The majesty of a one-day wonder Your houseplants will flourish... if you can follow the inside story
THE BAD NEWS: Each flower on a cistus plant blossoms for only 24 hours THE GOOD NEWS: Hundreds will be produced to give a super summer display
CISTUS Are Doin’ It For Themselves, Cistus Of Mercy and A Tale Of Two Cistus are three pre-prepared headlines that are scrawled on a piece of A4 paper that’s stuck to the inside cover of my tatty old contacts book. I created them about 20 years ago, when I was news editor for the UK’s oldest weekly gardening magazine.
I can’t recall whether any of these punny headlines ever saw the light of the day, or whether they even deserved to, but it’s obvious they all refer to a plant called cistus. If you’re unfamiliar with this group of evergreen shrubs, they are easy to grow and deserve a place in your garden for delivering a remarkable summer display.
Each saucer-shaped, five-petalled flower lasts for just one day but a mature plant is capable of producing hundreds of them during their main flowering period between June and July. Looking like the texture of crepe paper, the blooms come in shades
These easy to grow sun-worshippers put on a remarkable show
of white and pink, with many that are adorned with attractive dark blotches.
Commonly known as rock roses, cistus are native to the Canary Islands, North Africa, Turkey and the Mediterranean region, where they thrive in dry, stony and rocky soils. As you’d imagine from their provenance, these plants are complete sun-worshippers that are tolerant of drought conditions once established.
Long before they were ever admired in this country, two wild species of cistus (Cistus creticus and C. ladanifer) were treasured by people of the Mediterranean basin. Not for their flowers but for an aromatic, sticky, dark brown resin called labdanum, that’s exuded by the stems of these plants on hot, sunny days.
A who’s who of ancient civilisations loved the stuff. The Hebrews burned it as incense in temples, the Minoans put it into fragrances and the Romans added it to an ointment to treat hair loss.
Records show that as far back as 1,500BC, it was used by Egyptians to embalm bodies during the mummification process.
Mention cistus to gardeners of a certain vintage and they are likely to think of C. x argenteus ‘Silver Pink’, a mound-forming variety that produces light pink flowers that fade to almost white at the centre. It’s no surprise, really, as it was the go-to cistus for much of the 20th Century following its launch in 1910 by Hillier Nurseries.
These days there’s a much wider choice available, from straight species to varieties created by breeders, with plants ranging in height from 12in to 6ft. Most are grown for their flowers but several have striking foliage – the leaves of ‘Gold Prize’ are variegated with irregular green and yellow markings. Cistus are perfect for gravel gardens, rock gardens, dry banks and the front of mixed beds and borders. They can withstand breezy weather in hot coastal locations and are frost-hardy in normal winters. Unfortunately, plants are likely to suffer during extreme cold snaps, so give them a sheltered spot in colder parts of the country.
As for maintenance, water newly planted specimens regularly during their first year until roots are established, and pinch back shoots after flowering to encourage bushy growth. Cistus are fairly shortlived shrubs and will do well for eight years or so before they need to be replaced.
HOUSEPLANTS get a lot of attention when we’re cooped up indoors during the colder months, but when summer arrives they tend to be overlooked. Some are resilient enough to cope with a bit of neglect, although they might end up looking a little shabby, while others will deteriorate beyond the point of no return.
In order to ensure all of your interior treasures flourish, make certain they are in a spot that provides the right amount of light and attend to their watering, feeding and general maintenance needs. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be onerous. Ten minutes twice a week should suffice, unless you’ve got an indoor jungle to nurture.
The amount of light houseplants receive will make a big difference to their health, wellbeing and appearance. Most prefer a bright position without direct sunlight. You can achieve this by setting them close to an east or west-facing window, or by placing a few feet back from a south-facing one.
Poor watering is by far the biggest killer of houseplants so be guided by their needs. Those that come from a desert environment, such as cacti and yuccas, won’t be fazed if compost is bone-dry. Leafy plants need watering regularly during the growing season, allowing the compost to almost dry out between applications.
As a general rule, it’s best to give plants a drink first thing in the morning so any water splashed on to leaves or stems has a chance to dry before night. Either apply carefully from above using a watering can with the sprinkler removed or stand the container in a bowl of water and allow it to be taken up from below.
Many houseplants come from tropical parts of the world, where they flourish in humid conditions. An easy way of raising humidity around vulnerable plants is to mist them regularly. Apart from keeping plants in good health, raising humidity keeps sap-sucking red spider mites, which thrive in dry conditions, at bay. Among those that like a spritz are spider plants, parlour palms, umbrella trees and flamingo flowers, above, but take care to avoid spraying flowers as excessive moisture can result in them withering prematurely. Avoid misting cacti, succulents, fiddle-leaf fig and those with fuzzy leaves, like Tolmiea menziesii and African violets.
Houseplants are sold in compost that contains low levels of fertiliser that are used up quickly by plants. The lack of nutrition affects their vigour and ability to produce a succession of flowers.
As a result, weaker and stressedout plants are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Sustain foliage plants by feeding every couple of weeks with a fertiliser that’s high in nitrogen (Baby Bio is ideal), and giving flowering ones high-potash feed, such as Flower Power. I think it’s best to satisfy the appetite of orchids, succulents, palms and citrus plants by using a specialist fertiliser.
Pinch off the blooms of flowering houseplants once they’re past their best and tie in wayward stems of climbers to supports with soft twine. Dust blowing in from outside will land on leaves and block pores, hindering photosynthesis – keep large, shiny leaves clean by wiping with a soft, moist cloth.