It’s time to open yourself a currant account
THIS FLOWERING BEAUTY COMES INTO ITS OWN OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
THERE are a few plants to which we have a sentimental attachment. They may have been given to us by friends or family or they may have associations that make them close to our hearts.
One such plant for me is the flowering currant, which will come into its own over the next few weeks as its branches drip with what to me always look like blobs of raspberry jam.
Outside the back door of my childhood home stood a 6ft cube of flowering currant. It didn’t grow like that of its own accord – it was clipped annually by my father with a pair of heavy wooden-handled shears to prevent it from impeding access to our back door.
But even this butchery did not prevent it from flowering and each spring it was smothered with rich pink flowers.
Every bit as evocative for me now is the aroma of the leaves, giving away its relationship to the blackcurrant.
Crush a leaf between your fingers, inhale deeply and you will reel at that fruity aroma, which is almost as good at clearing the tubes as eucalyptus oil.
The commonest varieties of Ribes sanguineum (to give it its proper name) are ‘Pulborough Scarlet’ and ‘King Edward VII.’ Both are a striking shade of rose pink.
Paler is ‘Porky’s Pink’ which does, indeed, have the tone of a fattened pig (but which looks much more delicate), while ‘White Icicle’ and ‘Tydeman’s White’ both fit their descriptions.
If I were you, I’d give a home to any of them as they are such welcome sights in spring.
Their buds begin to burst in February before finally opening in late March and decorating the stems with their dangling flowers.
You don’t need to take my dad’s approach to pruning – just trim off any unwanted stems after flowering and, when the bush is getting on a bit, take out one or two older branches fairly low down, so they can be replaced with youngsters. That way, you will rejuvenate the shrub without it looking too bare.
When it comes to soil and situation, the flowering currant is as accommodating a plant as you could wish for.
Well-drained soil and a reasonable amount of sunshine are its preferences, but it will cope with a fair degree of shade and all kinds of earth.
Nip down to your local nursery or garden centre now and choose one that is just breaking into bloom – that way you can see exactly the colour of the flowers.
But I reckon any one of them will be as welcome and will brighten your spring garden for years to come.