A purple patch
Alliums are just one Chelsea Show classic that could usher in a colourful new era in your garden at home
THE third week in May is synonymous with the easing of seasons from spring to summer and, for many gardeners, with the Chelsea Flower Show.
Cancelled last year due to the pandemic, this year it’s postponed until autumn. This will radically change so much about the exhibition and experience.
There will possibly be a crispness in the air, lower morning and evening light levels, the surrounding London Plane leaves will be a little tired and the palette of plants available to designers will be distinctly of the late summer and early autumn hues. It will be interesting to see the outcome.
It’s hard to beat our gardens as they are now. It’s a beautiful time of year where spring bubbles over into summer in a joyful blossoming of frothy flowers.
Our native hawthorn is producing ribbons of creamy white flowers across hedgerows, verges are with cow parsley, buttercups and lime green Alexanders, and bluebells form pools of deep blue in the woods.
So let’s take a look at the best colourful plants at this best time of the year for gardeners... plants which would be making an appearance at the Flower Show in a normal year.
Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ is one of the best and most popular ornamental onions, always spotted at Chelsea as it’s a superstar. The deep violet spherical flowerhead is about the size of a large orange and there’s just something very cheerful about how these purple balls seem to be suspended in the air. They’re very easy to grow, just plant them as bulbs in early autumn in most soils so long as the drainage is good. They like full sunshine and should naturalise in the right conditions.
The common thistle...is one of the most nectar-rich plants you can grow.
Aquilegia is a classic cottage garden herbaceous perennial. Also known as granny’s bonnets, the nodding flowers come in many colours but the fashion recently has been for darker varieties such as the purple-black ‘Black Barlow’ or my favourite, ‘William Guinness’ whose dark flowers have a white rim – a bit like a pint of the black stuff! Plant in moist but wellreplete drained soil in full or partial sunshine.
Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’ is a Chelsea classic, a refined version of the wild cow parsley. It has the frothy delicate creamy flowers of the wild flower but this cultivar has lovely contrasting lacy dark purple foliage. It has self-seeded all over my front garden and just adds a softness and lightness of touch to the planting – I love it.
There are always some stunning
bearded irises to drool over, both in the Main Pavilion and the gardens.
Because of our variable weather, nurserymen occasionally have to delve into their bag of horticultural tricks to make sure the blooms emerge bang on time. This can include coaxing a flower to open up via the heat of a hairdryer, or sometimes you will see each flower delicately wrapped in tissue paper until the very last minute!
Bearded iris like a sunny welldrained spot and to be planted shallowly with the upper part of the rhizome sitting on the soil. Rich jewel colours such as the velvety maroon ‘Sultan’s Palace’ and vibrant blue tones of ‘Mer du Sud’ are always winners.
The common thistle or Cirsium is one of the most nectar-rich plants you can grow.
At Chelsea, the Atropurpureum variety is a regular visitor. It will rise elegantly to around 4ft with a dark crimson flower head. In my garden, bees nearly form a queue to get their proboscis into these petals. Grow in moist well-drained soil in full sunshine and cut back flowers when finished to promote further flushes.
And don’t forget about foxgloves, geums and peonies – any of these will bridge the gap as June and the start of summer approaches. Hurray!