SPRING AWAKENING
Delicate epimediums are a winner when it comes to both flowers and foliage, says Joe Swift
I ’ time in the garden. Days are getting longer, the soil’s warming up and fresh shoots increasingly f ill the dark gaps in the borders. I love the delicate awakening of the epimediums – commonly known as bishop’s hat or, rather less ceremoniously, barrenwort.
Their airy sprays of flowers float brilliantly above their fresh new foliage – so to show them off best, make sure to snip off last year’s dried, shabby leaves. Colours range from whites through yellows to oranges and coral reds. The heart-shaped foliage is a ne long-term asset, too, often tinted in bronzes, coppers and reds, with distinct veining when it emerges, and autumnal displays of dramatic purples and reds that persist well into the winter.
Epimediums tend to be confined to the groundcover section in the garden centre, but they’re more than that: subtle yet versatile plants that look as comfortable in a woodland garden as they do in a shady city courtyard or front garden. I often plant them under shrubs and trees to soften the edges of paths and terraces, and dot them into any paving gaps large enough to take them. Epimedium x warleyense is, perhaps, the showiest. It’s around 50cm high with burntorange owers held high above the ground, and mottled foliage all year round with a good autumn colour. E x perralchicum (left) is a similar size, with bright yellow flowers and coppery new foliage with contrasting bright green veins.
FOR A PURE white flower that looks super-fresh alongside the emerging bronze foliage, go for E x youngianum “Niveum”. I can’t get enough of this one, and have never regretted planting a carpet of them under an existing shrub. E grandi
orum “Lilafee” is lilac purple, while E x rubrum has crimson owers.
When planting, incorporate plenty of organic matter and a little bonemeal, which will keep the soil open and encourage strong root growth. Mulch annually with organic matter such as leaf mould. Leave foliage on through the winter as it looks good and protects the emerging leaves and flowers, but cut back in late winter.
Groundcover plants can be left undisturbed to spread for years, whereas those that form tighter clumps are best divided in the autumn – every three years or so.