Best Flowers for January Garden
The Top Best Flowers for January Gardens Some of the best flowers for January gardens are also some of the most fragrant. Although small flowers have to work hard to attract the attention the few insects that are around this time of year! Even in the depths of winter there are always things to be […]
Sheena’s February Plant of the Month: Cornus Mas
Also known as the Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas is a deciduous shrub whose leaves turn a beautiful shade of red/purple in the autumn. It’s primarily grown for its small but very profuse clusters of yellow flowers on bare branches in late winter. It’s not a very large shrub, growing to about 3m, so keep pruning […]
Sheena’s star plant of the month: Fritillaria meleagris
The snakeshead fritillary is an upright, slender, bulbous perennial, probably best seen naturalised in grass. For me, the beauty of this plant is its elegant simplicity and I often use it when creating a wildflower border in gardens. At the beginning of the 20th century, meadows of fritillaries were commonplace around Britain but many of […]
Sheena’s Plant of the Month: Viburnum Tinus
In recent years this moderately vigorous, evergreen shrub has become unfashionable but that’s probably only because it’s such a useful plant. A good choice if you want a loose informal hedge which flowers over a long period of time. The dark, evergreen leaves look attractive all year round, although it is susceptible to the Viburnum […]
Sheena’s Plant of the Month: Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’
This shrub has deep pink flowers which are on show during mild periods throughout the winter. It also has a wonderful fragrance and so is a great shrub to plant close to the house or near garden paths. Bring the garden indoors and add some colour to a dark windowsill. Viburnum x bodnantense, when cut, […]
Sheena’s Plant of the Month: Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
This plant brings such richness to the garden and house at this time of year. Its leaves turn a striking fiery red colour, which echoes the glowing embers and warmth of a hearth. As the weather turns colder, the colours of the leaves warm up a fading garden – it’s an autumnal abundance that’s not […]
Sheena’s Plant of the Month: Schizostylis coccinea – the Kaffir lily
Such an exotic looking plant but very hardy, reliable and so easy to lift and divide, I think every garden should have a clump of Kaffir lilies. They make good cut flowers and the narrow, sword-shaped leaves are attractive all year round, making it ideal for a mixed border. It works well with other late […]
Sheena’s Star Plant of the Month: Dicentra Spectabilis
Dicentra Spectabilis is an ideal plant for a shady border, especially if you like the country cottage look. As well as the pink species there is an attractive white one – great for a woodland look. Its common names are ‘Bleeding Heart’ and ‘Dutchman’s Breeches’, obviously derived from the unusual shape of the flowers. It’s […]
Sheena’s Star Plant for April: Amelanchier lamarckii
A versatile, small-sized tree with a softly arching, sometimes spreading habit, Amelanchier is valued for its subtle blossom in spring, its light dappled shade in summer, and its attractive autumn tints. Leaves emerge bronze, with the flowers, phasing to green in summer. Ideal as a specimen in a small garden, after ten years it will […]
Sheena’s Star Plant of the Month: Clematis Montana grandiflora
Early-flowering clematis will bloom with the first mild spell and give the gloomiest garden a lift and the Clematis Montana grandiflora are great for covering an ugly eyesore quickly – very quickly indeed. They can be a little vigorous but are easily controlled by serious pruning straight after flowering. As with all clematis, they require their […]