Autumn park strolls can still produce exciting ideas
There was plenty of late-season inspiration to be gleaned this week from the planting schemes of the borders in St James’s Park, London.
St James’s, one of eight royal parks in the capital, stretches over 57 acres through central London, bordered by the Mall, with Buckingham Palace at one end, and Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade at the other.
The flowerbeds in front of the palace are always standing to attention with colourful yellow and scarlet bedding but as I wandered around the park I was really struck by the exotic planting that basked in autumn sunshine. On closer inspection, I could see lots of plants we normally classify as houseplants being woven through more familiar tender exotics. There were plenty of flowers too and some brightly coloured foliage plants.
The Swiss cheese plant, Monstera deliciosa, is more usually spotted in the office blocks of the City but here it was taking a summer break.
This ever-popular plant is loved for its large leaves with distinctive holes that give it its common name. These holes or windows – also known as leaf
fenestration – are thought to benefit it in its natural forest habitat as it winds its way up the trees to the light.
By modifying its leaf to be larger but with holes, it is able to cover a greater surface so has more chance of picking up the scattered light available. There is also a theory the leaf gaps allow valuable sunlight to filter down to younger leaves.
Tradescantia is another reliable houseplant with its wonderfully mauve variegated foliage. Here it acts as an interesting ground cover plant.
I also spotted the sage palm, which isn’t really a palm but a ferny looking cycad, adding to the tropical feel. Colocasia, also known as elephant ears, adds to the steamy jungle effect with its striking arrow-shaped leaves. The focal point of the arrangement is the lush and shiny banana plant. This is Ensete ventricosum, the Abyssinian banana plant, which is becoming increasingly common in bedding schemes. It’s best grown in a sheltered spot where the leaves won’t get ripped by wind.
Luxuriant paddle-shaped leaves contrast well with the large star-shaped leaves of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis. More texture and shape is added in with ferocious-looking Pseudopanax ferox, glossy aeoniums and scheffleras with their umbrellashaped leaves.
The picture was completed with rich spots of colour dotted throughout – warm orange zinnias, scarlet dahlias (‘Bishop of Llandaff ’), pink begonias and cherry-red coleus.
The weather will turn and this tender display will be packed up soon to overwinter somewhere but for now it’s an uplifting vision and food for thought for gardeners dreaming of next year’s borders.
It adds to the steamy jungle effect with its arrow-shaped leaves