and one that I try to support on a regular basis.
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What a shame tho’ I can appreciate the difficulty. Lots of good gardens but logistical problems which put people off. I’m lucky Jackie came on board with us, much more fun for us and visitors opening as a group.
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Here in N we call bind week convolvlous – obviously brought in by our beloved british ancestors – grrrrr – we have a lovely blue and pink one also. It is sooooo rampant and imposible to erdicate – definitely a weed here. Maybe if you put growing tips in week killer – Roundup that would kill it. some weedkiller in a stable bottle and let it sup it up!
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I like the sound of sneaky ways of dealing with it. (BTW did the YouTube video play in NZ, Yvonne? The link is https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=TGz3b6OUGX0. Or in previous post.)
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No sign of Bindweed on the fabulous shots of your garden on GW. It all looked wonderful. I am having a particularly bad Bindweed year this year. Perhaps I wasn’ t careful enough early on, but it needs constant vigilance.
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Given where we live it’s not that bad, most came in with imported turf grade topsoil. Oops! Have you tried popping bamboo canes at its loci, then remove the cane and pop the coils in a jar full of Roundup?
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Hi! I’ve just found your blog and garden via Chloris’ Blooming Garden blog – your garden reminds me of the Piet Oudolf planting in Bury Court Barn garden in Hampshire. I love the way the plants spill over the patio flagstones. I was lucky to witness the Which? Gardens trial of Miscanthus at Enfield over a couple of years during my garden design training there – it gave me a whole new love for grasses so it’s lovely to see grasses planted en masse in your garden, very striking. Thanks also for the tip (in GW) about Phalaris – I’ve just bought some from Dixter Nursery and will now restrain it in a pot!
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Welcome, Caro and thank you for the complimentary comparison. The Miscanthus trials must have been a brilliant experience. BTW I grow all sorts of runners like this often in bottomless pots in the ground – good for Pennisetum macrourum too.😉
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PS if you pinch out phalaris flowering spikes it stops it browning out in high summer.
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Great idea!
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Congratulations on the TV spot, and nice article on your gardens, Kate. All looks so beautiful!
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Thank you Lavinia, the publicity is invaluable for luring visitors off the beaten track. Also nice feathers to wear in our caps.
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I loved seeing your garden on GW, although I only caught up with it two days ago. You are a natural in front of the camera! Bindweed is currently running amok here and it doesn’t seem to be climbing much, just lots of long straight ground hugging spurs.
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Pleased you like the slot, the Beeb did a good job on us and the garden. I know what you mean about this year’s BW, bet it’s layering itself. Yikes!
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And a lovely post indeed, Kate. Now, pls. tell me: How do you contain the grasses that want to overwhelm everything else? Or do you only buy the manageable ones?
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There’s no short answer here to this excellent question. Simply put : it depends where in the world (zonewise) you are. The TV slot gave a bit of info for UK growers, otherwise I guess, as an experienced amateur only, this is largely what my little blog is all about. In a nutshell: sterile hydrids can’t seed; imports from different climates might find it much harder; and, root runners can be confined by fair means or foul. In mixed perennials borders spacing/planting companions with a view to how big they can get is crucial.
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Interesting to get that bit of background, Kate – and well done for your starring romle the other week. You both seemed so confident in front of the camera but of course you were in a garden that you loved and have had the experience of talking to huge numbers of visitors over the years. Not too much in the way of plinky plonky music either! It was a pleasure to watch it, which I made a point of doing ‘live’ which I don’t normally ;) We have a little bindweed, but it has never got as far as flowering so I feel it isn’t too well-established – which of course is a Very Good Thing!
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That was meant to say starring ‘role ‘ of course!
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Thanks for watching Cathy, you know how I love talking about grasses! We liked the music too, especially the bit for the bamboos.
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