Kitted out For small gardens

DIG IN PLANTSMAN’S FAVOURITES

Keith Wiley

runs Wildside nursery in Devon wileyatwildside.com

August plants

With summer at its peak, Keith takes pleasure in the colour provided by a longflowering fuchsia and agapanthus and in the chocolate scent of a dark dahlia

WORDS KEITH WILEY PHOTOGRAPHS JASON INGRAM

HIBISCUS SINOSYRIACUS ‘AUTUMN SURPRISE’

The shape and form of umbellifers is generally reminiscent of the cow parsley of UK hedgerows, and using this plant form in our gardens lends our plantings a naturalistic element. This purple-leaved cultivar of the UK’s native wild angelica is less vigorous than its green counterpart and is consequently less vigorous. Both are biennial or short-lived perennials, but will willingly self-seed. The purple form will only throw a percentage of its seedlings as purple, and left unchecked the vast majority will soon be predominantly green, so I remove green seedlings. Maybe I don’t get out as much as I used to, but are there fewer rose of Sharon or tree hollyhock, Hibiscus syriacus, in our front gardens now? I’ve never been a great fan of this plant anyway, despite its obvious floral attractions, primarily I think because of its stiffly, vase-shaped habit that I find hard to incorporate in a naturalistic style. I have no such problems with this much rarer Chinese species that has a more graceful, open habit and, in late summer, fabulously exotic large flowers, reminiscent of those

Height 1.5-2m. Origin Garden (species China). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun to part shade. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 6a-9b. Season of interest Late summer.

ANGELICA SYLVESTRIS ‘PURPUREA’

seen in the Caribbean or Mediterranean.

Height 90cm-1.2m. Origin Garden (species UK native). Conditions Moisture-retentive soil; full sun to part shade. Conditions RHS H5, USDA 4a-9b. Season of interest Summer.

ROSCOEA PURPUREA ‘IMPERIAL RED’

Offering good foliage, this plant also flowers for about six weeks and reaches a height that can suit almost any garden, making it worthy of serious consideration. Most Roscoea purpurea have green foliage and flowers in shades of lilac or purple, but by selective hybridising, we have managed to raise purple-foliaged plants with flowers from white through salmon to almost red. All resemble miniature sweetcorn plants in habit and shape and grow from tuberous roots that don’t show above ground until late May. Good following on from spring-flowering bulbs.

Height 30-40cm. Origin Garden (species Himalayas). Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun to part shade. Hardiness RHS H5, USDA 5a-10b. Season of interest Late summer.