From warbling with the Rat Pack to seeding beautiful gardens, Sammy Davis Jr brings a touch of star quality to everything he touches.
Actor George Daniel Long from Sydenham, a performer best known for his Bojangles part in the suave trio, has now turned his creative hand to gardening after more than 20 years in showbiz.
The talented horticulturalist, who owns landscape design company Well Grounded Gardens, has kindly agreed to share his enthusiasm and top tips with Vibe in this fabulous new column.
That Old Green Magic
From window boxes to borders, there will be something for all you avid horticulturists.
I qualified in garden design at The English Gardening School, Chelsea and gained my RHS Certificate in Horticulture at Capel Manor College.
Each month I will be here giving you seasonal tips, planting combinations and design ideas, to help give you some inspiration for your garden.
After two decades as a performer, I wanted to do something different while still being creative, so I chose to enter the horticultural world.
I never knew how much there was to learn and every day I’m still learning.
Plants and gardens just fascinate me so I’m here to share my passion and knowledge with Vibe readers.
Hello Autumn
Autumn is almost here and for most people it feels like gardening is over for the year.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
It is one of the most delightful times of year, with dramatic colour changes on their way and a certain freshness in the air.
When choosing plants for your garden, don’t just think about how they look in bloom, think about how they can continue to perform after the flowers are spent.
There are still flowering perennials in bloom this season but Echinacea, Echinops and Eryngium leave beautiful seed heads, these combined with perennial grasses can provide plenty of interest and texture way into the autumn, creating an almost a black and gold effect as the plants start to die off.
Top tips for September
Planting
Start planting the last of your perennials to allow them to settle before winter.
It’s the perfect time to start planting new roses, Rosa ‘New Dawn’ would be a perfect climber to add scent to your garden, and this combined with Clematis ‘Perle D’Azur’ is a classic design combination.
Think about starting to put bulbs in, Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and Tulipa ‘Spring Green’ are two of my personal favourites.
Get those autumn flowering Colchicum in too.
You can still plant many vegetables now including winter lettuce, spring cabbage, onions, radishes (winter varieties), also sow in some green manure to improve your soil nutrients for next year.
Maintenance
Sow, re-turf or repair your lawns.
Clear leaves from the ground to avoid the spread of pests and diseases.
Move any shrubs you need, and start dividing overgrown perennials.
Finally, prune climbing roses when the flowers have finished.
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