Garden News April 18

GIANT HOUSEPLANTS Grow fantastic for impact! FR ITILLA R IES!

HUGE April 18, 2015

Beautiful varieties for every garden

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Start summer’s tastiest crop: sweetcorn Sow sweet peas outside Try the latest trend dwarf raspberries Prune spring shrubs

RHUBARB RHUBARB!

Never waste a single stalk with our recipes & harvesting tips

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POTS! The winning formula for your best-ever container displays!

Create a fragrant herb garden to last all year round PLUS CAROL KLEIN "MY PERFECT PARTNERS FOR SUMMER PLANTERS"

Plant of the week FACTFILE FRITILLARIA Bulb Sun, semi-shade or shade Moist, to dry and well drained From 10cm(4in)-1.5m (6ft) Flowers mid spring to mid summer Hardy

Spectacular

fritillaries!

From small and dainty, to tall and stately

FRITILLARIES CAN VARY dramatically in height from the small and dainty Fritillaria pudica at barely 15cm Pam Richardson (6in) tall, to imposing GARDEN F. imperialis that WRITER tower to well over 1m (3ft 4in).

Whatever their height these spring-flowering bulbs are guaranteed to be noticed.

Fritillaries are a large group comprising around 100 species.

While they share certain characteristics such as nodding bell-shaped flowers and typically narrow leaves, each species has distinct differences, with plants ranging from sun-loving alpines to ones that thrive in moist meadows or shady woodland.

Commonly known as crown imperials p a so or MaryÕs a y s tears, a s,

4 Garden News / April 18 2015

F. imperialis are the largest, and arguably the showiest. For showy red flowers choose ÔRubra MaximaÕ, or ÔRubraÕ which is a glowing orange red. ÔMaxima LuteaÕ has enormous golden yellow bells, ÔStriped BeautyÕ is yellow striped with orange.

F. imperialis flower in mid to late spring and are closely associated with Easter. Their common name of MaryÕs tears refers to the flowersÕ teardropshaped nectaries, which are visible when the flowers are upturned.

Much smaller at around 25cm (10in), but just as showy, are the snakeÕs head fritillaries, F. meleagris. Their common name refers to the spectacular chequered markings on each flower. The blooms hang singly, or occasionally in pairs, on slender stems. Unusually for a bulbous plant, these fritillaries prefer to

grow in moist soils or damp grassland.

Other woodland fritillaries such as F. pallidiflora, the Siberian fritillary, and acid-loving, dark-flowered F. camschatcensis also need moist but free-draining soils to replicate their the natural growing conditions. F. pallidiflora pallid blooms later than m most, sending up its pale greeny-yellow flowers in early summer. sum In contrast to the woodland varieties, sun lovers such as F. persica thrive in sites with sharp drainage and maximum sunshine.

Their bell shaped flowers, up to 20 per stem, crowd the upright stems. Blooms can be pale or very

Tufty-topped crown imperial flowers

dark: ÔAdiyamanÕ are deep maroon or plum-purple, almost black, while ÔIvory BellsÕ and ÔIvory QueenÕ are pale, greenish cream.

A rockery or sunny border suits them fine. Rob Potterton grows

Left: Crown imperials, Fritillaria imperialis, are a spring bulb with stature!

“They look wonderful in large drifts” Johnny Walkers Bulb expert and founder of Walkers Bulbs

Six fabulous fritillarias in flower now

Fritillaria acmopetola

F. eduardii

F. aurea ‘Golden Flag’

One of the easiest and most striking fritillaries to grow.

Height: 30cm (12in).

An unusual fritillary without the foxy scent. From Po erton Nursery. Height: 1.5m(5ft).

Yellow chequered flowers on short stems. Needs sharp drainage. Height 10cm(4in).

Garden World Images

Walkers

● Po ertons Nursery tel: 01472 851714; www.po ertons.co.uk

Garden World Images

Suppliers ● Walkers Bulbs tel: 01406 426216; www.bulbs.co.uk

Walkers

Po ertons Nursery

Garden World Images

Walkers

many fritillaries at his medalwinning Lincolnshire nursery. He recommends finding F. persica a warm position that is sheltered from strong winter winds.

F. michailovskyi is another sunloving oving plant with distinctive chocolate and yellow flowers.

It needs sharp drainage and a warm, sheltered site. Grow it in n a pot of gritty compost if you garden on wet, heavy soil.

Once you’ve chosen the right site, most fritillaries won’t need cossetting. However, lily beetle can be a real menace, especially on F. imperialis. The bright red beetles eat holes in the leaves and decimate plants. Look for them hiding among the leaves or on the soil, and dispose of them.

You will have to do this carefully because the beetles drop to the ground if they sense you approaching.

Chequered snake’s head fritillaries will increasase well

Shu erstock

It’s almost impossible to choose a favourite fritillary! I love the daintiness of the snake’s head fritillaries, F. meleagris, and the statuesque nature of F. imperialis.

At the same time F. michailovskyi is also not one to miss.

The easiest fritillaria to grow are F. meleagris because although over-wet conditions will kill most fritillaries, F. meleagris will grow quite well in boggy conditions, and they do equally well in a rockery at the front of a border, or in grass.

Fritillaries look wonderful grown in large drifts and, in the right conditions, F. meleagris is likely to be the most rapid increaser, but others to consider would be F. michailowskyi and, of course, our new one ‘Golden Flag’. They

all do best in light shade.

The large bulbs of F. imperialis must be planted deeply, with at least 10cm (4in) of soil on top of the bulb and these fritillaries must be in well-drained moisture retentive soil.

Many people suggest planting the bulb at an angle to avoid water collecting in the space left by the previous year’s flower stalk in the top of the bulb, but I would suggest it is planted in the wrong place if it is this wet!

Lily beetle can be a major pest, but I have heard of some success with regular sprays (every 7 days) of Provado Ultimate Bug Killer against lily beetle, but this has to be tested further.” ● Walkers Bulbs, Washway House Farm, Washway Road, Holbeach, Spalding PE12 7PP, tel: 01406 426216 or visit www.bulbs.co.uk

F. imperialis ‘Aurora’

F. michaelovskyi

F. persica ‘Adiyaman’

Distinctive red-orange flowers with a topknot of glossy leaves.

Height: 1.5m (5ft).

Perfect for a rockery or in a pot on the patio. Keep on the dry side. Height: 15cm(6in).

Tall spires of exotic dark bells.

Best after a hot summer the previous year. Height: 1m(39in).

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April 18 2015 / Garden News 5

Get the best from your containers now

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IN THE FLOWER GARD

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For some instant spring colour, pansies and polyanthus take some beating at this time of the year. Simply pop a few in between the permanent plants or around the edge of the container where they will soon se le in and carry on flowering for several more weeks.

After a while compost loses its nutrients and weeds and moss can establish on the surface. To freshen up the surface of the pot, scrape off the top couple of inches of compost and replace with some fresh.

This helps to feed the plants and encourages the roots to develop.

Spruce up

patio pots

Now’s the perfect time to do it, says Ian

C

ONTAINERS ARE A great asset to any garden and they allow you to grow a wide range of plants all year round.

They come in all shapes and sizes and are made from a wide range of different materials, such as plastic, wood, metal, stone and concrete.

When you want a splash of colour, containers are ideal for planting spring or summer bedding plants that will provide masses of flowers for many months of the year.

Many perennial plants, plus shrubs and evergreens and fruit

24 Garden News / April 18 2015

bushes, can also be grown in containers and as long as they are well looked after they will thrive for many years.

Growing in containers is so versatile. You can grow plants that would not normally grow in the garden. For example, if your garden soil is very alkaline, you wouldn’t be able to grow rhododendrons as they need acid soil conditions. But, by filling the container with acidic ericaceous compost, you can grow not only rhododendrons, but also lots of different acid-loving plants.

Of course, for plants to grow successfully in pots and containers you need to provide them with water and nutrients through the year. Regular watering to keep the compost moist when the plants are growing, and feeding with liquid or pelleted fertiliser, is essential for healthy growth.

After plants have been growing in pots for a year or two they can start to look tired and will need a little attention to keep them growing and healthy. Now is the perfect time to spruce up your pots ready for the new growing season.

Photos: Neil Hepworth, unless stated

CONTAINER SPECIAL!

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If the sides of pots have got a bit grubby or turned green over winter, you can easily clean them up with a scrubbing brush.

To remove stubborn grime add a li le soap or disinfectant to some warm water and let it soak in for a while before scrubbing.