Here comes the summer
Garden centres are throwing open their doors and for frustrated gardeners all those shelves bursting with blooms are a sight for sore eyes ARDEN centres are have been queuing with trolleys, bursting with loading up boots of cars with bags of blooms in compost and trays of planting. anticipation of I visited my local garden centre to summer see what was on offer and what was
For gardeners, doing well. whether it’s your The place was awash with flowers job or your hobby, and colour. Everything you needed it’s been an extraordinary week. for hanging baskets and containers Imagine getting a can of cola was on display – begonias, and shaking it and shaking argyranthemums, fuchsias, it some more. Inside the bedding verbenas and pressure is building up calibrachoas all waiting and you know what is for new homes to going to happen settle into. when you pull that There were simple tab. The froth will terracotta pots explode. planted with instant
For gardeners, the mini gardens – pink pressure has built up geraniums planted through the most with the deliciously glorious spring. We’ve scented Dianthus ‘Pink been stuck at home with Kisses’ and a trailing Blue perhaps solely our own Bacopa to complete the plots to enjoy. picture. So if you’re looking for
And now within the space of a inspiration, there’s plenty to admire. week we are allowed to start to work Here are some plants that stood again (with social distancing), we out for me as good performers for can visit garden centres and the summer. other appropriate The wallflower section suppliers, and all beckoned me over with around us people are its perfume. talking gardening. The queen of
The Chelsea wallflowers is
Flower Show is ‘Bowles’s Mauve,’ an being run virtually, evergreen perennial the BBC has that in milder areas presenters talking seems to have flowers gardens from their all year round. own plots, and we are It does run out of steam enjoying the surge of after a couple of years but it plants that are suddenly is easily propagated from blossoming and available to us. cuttings so you can replace it. A
It appears to be a striking act of variety called ‘Fragrant Sunshine’ normality to be allowed to go and buy caught my eye – lots of bright yellow pots of colour to decorate our homes. flowers and the smell was really
And across the country gardeners gorgeous. This would be ideal along a
GColourful:
Bright idea:
Vibrant: path in a sunny spot.
I also spied Salvia ‘Sensation Blue,’ a compact sage which is packed with blue spires of flowers.
Sages are easy to grow, no-fuss plants with aromatic foliage and are good for beginner gardeners.
They will flower to the end of September, attracting bees and butterflies. They’re drought tolerant once established, so if our run of good weather continues these will do well.
Another good variety was ‘Rose Marvel’ with pretty rose pink flowers which will bloom repeatedly without the need to cut them back. Both these sages are nemerosa types which mean they are hardy in the UK so won’t need lifting.
Geums are cheerful plants that will forgive you if you forget to look after them and will keep delivering flowers all summer long, starting in May and going on through until September.
There are lots of varieties, including the well-known Mrs Bradshaw, which has rich red flowers, and the orange ‘Totally Tangerine.’ Look out for the beautiful cultivar ‘Lady Stratheden’ which has yellow blossoms on top of airy stems – elegant!
Lysimachia ‘Beaujolais’ is a lovely loosestrife with deep purple flowers. Again, these are long blooming plants but what I also love is the crinkly grey-green foliage. This will prefer a moist soil in sun or partial shade and it’s a great one for pollinating insects.
Finally, I loved the dainty creeping phlox called ‘Coral Eye’ with its charming white flowers and its hint of blush and deeper pink eye.
It would make a delightful ground cover for a tricky slope or rocky area.