Garden News April 11

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GROW YOUR OWN WEDDING FLOWERS

Best varieties and how to time blooms for the big day

STOP THE

FLOP Which plants to support NOW! “Tackle shade under trees with my brilliant pruning trick” says Chris Beardshaw

REVIVE YOUR

GRASSES!

Get division right with our step by step guide

We love

spring!

CREATIVE WAYS to use muscari – indoors and out!

Add a VIBRANT SPLASH of colour with aubrieta

NEW! Discover the latest

talking-point plants!

Plant of the week FACTFILE AUBRIETA Perennial Sun or semi-shade Hardy Well-drained soil Height: up to 15cm (6in) Flowers: March-May

beautiful Aubrieta greets April with shots of brilliant colour

Garden World Images

Bright &

EARLY APRIL BRINGS plenty of golden colours, but chances are that the vivid shot of carmine, mauve or purple that stops you in your tracks is Pam that cheerful perennial Richardson herald of spring, aubrieta.

GARDEN Once seen in every WRITER suburban rockery, this lovely, easy-care plant seems less common these days, but aubrieta is such a good spring plant that it is worth searching out and growing. Native to dry, mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, aubrieta are drought and cold tolerant plants, which makes them perfect for our spring climate.

There are about a dozen species of aubrieta and many hybrids, most of them

“Insect-friendly, easy to grow in Sue Hearnden Alpine and rockery plant expert and owner of Plants for Small Gardens

Create cascades of colour with these varsatile vibrant plants

4 Garden News / April 11 2015

“Aubrieta are good plants for the spring garden because they produce a mass of flowers early in the season. They’re long-lived and very easy to grow, thriving in most garden soils in a sunny position.

They can be grown on the flat in a border, but aubrieta look their best when you plant them where their trailing habit can be appreciated.

They are spectacular trailing from walls and banks or over rocks, and they may also be grown in pots and planters.

The ancestors of today’s aubrieta grow wild in the mountains of South Eastern Europe. Modern

originating from A. deltoidea. While some of the old named varieties ha have disappeared over the years, Shear plants after flowering there are still plenty of to keep them compact aubrieta to choose from, and new introductions ‘Winterberg’.

Winterberg’. Series – such appear regularly.

Aubrieta is named for French as Cascade, Royal or Axcent Often known as rock botanical painter, Claude for example – are available cress, aubrieta make Aubriet – remember the in mixed colours or perfect rockery plants, French cheese brie to get individually. ndividually. thriving in open sunny the spelling right.

Aubrieta ubrieta gracilis has dainty positions and neutral to pink k flowers with limey soils. They can be a tight compact habit. ‘Kitte’ has tucked into crevices in stone larger flowers ers but is similarly neat. walls, but don’t use them in paving Aubrieta is related to mustard, and most where they could be stepped on and crushed. aubrieta have similar, typically small, fourThe plants make mounds of trailing flowers petalled flowers. They can be single, double and foliage that come back every year. or semi-double, in colours from pale to bright Mixed plants, such as ‘Cheeky’, or ‘Royal blue, dark mauve and purple, plus carmine, Mix’, will give a bright display of mixed colours pink, red or white. The blooms are a good on rockeries or in containers. If you want nectar source for early foraging bees. Team aubrietas in single colours, choose individual aubrieta with other rockery plants such as plants. ‘Red Cascade’, ‘Bressingham Pink’ and saxifrages, or golden alyssum for a bright jewel‘Dr Mules’ all have the RHS Award of Garden like effect and maximum appeal to insects.

Merit (AGM), and there are new introductions Aubrieta leaves are small, ranging in to try such as ‘Ida’ or white-flowered colour from green to grey green or variegated.

‘Dr Mules Variegata’ has cream markings, ‘Argenteovariegata’ has blue flowers and silvery foliage; while the blue flowers of ‘Aureovariegata’ are offset by golden yellow leaves.

Aubrieta can be bought as plug plants or established plants, or raised from seed sown now.

Aubrieta to brighten up planting schemes

DID YOU KNOW ?

Su ons Thompson & Morgan

Axcent ‘Deep Purple’ Part of the new Axcent series, these glowing flowers emerge over a mound of green leaves. Height: 15cm (6in).

● Visit the National Collection of aubrieta at the University of Leicester Botanic Garden, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, tel: 0116 271 2933 (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).

Garden World Images

Thompson & Morgan

Try ‘Royal Mixed’ from seed for a blend of vivid colours

‘Red Cascade’ More hot red-pink than true red, this trailing aubrieta provides a hot shot of red-pink. Height: 15cm (6in).

‘Bressingham Pink’ The neat foliage shows off a mass of double flowers and gives a pre y ruffled appearance. Height: 15cm (6in).

Thompson & Morgan

breeding has produced superior plants with a range of flower colours and habits.

One of the best is ‘Ki e’ which has the largest flowers we know, purplish-blue in colour with a neat habit. From the same breeders comes ‘Ki e Rose’ with large pink flowers providing a contrast to the usual mauves and purples.

Other reddish-pink flowered varieties are ‘Bressingham Red’ and ‘Ida’. ‘Dr Mules Variegata’ is another good variety having distinct green and cream leaves with purple flowers.

Aubrieta are generally trouble-free, and the plants are not normally prone to pests and diseases. They thrive happily in most garden soils so feeding isn’t normally required. In fact it’s important not to overfeed aubrieta, because this will encourage lush growth leading to lax, floppy plants.

Sue Hearden

long-lived, and a sunny spot” Large, purplish-blue flowers of ‘Ki e’

Maintenance is easy. Any straggly stems can be cut back after flowering to maintain a neat habit, but on the whole, no pruning is really necessary.

Aubrieta are good additions to an insectfriendly garden. Being a member of the cabbage family aubrieta have very simple flowers which makes them a ractive to bees and bu erflies, providing an important food source early in the year.”

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‘Dr Mules Variegata’ A mass of violet-blue flowers atop unusual green and cream variegation.

Height: 15cm (6in).

Suppliers ● Plants for Small Gardens tel: 01647 252010; www.plantsforsmallgardens.co.uk ● Su ons Seeds tel: 0844 922 0606; www.su ons.co.uk ● Thompson & Morgan tel: 0844 573 1818; www.thompson-morgan.com

April 11 2015 / Garden News 5

eek The big gardening stories thNisEditw or-at-large Edited by IAN HODGSO

Come the hour!

Garden team to race against the clock

V

ISITORS TO THIS month’s Harrogate Flower Show will literally see gardens appear before their eyes. Students from Askham Bryan College are to get their skates on by attempting to build show gardens in just 60 minutes!

Two designs will feature: a traditional cottage garden by Martin Ammann, with picket fencing, stone patio, lawn and colourful spring plantings and a contemporary garden by Lynda Parkinson, which will sport a central fire pit, curved bench and trough planting.

“We want to give visitors the opportunity to take away ideas for refreshing their garden or part of their garden easily and economically,” said show director Nick Smith.

The show also sees celebration of the 70th anniversary of VE day as World War II ended May 8 1945. Exhibits include a victory allotment complete with Anderson shelter, dolly tubs, rabbit run and poultry ark. A hundred nurseries will also theme their exhibits around the ‘This is your hour’ speech

by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. ● Harrogate Spring Flower Show is being held from Thursday April 23 to Sunday April 26. Tel: 01423 546157 or visit www.flowershow.org.uk

40 Garden News / April 11 2015

Designers Lynda Parkinson and Martin Ammann are ready to get set and plant