November plants
Jimi’s autumn borders reveal a love of kooky foliage, with frothy needles, spiny leaves and feathery stems providing structure among the burnished hues of long-flowering perennials
ZANTHOXYLUM LAETUM
This Zanthoxylum was collected in northern Vietnam by Sue and Bleddyn Wynn-Jones of Crûg Farm Plants in Wales. I bought it from them seven years ago and planted it in the valley at Hunting Brook. It has grown into a handsome, medium-sized tree, and forms a light canopy above my Araliaceae collection. It is underplanted with the huge fern Lophosoria quadripinnata. Like many of its kind, it is covered in spines, and the red spines on the leaves add to its vicious appearance. The leaves have an unusual scent when crushed, and the red flowers, beloved by insects, last for months.
Height 4m.
Origin China and northern Vietnam. Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun or dappled shade.
Hardiness RHS H6.
Season of interest Year round.
PINUS MONTEZUMAE ‘SHEFFIELD PARK’
I first saw this pine, with its huge, greyish-green needles, at RHS Garden Wisley and fell in love with it. I knew
I had to grow one myself, no matter what. So the search began and I finally bought one from Lime Cross Nursery who were exhibiting at the Great Dixter Plant Fair. It was propagated by Jonathan Tate, the founder of Lime Cross, from the original mother plant, which was planted in 1910 in Sheffield Park in East Sussex. It is propagated by grafting. I love the way it has been used in the Exotic Garden at Wisley, where it is repeated through the beds, giving the garden a very funky vibe.
Height 12m.
Origin Garden (species Mexico). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H4.
Season of interest Year round.
PSEUDOPANAX CRASSIFOLIUS VAR. TRIFOLIOLATUS
This is another bizarre foliage plant which, when combined with perennials, gives the garden the kind of quirky look I love. It is a member of the Araliaceae family – my go-to plants for creating a light canopy over my borders. This plant is still in its juvenile phase, with its thin, weirdlooking leaves and narrow growth habit. Pseudopanax usually metamorphosises into the adult phase around the age of seven to ten years, when its structure becomes more tree-like. This one has survived -10°C with me. I propagate it by seed or cuttings taken during the summer.
Height 3-5m.
Origin New Zealand.
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H4.
Season of interest Year round.
RESTIO SUBVERTICILLATUS
Restios are borderline hardy at Hunting Brook, but I have tested out many, and this one, along with Cannomois grandis and Restio quadratus, has come through -10°C. This giant, horsetail-like plant performs best with good drainage and in full sun. I have propagated it by seed without the smoke treatment that is usually required to induce germination. It can also be propagated by division at the start of June. I tidy it up in spring by removing any stems that are damaged from the winter weather. The stems look fantastic in flower arrangements. AGM*.
Height 1.5m.
Origin South Africa.
Conditions Well-drained (ideally acidic) soil, but should not dry out in summer; full sun.
Hardiness RHS H4-H5.
Season of interest Year round.
ANISODONTEA ‘EL RAYO’
This is the longest-flowering plant
I grow – it had flowered non-stop for three years (until last winter when it died due to freezing easterly winds). It is covered in pink, mallow-like flowers with a dark purple eye throughout the year. It is best grown in low-nutrient soil, otherwise it grows too fast and the branches become brittle and break. Pruning can take place in April to keep the plant from getting top heavy and blowing over, and the growing points can be pinched back when the plants are young to encourage bushiness. I have propagated it successfully from cuttings taken during the summer.
Height 1m.
Origin South Africa.
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun and sheltered from cold winds. Hardiness RHS H2.
Season of interest Most of the year.
SCHEFFLERA RHODODENDRIFOLIA
This exotic-looking, palmate foliage plant was collected by Sir Peter Hutchinson in 1965. Of the 12 different scheffleras I grow, this is the hardiest. The scheffleras are the last plants to flower in the valley at Hunting Brook, making them a valuable addition to the autumn garden. The flowers are a good supply of late nectar for pollinators, and birds love the winter fruits. The plant produces lots of new growth along the trunk, providing me with plenty of cutting material in summer. I propagate cuttings in pure sand and by spring they have a good root system.
Height 20m.
Origin China, India, Bhutan, Nepal. Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun to dappled shade in a sheltered location. Hardiness RHS H4.
Season of interest Year round.
PLAGIANTHUS REGIUS
This New Zealand native looks similar to a birch tree. In its juvenile phase (which lasted for over six years with me), it has sparse, small leaves, but in its adult phase the leaves become larger and more birch-like. It has a narrow growth habit, airy appearance and light canopy. I would like to see this tree used more in plant design. It flowers in spring with panicles of small, yellow flowers followed by seeds, which can germinate and pop up around the garden. This tree has come through Hunting Brook’s coldest winters for the past ten years. Plagianthus can be propagated easily by seed sown fresh.
Height 4m after five years with me. Origin New Zealand.
Conditions Fertile, moist, free-draining soil; full sun.
Hardiness RHS H4.
Season of interest Year round.
CHRYSANTHEMUM ‘RUBY MOUND’
This old chrysanthemum cultivar was raised by Ruth and Edgar ‘Dick’ Lehman of Minnesota in the 1950s and in my opinion is one of the best of the hardy chrysanthemums. It was recommended to me at the Great Dixter Plant Fair and I always act on tips from good gardeners. Years later it still performs every autumn for me. It has deep-maroon flowers that look good from late September into November and contrast beautifully with other autumn colours. I propagate it by cuttings in early summer or division in spring as it starts into growth. AGM.
Height 50cm.
Origin Garden.
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun. Hardiness RHS H3.
Season of interest September to November.
ASTELIA ‘RED DEVIL’
This astelia is from a selection by Kaikoura Nursery in New Zealand. I use various astelias at Hunting Brook, mostly to provide winter structure for when the perennials have died down. Astelia ‘Red Devil’ is particularly good in repeat plantings in the sand garden, where the sword-like leaves contrast beautifully with the golden, granite sand. The leaves are bronze, reddish and silver in colour, with the red becoming more prominent in the winter when temperatures are lower. I propagate astelias successfully by division in spring, but they can also be propagated by seed sown in spring.
Height 80m.
Origin New Zealand.
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun to partial shade.
Hardiness RHS H3.
Season of interest Year round.