Gardening

Sea Hollies

June into July is the time Eryngiums (Sea Hollies) are coming into bloom but they’ve been looking goodall spring with their dramatic, exotic looking leaves and will continue to inspire into the autumn as architectural seed heads replace the flowers.

The largest specimeninour garden is Eryngium eburneum (the ivory white sea holly), now over 4ft /120cm across and sending up multiple branching stems topped with whitish thimble flowers to aheight of 45ft /120/150cm. We’vefound it to be completely hardy in our free draining soil. It is usually evergreen and holds itsseed heads through the winter.

Eryngium agavifolium has wider, toothedgedleaves and greenish flowers.Looking like adesert agave, it is completely hardy and appreciates adeep, rich but draining soil.

Eryngium zabelii Jewel, an old variety with intensely blue flower stems and flowers –most of the flowercolour comes from the stiff, spikey bracts that surround the flowers. This one is deciduousleaving just brown flower stems behind whenthe leaves die in winter. Like all eryngiums it will survive drought, but this type tends to shed its leaves in extreme conditions. Jewel is about 2ft 6in /75cm tall.

Slightly taller, with equally blue stems and flowers is Eryngium planum. This species is more drought tolerant.

Smaller is Eryngium bourgatii with the whole plantgiving abluish silver effect from the silver lines on the leaves to the silver-blue flowers. Agood choice for the front of the border, rockery or gravel garden.

Low and ground-hugging is Eryngium variifolium with marbled leaves and short spikes of silvery flowers.

Aquick word about Miss Wilmott’s Ghost – E. giganteum. This is biennial so if you lose it after flowering that’s what’s meant to be! It will seed itself although seed can take 2years to germinate. Its name comes from the habit of the eponymous lady to sprinkle alittle of its seed in gardens she visited whenshe felt they needed brightening up!

Janet and IorganisePlant Hunters’Fairs, specialist plant fairs at wonderful locations offering great value daysout.

Cholmondeley Castle,Malpas on Wednesday, July 13: Special reduced entry price of just £4.50 to garden and fair. Entry by advance ticket.

Capesthorne Hall and Garden, Macclesfield on Sunday, August 14: Entry to gardens and fair only £3.50. Pay on the gate.

The Dorothy Clive Garden on Sunday, August 28, and Monday, August 29: Special reducedentry price of just £5 to garden and fair Entry by advance ticket.

For further information go online to: www.planthuntersfairs.co.uk.

Martin Blow