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| With a growing number of gardeners eschewing chemicals in favour of natural alternatives, we can suggest some effective products from our organic gardening selection |
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| Relax and refresh |
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| Good food freshly prepared daily, aromatic coffee, chilled wine and a grassy play area for the children. What more could you need? |
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| As thousands of daffodils herald the spring, stroll or stride around our Walk while the youngsters enjoy the Nature Trail |
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Spikes and spires!
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| Thursday, 17th April 2008 |
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IN THE GARDEN WITH PETA MARSHALL
Last week I talked about cottage gardens, and how the concept of a country garden with a mix of flowers is such an appealing thing: you know, quintessentially English, conjuring images of Miss Marple supping tea with the vicar, with cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off!
Well, one type of plant that fits into a cottage garden better than most others is the ‘spire’ plant. This is the type of plant that throws out long spikes on which are numerous flowers that provide the colour.
The sorts of plant I’m thinking of here are delphiniums, lupins, hollyhocks, and many more. And although they’re all perfect for the cottage garden, they also have a place in modern estate gardens and, in fact, any place that gets sunshine for part of the day and where summer colour is desired.
Now is the time to get hold of these plants from the garden centre and get them planted without delay. Here is my choice of 10 from the many available:
Bear’s breeches: The Acanthus is a handsome, sun-loving border plant with deep green, spiny and pointed leaves. The stiff, distinctive flower spikes can reach 4ft. (120cm), and are mauve and white. These are ‘architectural’ plants, grown for their shape and general impact rather than vivid colouring – but they are no less valuable for that. Look for Acanthus mollis or A. spinosus.
Cimicifuga: The common names of bugbane and snakeroot just do not do this plant justice! This is a tall woodland plant of the buttercup family, with white, plume-like flower spikes in late summer and autumn. It likes partial shade, a moist, well-fed soil, and plenty of room to grow – so the mid-way part of a border might be appropriate. Cimicifuga racemosa has slightly fragrant cream flowers, and C. foetida ‘White Pearl’ has brilliant white spikes – but they are rather more pungent (so the back of the border for this one!).
Delphinium: These are known for their tall spikes of gentian-blue. Most are forms of Delphinium elatum, and there are some wonderful non-blue shades, such as ‘Butterball’ (creamy white) and ‘Cinderella’ (purple blue). There are also up-and-coming red and pink forms – for decades the holy grail of plant breeding was to grow a red delphinium, and a few years ago it was successfully done. However, I have to say that these warmer colours look unnatural in a cottage garden, and I’d much rather stick to one of the shades of blue. The taller delphiniums will need staking.
Foxgloves: These are most useful plants for relatively hostile, shaded conditions. Most know our native foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). It is tall, erect and a rather coarse plant with grey-green leaves and long spikes of rosy-purple or white flowers. There are a number of hybrids with larger flowers, often spotted and of different shades. Although there are some perennial foxgloves, most are biennials (that is, there are sown one year and flower and die the next; but they usually self-seed so that you have others replacing the ones that die).
Foxtail lily: This plant, or Eremurus, is not seen anywhere near enough. Massive spikes rise well above head height, and consisting of countless little starry flowers in white, pink or yellow. Among the forms available look for Eremurus robustus, with peach-coloured spikes of up to 10ft (3m), and E. bungei at only 3ft (1m) high, with yellow flowers. All forms are a little on the tender side, so choose a site that is protected and sunny, and protect the plants in winter by covering them with fleece or straw.
Gladioli: The gladiolus has been made famous in theatrical terms as the flower thrown by Dame Edna Everage during her stage shows. Why the gladiolus? I couldn’t say, but it may come as a surprise to learn that there are around 300 species in the world, and many coming from South Africa. It is the modern hybrids in a wide spectrum of colours that are most widely grown today. This is not a hardy plant, so lifting the bulb-like corms in the autumn, and replanting in the spring, is essential. Varieties with flowers of nearly every colour except true blue are available.
Hollyhock: The familiar hollyhock (forms of Althaea) is a giant of the flower border, with spires of large, funnel-shaped flowers. Nearly all colours except blue are available. It can be grown as a perennial but the fungal rust disease can soon ruin older plants, so it is better to grow hollyhocks as biennials (sowing one year for flowering the next). Althaea rosea is the common hollyhock, with rose-pink flowers, but there are masses of varieties available, many with double and peony-like flowers.
Lupin: There are masses of named lupin varieties, all with colourful spires of striking pea-like flowers. Personally I am just as happy with a mixed strain of Russell hybrids raised from seed – the most economical way of creating a colourful display quickly. Indeed, lupins often need replacing more regularly than you anticipate for they are quite short-lived particularly if the soil is dry. For this reason you should incorporate plenty of organic matter into the soil (which helps water retention) before planting.
Mullein: Verbascum chaixii has grey leaves that are woolly to touch. The flower spike is at its best in June, reaching over 3ft (1m) in height, with yellow flowers. There is also a white form, listed simply as ‘Album’. In recent years lots of breeding has taken place, and there are now varieties such as ‘Helen Johnson’ with brownish flowers and ‘Pink Domino’ with deep rosy pink blooms.
Red hot poker: No matter what size of garden, there are sun-loving kniphofias to suit, with varieties growing up to 6 ½ ft. (2m) in height. At the other end of the scale there are dwarf varieties just 20in. (50cm) tall. One of the tallest is ‘Samuel’s Sensation’, with scarlet red flowers spikes in late summer. ‘Percy’s Pride’ is in the medium range with flowers of sulphur yellow. And ‘Little Maid’ is one of the shortest, with ivory white spires.
I’ve really only skimmed the surface of the potential…there are plenty more spires out there, and it’s fun searching them out. Happy gardening!
This week in your garden
Sow beetroot, leaf beet, broad beans, corn salad, lettuce, leeks, onions, parsley, peas, radishes, salsify, scorzonera, shallots, summer spinach and turnips, in well-prepared soil, enriched with a well-balanced fertiliser.
Cover rows of vegetable seed, or any young plants, with horticultural fleece to speed up germination, protect from the worst of the cold, and deter some pests.
Summer fruiting raspberry canes must be fastened securely to wires to prevent wind rock.
Peta Marshall is the plant centre manager at Priory Farm in Nutfield. Website: www.prioryfarm.co.uk
NEXT WEEK: Planting up tubs and containers
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