Perfect garden companions during these strange times...
guidelines. I refer to favourite perennial plants of course. There are strong elements of permanence and reassurance in their presence.
Not that the large, double white blooms of lilac (Syringa vulgaris ‘Madame Lemoine’) need such close contact to appreciate their stunning fragrance, it carries naturally across the lawn. This is an old variety beloved of cottage gardens and it came from an enthusiastic neighbour ages ago.
Once he realised that the suckers emanating from the tall parent plant in his garden were reproducing true to form, he ensured that several other households down the lane received the double white beauty. In this respect his legacy lives on.
Whichever colour of lilac is chosen, there are reds, purples, pinks, lavender, and yellows, be prepared for three metres or so of growth over time.
It can take severe pruning that might delay flowering for a season but rejuvenates the tree. We also have a dwarf Korean lilac (S. velutina) that is a bushy form barely over one metre tall. It has lavenderpink blooms in now that repeat in September. It’s ideal for a smaller garden.
Spiraea ‘Arguta’ is the bridal wreath. It currently has long arching branches covered in clusters of pure white flowers along their length. There is no fragrance to speak of but oh the form. What a statement it is making in the mixed border. Propagation time is in the autumn when hard-wood cuttings from summer growth are planted upright in the garden and left to root. I use the bare twigs to support the flower stems of forced hyacinth bulbs, planted in bowls over winter. And guess what? Given the warmth and watering, buds, shoots, and roots develop on the spiraea supports. An unexpected bonus.
Throughout the garden we have pockets of Rosemary ‘Jessop’s Upright’ and they all came from the original plant which is still growing strongly. It flowers in bursts of blue from May to October and is constantly offering softwood stem cuttings.