Happy Easter. I hope you have a lovely weekend and the weather allows you to enjoy your garden. Although there is lots to do in the garden perhaps we can relax a little and enjoy the beauty of spring. Of course that can always include a trip to Nags Hall to stock up on seasonal plants and enjoy a treat like a delicious meal or coffee and cake.
Although I have been busy planting and watering this morning I thought I would do as I say and stop for a moment to take a look at some of my favourite spring plants. Most will be available at Nags Hall now and those that are not are here as a reminder to buy, plant or sow them later in the year for a fabulous spring next year.
Forget-me-nots
Some of the best-loved spring flowers are old-fashioned and simple. Forget-me-not (myosotis) is a biennial that is sown in July and August to bloom the following spring. You can buy plants in bloom now and they will be pretty for a month, then die. But they may shed seeds and provide lots of seedlings. They always look at their best in an informal, part-wild situation. Some gardeners regard them as ‘weedy’ but I love their charming little blooms.
Bleeding heart
This hardy, herbaceous perennial has been a garden favourite for centuries. Best known as dicentra, it is now called lamprocapnos. The ferny leaves are covered in arching stems of locket-shaped flowers. It prefers a rich soil that is enriched with organic matter and is best in sun or part shade. It struggles on heavy clay and on chalk. I have found the newish ‘Valentine’ in a deeper pink to be a good grower. There is a form with white flowers that is especially beautiful and another with pink flowers and gold leaves – a bit too much for me to stomach but undoubtedly showy!
Clematis montana
This vigorous clematis is often seen smothering sheds and other derelict buildings so you should always make sure you have enough room for it! But when covered in fragrant flowers, completely covering the leaves, it is impossible not to fall in love with it. There are forms with white and with semi-double flowers too – all can be planted now.
Kerria japonica ‘Plena’
When it comes to old-fashioned plants, none can beat this one. The upright, green shoots are covered in pompons of brassy gold in spring. It is often grown against walls and fences but this is not necessary. It can sucker and spread a little so do not plant it where it can be a nuisance. Prune out old shoots after flowering and mulch with compost to promote vigour and blooms. It is happy in sun or part shade.
Epimedium
Epimediums are generally tough and useful plants for shade. The commonest will even survive shade under trees once established. Their common name is barrenwort which is not very nice so many people just call them ‘happy mediums’ which somehow sums up their happy-go-lucky attitude. Their flowers can be white, pink, yellow and other shades and the foliage is attractive all year. Improve the soil with organic matter before planting and then watch them thrive. Find them for sale now and plant in well-drained soil in shade or part shade.
Prunus ‘Kanzan’
The sugary pink flowers of flowering cherry ‘Kanzan’ were a popular choice in the 1970s. Then fashion dictated that we all plant more pastel-coloured cherries. That was a shame and I now rejoice when I see the rich pink flowers covering the branches and lawns – it is always windy when the flowers are open. The new ‘Royal Burgundy’ is actually a form of ‘Kanzan’ with purple leaves and the same gorgeous flowers. Cherries thrive in dry, chalky soils. They have surface roots so should not be planted in paving or in lawns where the roots can be damaged and produce suckers.
Tulips and wallflowers
Tulips and wallflowers are something of a gardening cliche but who cares! The colours of tulips and wallflowers can be harmonious or contrasting and the perfume of wallflowers is entrancing. You need to sow wallflowers in June for good flowers the following spring.
Doronicum
Doronicum is a hardy and tough perennial that is among the first flowers of spring. Most are low-growing and thrive in sun or part shade and all have gorgeous bright yellow daisy flowers. However they are not as beautiful in late summer and they tend to die down early so plant them behind hostas which will cover the scruffy doronicum leaves. Plant in any soil and in sun or part shade.
Trillium
Trilliums, native to North America, are among the most beautiful of all spring flowers. They grow slowly so are always expensive and they are rather demanding. But if you have moist, acid soil and your rhododendrons, camellias and pieris thrive, trilliums are definitely worth a try and their flowers and habit are delightful. They form dense clumps of stems, each with three leaves beneath a flower of three petals. The flowers last well and the weed-suppressing clumps are beautiful all summer. Plant in acid soil, enriched with organic matter in part shade.
Viburnum x burkwoodii
There are lots of shrubs that bloom in spring and many are fragrant. But none are more beautiful, in appearance or scent, than the many forms of Viburnum x burkwoodii. This is ‘Anne Russel’. It is a medium-sized shrub (1.5m) that is partly evergreen and grows well in sun or part shade. The flowers open before or with the leaves and have the most delicious, sweet fragrance. Plant in any soil that is not wet in winter. Can be grown in chalky soils.
Growing Veg Talk: April 24 & 25
On a more practical note, this week is my last talk this spring. The subject is how to grow a wide variety of vegetables in your garden and the dates and times and booking details are here.
The monthly talks will continue all season and the following month is about David Austin Roses.