Gardens It’s time for Agapanthus

One of the most beautiful South African plants we can grow in our gardens is Agapanthus, and May is the best time to plant them. It will happily grow in a large pot or in the ground in a sheltered, sunny corner of the garden. The usual shades are blue but there are also white varieties, which start to appear from late summer on. Agapanthus is not fussy about soil, provided it is well drained and fertile. The root system gets quite large, something you’ll realise this if you ever have to move or dividing a well-established plant. Agapanthus can be grown from seed and, although it usually takes about three years to come into flower, this is an economical way of building up a lot of plants. I grow it near Verbena bonariensis and with dahlias, which help to extend the summer colour well into autumn. If you live in a very cold area, it may be necessary to cover the Agapanthus crown with mulch and also a cloche to protect it from cold and wet. However, in most parts of the country, it grows happily outside all year round.