summer – We are out in the garden …

Moody Blues

As we move into July many of the hot colours are now emerging and mirror the warmer summer days. However, there are a number of blue flowers out in the garden at the moment that provide a welcome contrast offering a much cooler feel to the planting and make striking companions with many of the strong colours.

Here is my selection for this week’s ‘Six on Saturday’.

One: Triteleia

We also know this as Brodiaea. In many respects it looks a bit like a mini-agapanthus and seems to grow extremely well in the poorer gravelly soil around the patio. Its leaves are a bit limp and untidy at times but the mass of flowers that it produces in late June-early July are a joy. The flowers sit high on thin wiry stems and make excellent cut flowers.

Two: Delphiniums

To be honest we have struggled a bit to get good delphiniums over the years. They are often set back by slug damage in the spring when they emerge from the soil and can often look a bit under-whelming. In addition, we have also found them to be quite short lived perennials that only last a few years in our damp winter soil.

We do continue to persevere because we always admire them when we see wonderful specimens in other peoples gardens. This year we have had success! The slugs seem to have been much less active in the spring due to the hot dry spell and the delphiniums got away without serious damage. Once they are above a certain height they seem to suffer much less.

Three: Clary Sage (Blue Denim)

Clary Sage (Salvia horminum) is a hardy annual that is extremely easy to grow. In my view it does have to be planted out en masse to give an effective show. Each individual plant is rather insignificant but planted together in numbers the bracts will produce an intense blue haze. Here we have planted it with calendula to create what I think is a striking combination.

Once again Clary Sage makes an excellent cut flower.

Four: Eryngium ‘Big Blue’

We have often struggled to grow Eryngium effectively in our garden but I think we seem to have hit the jackpot with this plant of the variety ‘Big Blue’. It has survived the winter and is growing away strongly producing masses of these spikey steel blue flowers. It goes really well with the yellow Sisyrinchium striatum (pale yellow-eyed-grass).

Five: Phlox drummondii

We have only recently started growing this compact annual phlox. It has taken us a couple of years to learn how to grow it well. Once mastered (it seems to like rich, moist soil in plenty of light) it produces masses of these pretty blue blooms all summer. We plant it alongside purple sage, lavender and a blue nicotiana to create a stunning combination.

Six: Catananche caerulea

My final selection for this six is Cupid’s Dart. In addition to having a cute name it is also a highly reliable hardy perennial. At this time of year it produces masses of these blue ‘dandelion’ flowers which float on thin wiry stems above a blue green rosette of leaves. It is particularly effective if you want to create a meadow garden look and I have seen it used beautifully in a natural planting at the entrance of Hidcote gardens.

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to be inspired by what other plant lovers are enjoying this weekend.

Relaxed meadow-style planting

One of the best things to do on a cold, wet December day is to think back to those sunny days in the summer and reflect on what worked well in the garden. Sometimes it is a vista or combination of plants that have matured gracefully and now perform well year after year. At other times it is just a moment when some of the short lived annuals all come together and you stand and look and admire. Within a couple of weeks the garden will have moved on.

In one quadrant of the new flower garden this year we allowed a number of self sown annuals to develop whilst some of the new perennials were being planted and growing on. The annuals included Love-in-the-mist (both the blues of Nigella damascena and the white Nigella hispanica ‘African bride’), Corncockle (Agrostemma githago) and some beautiful mixed colour pink poppies with their thin tissue paper petals (Papaver rhoeas ‘Falling in Love’). This informal combination grew freely amongst the tall biennial Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus ‘Auricular Eyed’).

The effect was charming and created a relaxed ‘meadow-style’ bed. Along with the mass of different colours and the texture of the fresh green foliage the bed also had movement. The different components swayed and reacted to the breeze adding an additional dimension.

All of these annuals cut well and, if appropriately conditioned, allow you to enjoy these flowers for many days in a vase indoors.

P1030177 — *Nigella damascena* (Love-in-the-mist)

The pictures here were all taken in the first week of June. It was a sweet spot when all the flowers were emerging together and in their prime. As well as the overall effect I also like to look at the detail of the individual flowers. The tiny, delicate rows of fine dots in the Corncockle and the blue wash in the centre of the Nigella hispanica are particularly lovely.

P1030194 — *Agrostemma githago* (Corncockle)

At its peak this meadow style planting was certainly a triumph. However, I think it is worth highlighting that it is relatively short lived. This is certainly a downside in a garden where you want to try and create year-round interest. Once they have set seed the show is over and you do need to have something planted that will follow on. If you want a show next year you do of course have to leave the seed heads to mature and set seed. The Nigella seed heads look particularly striking and are well worth leaving to add interest to the late summer border.

P1030175 — *Nigella hispanica* ‘African Bride’

My conclusion therefore is that whilst self sown annuals do indeed provide a spectacular show, in a garden setting you do need to set them amongst other follow-on perennials or small shrubs that can continue the performance into July, August and the autumn.

P1030198 — *Papaver rhoeas* (Falling in Love)

Planning colour combinations for next year – Six on Saturday

It is the time of year when you begin to sit down with the catalogues and start to plan how you want the garden to look next year. Very soon we will be clearing this year’s fading annuals ready for planting out new bulbs and biennials.

It is often difficult to remember what exactly worked and what didn’t and so I have started to look back at the year’s photographs to see what struck me as note worthy at the time.

It is really very satisfying to do this and here are six combinations that seem to have worked particularly well in 2018.

One: Philadelphus and Clematis ‘Niobe’

Taken on 9 June 2018 this picture shows the striking combination of the purple Clematis variety ‘Niobe’ clambering through the fragrant white Philadelphus.

Two: Meadow style

This charming open meadow style planting was at its prime on 2 June 2018. It combines the delicate pink oriental poppies with mixed coloured Valerian (Centranthus), cottage garden blue/purple aquilegia and ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare).

Three: Foxgloves in the rose garden

I would like to think this was planned but the combination of these tall (over 7 feet) Elsey Kelsey foxgloves with the rambling rose ‘Constance Spry’ was striking . The picture was taken on 16 June 2018. Next year’s Elsey Kelsey foxgloves were sown in June and will be ready to plant out in mid-September. I will certainly be placing these charming white and purple foxgloves here again next year.

Four: Nigella, alliums and foxgloves

Again taken in early June this relaxed planting of Nigella damascena, interspersed with Allium cristophii backed by foxgloves worked well. We tend to let the Nigella self seed each year and then thin them out in the spring to create this dramatic effect. It has real movement as the breeze travels through the garden.

Five: Hemerocallis and Clematis ‘H.F. Young’

This butter yellow Hemerocallis is one of our favourites. It is a slightly smaller plant than some of the other Hemerocallis varieties we have. The combination with this almost pure blue Clematis ‘H.F. Young’ works very well at the back of the small garden behind the house.

Six: Pond edge

The final selection here is a picture from the pond edge border. Yet more foxgloves (we like foxgloves!) sit wonderfully well with a large planting of sweet william (Dianthus barbatus), feverfew and the contrasting dark foliage of Persicaria ‘red dragon’. Just visible is the fresh green foliage of the cosmos which grows through to take over as the summer continues. The photograph was taken on 16 June 2018.

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to see what other plant lovers are chatting about.

Morton Hall Gardens in August

It is always nice to discover new gardens especially when they are on your doorstep. Morton Hall Gardens is located near Inkberrow in Worcestershire and opens for charity on only a few days a year. The gardens surround an 18th century manor house that has stunning views across the Vale of Evesham.

Despite the very difficult 2018 summer the gardens were full of colour. We were very impressed with the wide range of late season clematis that were in full flower throughout the garden. Most of the clematis in our garden are now past their best and we will certainly look out for some of the varieties we saw this week to enhance the late summer borders.

There is no doubt that a great deal of thought and attention to detail has gone into all the planting. The colour combinations worked wonderfully well in both the potager with its shades of yellow and red and in the formal borders of pinks, whites, pale blues and lavender. The density of planting was not cluttered and overdone and you could enjoy the individual plants and combinations.

A very impressive garden and well worth a visit if you get the chance. We will certainly go again at a different time of year if we get the chance.

The gardens are next open for charity under the National Garden Scheme (NGS) on 1 September 2018. I am sure that my photographs do not do the garden justice and you might like to visit the very informative website at: http://mortonhallgardens.co.uk

Garden location: B96 6SJ

Six star plants for August

Despite the weeks of dry weather here in the UK Midlands some of the garden plants have still performed wonderfully during August. These late summer flowers are adding a real freshness to the garden which has otherwise looked rather dry and scorched.

Here are my ‘Six on Saturday’ star performers.

One: Agapanthus africanus

These are the large evergreen Agapanthus with strap like leaves. They tend to be more tender than the deciduous types. These plants are growing in large terracotta pots that we take into the greenhouse for protection over the winter months.

Two: Sunflower ‘Vanilla Ice’

This is a medium height sunflower with delicate lemon yellow hand-sized flowers. They do need some support but if you keep dead heading you get a succession of good quality flowers throughout the summer. As you can see they are also enjoyed by the bees.

Three: Physostegia virginiana

This is a perennial that thrives in damp soil and full sun. Part of the cut flower garden is waterlogged for most of the winter and also remains moist through the summer months. The Physostegia (along with the Astilbe) love these conditions.

Four: Cosmos ‘Sensation Mixed’

One of my favourites. It is such a happy looking plant and the large colourful flowers complement the green fluffy foliage wonderfully. Over the years we have learnt not to treat it too kindly. If you plant it in ground that has not been previously cultivated you get masses of green leaves and very few flowers until very late in the year. Not terribly helpful for cutting. Growing in poorer ground with little additional fertiliser gives you many more flowers earlier in the year.

Five: Rudbeckia

It has been difficult to choose just one Rudbeckia. They are so important to the late summer garden yielding masses of bold yellow and rust coloured flowers. This particular variety is an annual Rudbeckia hirta ‘Autumn Forest’.

Six: Acidanthera

Last but certainly not least in this six is the Abyssinian gladiolus, Acidanthera murielae. Unlike many of the garden gladioli it looks delicate and elegant and moves gently in the breeze. It has a wonderful scent and is good for cutting.

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to see what other plant lovers are chatting about.

Zinnia elegans – a hot climate plant from Mexico loving the 2018 UK heatwave

One flowering annual that has thoroughly enjoyed the hot weather this year has been the Zinna. Whereas the Dahlias appear to have been delayed this year the Zinnias have produced tall, strong, clean plants with masses of excellent quality flowers.

Zinnia Lilliput Purple P1010994 — Zinnia elegans ‘Lilliput Purple’

I must admit that in previous years my Zinnas have struggled and if you get a cool period they just seem to sulk. In order to try and improve their chances in the future, even in cooler years, here are a few things to consider.

Grown from seed Zinnia will germinate in 3-5 days at 27-29°C and 5-7 days at 21-24°C.¹
The seedlings should be grown on with night time temperatures of 15-18°C and day time temperatures of 21°C.¹
Zinnas dislike root disturbance so ideally the seeds should be sown in individual modules to reduce disturbance at the planting out stage.
Plant out at a spacing of around 6 inches apart. The denser the spacing the taller the plants.¹
Zinnas are quantitative short day plants (see How plants use day length to decide when to flower (Photoperiodism) ). This means that they flower more rapidly under short days but eventually flower regardless of photoperiod. Long days (greater than 12 hours) produce longer stems but delay flowering. Similarly if you plant a succession of Zinnas after the longest day they will flower on shorter stems.¹
Benzakein⁴ emphasises the importance of pinching out the central flower bud when the plants are 18 inches tall to encourage the development of lower branches on the plant.
Zinnas do seem to be prone to powdery mildew particularly if growing in conditions where hot days are followed by cool damp nights. Over watering can cause similar problems.
If you are growing for cutting, pick the flowers before the pollen matures. If you can see fluffy, mature pollen the chances are the bees have done their job and the flower is now redundant and will wither to allow the seed to develop.
There seems to be a difference in view as to whether Zinnas like ‘flower food’ or not. Beutler² states very clearly that they do not like floral preservative whilst Benzakein⁴ is an advocate of its use with Zinnas.
Zinnas are long lasting in water but will wilt rapidly out of water and it is reported that they do not work well in corsages and buttonholes.²

In reality there is little that many of us can do about the great British weather and in some years different species will grow better than others. Certainly Zinnas like it hot and starting to grow the seeds too early if you don’t have the facilities to keep them warm can reduce your chances of success.

Benary's Giant Wine — Zinna elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Wine’

Keep in mind that Zinnia elegans is a warm-hot climate plant native to Mexico growing in scrub and dry grassland. Not every year will be suitable for them here in the UK but their bright vivid colours in late summer are certainly striking when conditions are right.

Half Hardy Annual

Origin: Mexico

Height: 60-90cm

Flowering period: July to October

Latin name: Zinnia elegans (after botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn (1727-1759)) ¹

Family: Asteraceae (Tribe: Heliantheae – Sunflowers)

Further reading

¹ “Specialty Cut Flowers” by Armitage and Laushman (ISBN: 0-88192-579-9)

² “Garden to Vase” by Linda Beutler (ISBN: 978-0-88192-825-9)

³ “The Cutting Garden” by Sarah Raven (ISBN: 978-0-7112-3465-9)

⁴ “Cut Flower Garden” by Erin Benzakein and Julie Chai (ISBN: 978-1-4521-4576-1)

Six on Saturday – Climbing Roses

A few weeks ago I had pleasure in illustrating a number of the Rambling Roses that were doing particularly well this year. This time it is the turn of the climbing roses.

In general the climbing roses tend to be less vigorous and are usually more likely to be repeat flowering than the ramblers.

Choosing just six has been difficult but here is my selection for this week.

One: Compassion

Two: Constance Spry

P1010640 Constance Spry (C) — Rose’ Constance Spry’ with Foxglose ‘Elsey Kelsey’ in the foreground

Three: Arthur Bell

Four: Madame Alfred Carrière

Five: Sombreuil

Rose 'Sombreuil' growing alongside Rose 'Constance Spry' — Rose ‘Sombreuil’ (foreground) growing alongside Rose ‘Constance Spry’ in the old rose garden

Six: Mermaid

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to see what other plant lovers are chatting about.

Honey Pot Flowers are wedding and celebration florists based in Warwickshire in the United Kingdom specialising in natural, locally grown seasonal flowers. We grow many of our own flowers allowing us to offer something very different and uniquely personal.

Liatris

As we move towards late July we see a whole range of new plants coming to the fore. Many of these have their origin on prairie grasslands. One such plant is Liatris (common names Gay Feather or Blazing Star) which has its origins in the eastern United States of America.

Liatris is a hardy perennial which produces a number of thin, upright spikes of flowers growing out of clumps of narrow, grass-like leaves. Both the purple and white versions are currently looking good in the garden despite the hot dry weather.

White Liatris growing with white Limonium — White Liatris showing the grass like leaves growing with white Limonium in the background

Rather surprisingly perhaps, Liatris is a member of the Asteraceae (the daisy family). The flower spikes open from the top downwards and so if being used for arranging need to be cut early before the top of the flower spike has begun to turn brown. In the garden this is less important and the flowers bring colour to the border for much longer. Liatris provides good, strong vertical interest in both the border and in floral arrangements.

The plants die back completely in the winter and so it is useful to mark their position to avoid disturbing them when preparing the beds for other plants over the winter months. Propagation by division in the spring is very straight forward and you will bulk up your plants very quickly. They seem to thrive best when grown in full sun in moisture retentive soil but even in the parched soil of 2018 they still seem to be surviving pretty well.

Purple Liatris opens initially from the top of the flower

As a cut flower the Liatris has a long vase life if conditioned correctly. Nothing special is required, simply cut in the early morning and condition in cool water with flower food. It is particularly important to remove any leaves blow the water level as these will discolour the water.

Hardy Perennial

Latin name: Liatris spicata

Height: 60cm – 90cm

Family: Asteraceae

Origin: Eastern USA

Flowering period: July to September

Honey Pot Flowers are wedding and celebration florists based in Warwickshire in the United Kingdom specialising in natural, locally grown seasonal flowers. We grow many of our own flowers allowing us to offer something very different and uniquely personal.

Six on Saturday: July Butterflies

There is so much movement in the garden on these very warm sunny days. It is just lovely to see the butterflies flitting from flower to flower and amongst the long grass.

Photographing them is more of a challenge but here are six that I have managed to capture in the last few days.

One: Comma (Polygonia c-album) (Family: Nymphalidae)

This second picture shows the very characteristic white comma on the underside of the wing that gives it is common name.

Comma butterfly on grape vine showing distinctive 'comma' on underwing — Comma butterfly on grape vine showing distinctive ‘comma’ on underwing

Two: Large white (Pieris brassicae) (Family: Pieridae)

Large White butterfly on Verbena bonariensis

Three: Peacock (Inachis io) (Family: Nymphalidae)

Peacock butterfly on Lysimachia Clethroides

Four: Small White (Pieris rapae) (or possibly Wood White) (Family: Pieridae)

This white butterfly is very much smaller than the Large White and seems to rarely land to have its photograph taken. I am not entirely sure which species this is so happy to be corrected.

Small White (or possibly wood white) on buddleja

Five: Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) (Family: Nymphalidae)

Meadow Brown butterfly on Lysimachia clethroides

Six: Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) (Family: Nymphalidae)

Gatekeeper butterfly on Lysimachia Clethroides

In addition there have been others over the last week or so that I have not yet been able to photograph. These include the yellow Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood

The Six on Saturday meme is hosted by The Propagator. Click on the link to see what other plant lovers are chatting about.

The new rose garden begins to flower – very exciting!

When we started this blog last September we described our dreams and plans to create a beautiful new flower garden. Our intention was to move away from a cut garden focused purely on growing cut flowers for sale in regimented straight beds to a more aesthetically pleasing space, still a cutting garden but somewhere that you want to stop, sit and enjoy.

During the winter we spent many hours preparing the ground and setting out the new layout, planting the new formal hedging and building the new rose arches. In March we started to plant out all the new roses we had spent many happy hours choosing from the catalogues.

Despite all the challenges with the weather during the long cold, wet winter and now the heat and drought of mid-summer, the new roses are developing wonderfully. Behind the new short clipped hedge we have planted a selection of pink and white roses ranging from deep dusky pink through mid-pink to pure white. All have been chosen for their scent, repeat flowering and suitability for cutting.

All four varieties have been flowering for some weeks now and with regular dead heading are continuing to repeat flower. The foliage seems to be disease free so far.

Here are the four varieties we have planted in this area:

Rose "Sweet Parfum de Provence" — Rose “Sweet Parfum de Provence”

Rose "Prince Jardinier" — Rose “Prince Jardinier”

Rose "A Whiter Shade of Pale" — Rose “A Whiter Shade of Pale”

Rose "White Perfumella" — Rose “White Perfumella”

We have written previously about our plans for enhancing the garden in the evenings with white blooms that shine out in the dusk and with scent that hangs in the air ( Zaluzianskya – Twilight Scent ). These light coloured blooms have been introduced as part of these plans with the aim of illuminating the walk around the garden at dusk.