March plants
With spring in the air, Jimi chooses a selection of bright bulbs and delicate woodlanders to add colour to borders alongside lush foliage plants
OLEARIA LACUNOSA
This is an underused New Zealand native. I like the quirky, lance-like leaves, which I use repeatedly throughout one of my perennial borders in much the same that way that I would use another New Zealand native Pseudopanax crassifolius. Commonly known as the lancewood tree daisy, Olearia lacunosa is a shrub or small tree that won’t block light from the perennials if it’s pruned to keep its foliage sparse. It is said that its tender but it has survived for me for many years in Hunting Brook. I dream of the day when I can return to New Zealand to see plants such as this growing wild.
Height 1.5-4m.
Origin New Zealand.
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H3, USDA 9a-10b. Season Year round.
NARCISSUS ‘WHITE LADY’
I feel a new obsession starting for the old-fashioned simple narcissi. I love their simplicity and their elegance and how they bring back memories of when I first started gardening with my mum. This narcissus was raised by the Rev G Engleheart [see page 74] as far back as 1898, and was a popular cut flower for many years. For me it is still one of the most beautiful of all narcissi. At Hunting Brook I have woven it through one of my main borders for flowering in March where it pulls the planting design together with its elegant white petals and yellow cup that also has the most delicious scent.
Height 45cm.
Origin Garden (species Europe). Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; open sunny position.
Hardiness RHS H6.
Season Spring.
CROCUS CHRYSANTHUS ‘LADYKILLER’
I am pretty sure that I would have become a full on crocus collector if Hunting Brook’s grey squirrels weren’t always inviting all their friends round to eat the bulbs. There is nothing more beautiful than a sunny spring day when crocus open up to the sunshine. They are the first flowers that give a real blast of colour in the spring here. Crocus ‘Ladykiller’ with its scented purpleviolet flowers edged with white is one of my favourites. I have combined this with Euphorbia seguieriana subsp. niciciana with its glaucous blue leaves.
Height 10cm.
Origin Garden (species Balkans and Turkey).
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H6.
Season February to March.
ILLICIUM SIMONSII
Although this rarely grown Illicium was discovered in Assam by the English plant collector Charles Simons as far back as 1820, it wasn’t introduced into UK cultivation until the 1990s. I grow it on the edge of the woodland valley in dappled shade where it flowers reliably every year and has survived in temperatures down to-10°C. It grows in a columnar shape with scented pale yellow flowers in spring. This is a good choice of evergreen shrub for a small garden and is worth trying to source. Illicium verum seedheads are the source of the spice star anise.
Height 3-4m.
Origin Assam, China.
Conditions Acid soil with good drainage; full sun to dappled shade.
Hardiness RHS H5.
Season Year round for foliage; spring for flowers.
ASTELIA FRAGRANS
I first saw this while walking through forests in New Zealand where it grew on the forest floor and also as epiphytes in the trees. Commonly known as bush lily or bush flax, it is one of the largest astelias, and I consider it the best with its large, strap-like green leaves that often have a reddish midrib. It flowers in April and May with panicles of scented pale greenish-yellow flowers and bright-orange berries in the autumn. I have it repeated throughout the valley to give evergreen repetition along the paths and also for winter structure. Once established, it will grow successfully in dry shade.
Height 1.5-2m.
Origin New Zealand.
Conditions Moist but well-drained soil; sun or part shade.
Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 8b-10a. Season Year round.
CORYDALIS SOLIDA ‘FIRE BIRD’
I have recently started collecting Corydalis and especially Corydalis solida cultivars, which flower around snowdrop time in Hunting Brook. Most of my Corydalis solida collection has come from the wonderful nursery of bulb specialist Janis Ruksans in Latvia. This particular cultivar has bright-red flowers that add a real pop of colour just at a time of year when most flowers are white. If you are growing them with snowdrops, be careful that the snowdrops don’t invade their space. The plant goes dormant in summer and re-emerges in spring.
Height 20cm.
Origin Garden.
Conditions Rich, moisture-retentive soil; sun or part shade.
Hardiness RHS H5.
Season Spring.
Astelia fragrans is one of the largest astelias and I consider it the best with its large, strap-like green leaves that often have a reddish midrib
EPIMEDIUM ‘ROYAL PURPLE’
I remember a few years ago I was looking through a huge list of epimediums for sale and spotted that this one was the most expensive. I bought one thinking there must be a reason why it was so pricey and there is. I was delighted when it grew with its attractive foliage and its beautiful and large cerise pink-coloured flowers that are held above the foliage. This selection is from the Epimedium breeder Koen van Poucke in Belgium. I grow them in rich soil in plenty of light, and propagate them by division at the end of August. AGM*.
Height 45cm.
Origin Garden (species China and east Asia).
Conditions Rich soil that does not dry out; part shade.
Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 5a-9b. Season Spring.
PODOPHYLLUM DIFFORME ‘HUNAN’
I originally purchased this from YuzawaEngei Nursery in Japan, which is a family run, mail-order nursery that has amazing woodland plants. With their dramatic, leaves and shy flowers that usually appear under the leaf, podphyllums are a key plant in my new woodland bed. This one has a toad-like appearance with leaves of black, brown and green markings and maroon flowers. I propagate them by moving mature plants to a different location after which new plants emerge in the original area from root cuttings. They are also easy to propagate from seed.
Height 30cm.
Origin China, Taiwan.
Conditions Good, rich, woodland soil; dappled shade.
Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 6a-8b. Season Spring.
ERYTHRONIUM ‘MINNEHAHA’
Erythronium is one of many different genera that I collect at Hunting Brook. I consider it the most beautiful and elegant of all woodland plants, and this cultivar is especially lovely with its relaxed white petals that dance in the slightest wind. The secret to growing them is lots of leaf mould or garden compost added each year where they are planted. This will keep them in leaf for as long as possible after flowering, which allows the bulb to build up for next year, ensuring lots of new leaves and flowers. I propagate them by division as the leaves turn yellow.
Height 40cm.
Origin Garden (species USA). Conditions Good, rich, woodland soil; dappled shade.
Hardiness RHS H4, USDA 3a-9b. Season March to April.
With their dramatic funky leaves and shy flowers that usually appear under the leaf, podophyllums are a key plant in my new woodland bed