Garden

Year-round planting for pollinators

Image: © Annette Meyer, Pixabay

Hello, Plant Lovers! So far, we’ve touched on “Right Plant, Right Place,” and some classic principles of Garden Design. Now here are some plants for busy people, that will grow happily without too much faff. Most can manage in the dry, but stay attractive for humans and pollinators alike. Additionally, most are perennial, which reduces both work for the gardener, and the impact on the environment involved in raising annuals from seed. The palate here is shades of green, silver and purple. Purple flowers attract pollinators, and the soft down on some of the more silvery leaves has evolved as a way to preserve available water. They are all gorgeous, obviously. Bulbs to plant in Autumn and forget about are: Native English Bluebells English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Crocus, and Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) . Your pollinators will thank you for their flowers in Spring. Another bulb to plant in drifts now for a great display next Summer is Allium Spherocephalon – a drought tolerant 60-90 cm drumstick allium, that flowers green to purple, and looks great with grasses.

Stipa Tenissima or “Angel Hair”: a drought tolerant delicate perennial grass for movement and texture year-round in borders.

Verbena Bonariensis: a 1-1.5m airy perennial butterfly magnet with tiny purple flowers. It compliments grasses particularly. Self-seeds.

Salvia Nemorosa ‘Caradonna’. A drought tolerant hardy herbaceous perennial, purple spring – summer flowering bee magnet that can be divided into smaller clumps and shared around the garden for effortless repetition in a few years.

Perovskia atriplicifolia is another 1m silver leaved shrub with pale purple – blue sprays that is gorgeous from May – September.

Hellebores: winter flowering, evergreen perennials that self seed happily when conditions are right. By: Patti Carter. Mum, Dr & RHS student

Share your thoughts @ motherspluckingposies or motherspluckingposies@gmail.com

The National Garden Scheme - Open Gardens

I’m sure that most of you will not recognise the person pictured below. George Plumtre - he is the CEO of the National Garden Scheme - the guy who holds it all together. In mid June George was presented with the RHS Carew Pole Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the world of horticulture. The Carew Pole award ranks in seniority of RHS awards alongside that of the Victoria Medal of Honour (it’s most senior ‘horticulturist’ award) and is named after President Emeritus, Sir Richard Carew Pole, and is presented by Council, from time to time, to those who have made an exceptional contribution to horticulture as non-horticulturists. We are now entering our final month of Open Gardens for the NGS. Pretty close to your area is :-

THE HOSPITAL OF ST CROSS

St Cross Road, Winchester, SO23 9SD Opening: Sunday 11th September 2pm to 5pm. Admission: £4.00 children free. Payment Cash or Card. Refreshments: Light refreshments in the Hundred Mens Hall - https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/ garden/32776/the-hospital-of-st-cross

The Master's Garden is named after the celebrated botanist and horticulturalist Bishop Henry Compton who, as Master of St Cross in the late 17th century, created a garden here. It includes a wide range of plants with flowering interest throughout the year. There are colourful herbaceous borders, old fashioned roses, interesting trees and a large fish pond. The Compton Garden, also named in his memory, was created in 1986 and is planted with the type of rare and unusual plants that he imported from America for his garden at Fulham Palace when he was Bishop of London from 1675-1713.

So… where has the last year gone? !! Now the planning starts for 2023. Thank you for your support in 2022 - just spread the word for 2023.

Pat Beagley (Publicity) National Garden Scheme - Hampshire

George Plumtre - CEO National Garden Scheme