Partial shade perennial flowering wet & pondside garden plants Astilbe

Many of the Astilbes found in the British Isles today are hybrids. That is to say that they are a cross between two or more of the original wild species brought here by plant collectors from across the Far East where they are native.  Astilbe's were first introduced here in the 1800's largely from Japan and Korea where the species were predominantly white. In 1842 the Treaty of  Nanking was signed to bring an end to the first opium war between Britain and the Qing Dynasty, which then opened up China to British plant collectors and travellers and it is then that pink species found there were introduced here. Possibly by Robert Fortune a famous plant hunter who was sent to China around that time by the Royal Horticultural Society. Most notable in the development of the Astilbe cultivars we find in our gardens today however, was probably a German nurseryman called Georg Arends (arendsii cultivars) who began crossing those early species in the 1900's. and is probably responsible for over seventy varieties.  There are today Astilbes from pure white,shades of pink to deep red and mauve.

Perennials, Astilbes do best when planted in humus rich, moist boggy situations. Around ponds are ideal.  They prefer light to partial shade but will tolerate full sun if kept well watered. They are kept at there best by giving them a feed with a compound fertilizer in the spring.  Astilbe's are very low maintenance. There are not any real pest or disease problems affecting Astilbes so if yours are looking a little sad, start with a moisture check, and then giving them a feed should perk them up in most cases. Flowering takes place from late spring through the summer months, the feathery blooms still looking good after they have died and dried.  Old  or unwanted broken stalks can be cut and tidyed in late winter ready for the new spring growth.

Click here to buy Astilbes from Crocus plants

Pictures: top/bottom Narrowboat on The Kennet and Avon Canal, in Hungerford Berkshire. Opened in the 1700's it was used by canal narrow barges as a transport link from Bristol to the Thames in Reading. to find out more visit the Kennet and Avon Canal trusts website: here  Middle pictures: Arendsii Astilbes Site Navigation: click here to go to the start/ homepage or use older/previous or archive to view more posts.

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Hollyhock flowers ( Alcea rosea) full sun cottage garden & herbacous border plants

Hollyhocks are a charming sight growing in front of English country cottage's and make a wonderfully tall colourful addition to any garden, coming in a beautiful array of different colours from pastel pinks to deep purples, reds, white and pale yellow.  Flowering from July through to September they are mostly thought of as a biennial, that is that the plant will flower on it's second year of growth.  What this means in practice is that once your hollyhock has flowered through the summer it will shed a mass of seeds (in Autumn) which if left in situ' or potted up grow on to become small hollyhocks in spring. These new plants, which are very easy to grow,will produce abundant foliage but, somewhat frustratingly will not flower until the following year. However it will be well worth the wait!  The Original plant should have all its old woody flowering stems cut down to the crown of the plant. Generally the original will last several seasons but can sometimes die off completely especially if winters are severe. This is why it is sometimes refered to as a short lived perennial.

History is littered with references to hollyhocks. Pollen from hollyhocks were found in soil samples taken from the Shanidar cave, a Neanderthal (50,000BC) buriel site in Iraqi Kurdistan, although there is some debate as to whether the pollen entered the grave by burrowing rodents or was from flower heads ritually put in by relatives during burial. A native to China, Central and Southwest Asia, the Chinese used hollyhocks in culinary receipes as well as for medicinal purposes. It is thought that the hollyhock may have been introduced to Medieval England as early as 1290 by Eleanor of Castile queen to Edward I. Certainly in Tudor England (1485-1603) the dried roots were used to stave of strokes and miscarriages.

Hollyhocks prefer a good loamy well drained soil. One should endeavour to plant them in a position that gets full sun although light shade will be tolerated.  Despite their obvious height hollyhocks seldom require much staking except in excessive stormy conditions.  They are well adapted to long dry periods but will not tolerate water logging especially over winter. Without doubt the problem that affects hollhocks the most is the dreaded rust. This appears as yellow- orange spots and splodges on the leaves and as the summer progresses will cover the whole plant. Treatment however is relatively straight forward. Since the rust is a fungus spraying a systemic fungicide early in the season as foliage appears should do the trick. Also removing any infected leaves and burning them will help with prevention.

Pictures: Top to bottom beauitful hollyhocks sway in the summer breeze outside a cottage in the village of Tangley (copyright simon tinks davis) All posts are archived below. To go to the homepage click: life between the flowers home your views are welcome please say hello by leaving a message in comments below.

Spring blooming shrubs: Ribes red flowering currant

The Ribes flowering currant (Species Sanguineum) is a popular late spring flowering shrub, which is at its best in April and May here in the UK. The blooms are a prolific and spectacular red when in full flower. It was introduced in England c.1817 as a cultivated garden shrub by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), after 19th century Scottish Botanist David Douglas send seeds back to London from his plant finding expeditions in North America where it is native and grows mostly in the western coastal areas.  By far the most popular here and indeed thought to be the first gardened cultivar grown in Britain is King Edward V11  but there are numerous different varieties.

 Deciduous and fully hardy, Ribes prefers a sunny position in well drained soil. They will grow to approx 4/5 ft tall but I have seen some much higher. Pruning is minimal except for taking out dead wood and poor stems which is best done after flowering. pictures:(copyright simon tinks davis) Top, village of Longstock. Bottom: Ribes flowering currant. All posts are archived below. To go to the homepage click http://www.lifebetweentheflowers.blogspot.com/ Your views are welcome please say hello by leaving your message in comments below

Spring flowering fragrant yellow blooming shrub Hammamelis mollis

Hammamelis mollis is probably one the earliest flowering shrubs that can fill Winter weary eyes with warmth and colour like no other. Especially given that it begins blooming yellow spidery flowers, with a subtle fragrance, as early as chilly Feburary. Small black berries usually appear after flowering followed by greyish green leaves through the summer and falling in Autumn  The shrub belongs to the Hamamelidaceae family of flowering plants, which is made up of almost all shrubs and small trees of approx 90 species native across Southeast Asia, North America and China the latter of which is the origin of Hamamelis mollis hence it's more common name Chinese witch hazel. The origin of the witch hazel name is thought to come from the Old English word 'wice' or 'wyche' meaning pliant. Indeed the stems of witch hazel as well as common European hazel are very bendy and have been used for water divining a somewhat mystical method of finding underground water springs.

Ideally Hammamelis mollis prefers a rich loam on the acidic side (PH 5.5-6.5) but will  tolerate slightly more alkaline conditions. Equally happy in full sun or partial shade this hardy shrub can grow to approx 12ft x 12ft unchecked.  Pruning is minimal as this shrub is a slow grower, just trim to shape as soon as flowering has finished in the spring. Different Coloured Hammamelis varieties are also availiable, xintermedia birgit has lovely red flowers and Hammamelis xintermedia aphrodite is orange. Pictures top: (c) Hurstbourne village church. Bottom: Hammamelis Mollis courtesy Donar Reiskoffer. All posts are archived below. To go to the home page click:http://www.lifebetweentheflowers.blogspot.com/  Your views are welcome please say hello by leaving your message in comments below

Ballerina, pink & white shrub rose for full sun or partial shade

                                                                                                        Hybridized and introduced to Britain in 1937 by Ann & John Bentall, Ballerina (Hybrid Musk parentage unknown) is a prolific flowering shrub rose that will, if regularly dead headed, provide clusters of pink and white flowers throughout the Summer.  Grown more for its blooms, as there is only a slight fragrance, Ballerina has a tight bush like habit that suits either being planted singularly or in a group. They can grow quite tall (4-6ft) if allowed to and it is not unheard of for them to ramble into a nearby tree.  Although best grown in full sun, Ballerina is probably one of the best roses to tolerate partial or dappled shade.  It should be noted however planted in full shade they will become very leggy and flowering will be substantially reduced so is best avoided.

As with all roses planting should be in a humus rich soil. Roses have a PH value of 6.5 so slightly on the acidic side.  I usually feed a handful of rose fertilizer in March and again in June, sprinkling the dressing around the base and forking in lightly.  Ballerina is reasonably resistant to mildrew and rust but although not as badly affected as some roses, Blackspot can be a problem in badly infected areas.  In such cases spraying with a suitable garden fungicide is recommended. Pruning is required only to remove the dead flower clusters and to keep it in general shape.Pictures(copyright simon tinks davis) Top: Summer at The Cricketers Pub Tangley village Middle: Ballerina in first year. Bottom: Ballerina's flower clusters of pink and white. All Posts are archived below.To go to the homepage from site or feed click here: http://www.lifebetweentheflowers.blogspot.com/ Your views are welcome please say hello by leaving a message in comments below

Climbing vine Solanum Crispum Glasnevin, (Chilean Potato tree) ideal for walls, trellis and pergolas

The Solanum Crispum Glasnevin climbing vine is a native of South America and part of the nightshade family of species. Interestingly it is closely related to the potato hence it's more commonly known name The Chilean potato vine or tree. I am not sure exactly who first introduced the plant to Britain but it was probably William Curtis, a well known 18th century English horticulturist who collected plants from all over the world. Certainly it was one of his drawings and sketches he made public in the late 1700's. The plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM)  It is a prolific flowerer with soft purple-blue flowers with a tiny yellow centre and a subtle fragrance.  One can expect this glorious display to continue right through the Summer months from June until September when it produces small green-yellow berries which are poisonous to humans. It thrives best in a sunny position in neutral to alkaline soil and is an ideal climber for a wall, trellis or pergola although one should bear in mind it is very vigorous once established and can reach over five metres.

You will need to provide some support for this vine in the form of horizontal wires or trellis if growing up a wall.   In some areas the plant will remain semi evergreen but is more likely to be deciduous. Pruning should be done in the spring as new growth is about to commence.  Take out all dead growth and cut down roughly a third of older stems to ground level and tie in new growth. You will probably need to trim some growth so the vine lies flatter against your support to stop it lopping as it grows out as much as up. One thing I've personally found is that they do not like to be 'hacked back' to hard at one time especially if this takes place in the Autumn or over the Winter. Buy Solanum Crispum Glasnevin from Crocus plants here                Buy Solanum Laxum Album (white) from Crocus plants here    (pictures copyright simon tinks davis) Top: Thatched cottages in the Hampshire village of Amport.  Middle: Chilean Potato plant in a sunny spot growing up a fence. Bottom: Solanum Crispum Glasnevin's  lovely blue flowers. All posts are archived below, to go to the homepage (from site or feed) click:http://www.lifebetweentheflowers.blogspot.com/

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Wisteria: (history, planting, pruning) Climbing shrub for sunny or partial shaded walls,trellis, and arches

The Wisteria is a popular climber in Britain and can be seen covering many cottage walls and garden trellis in villages all over the country. However this woody vine is not a native of these Isles but of China (wisteria sinensis), Japan (wisteria floribunda) and The United States (wisteria frutescens and others). The English Botanist Thomas Nuttall who lived in America from c. 1800-1840 named the genus Wisteria, of which there are approx ten species, after Dr.Caspar Wistar a prominent American physician and anatomist of the time. The commonest species found in Britain is Wisteria sinensis, brought over from China in 1816. Indeed one of the original imported plants still grows to this day on the wall of what used to be the head brewers cottage at the Fullers beer brewery in Chiswick London and is probably the oldest one in the country.

The Wisteria is a hardy climber and once established very vigorous, so care should be taken when planting one by making sure that you have enough space to accomodate it otherwise heavy pruning will be required, it can easily find its way into gutters and under roof tiles. Don't let that deter you to much however as the spectacle of a Wisteria flowering in May is one to behold. They do best in a position with full sun or partial shade. Plant in Autumn or Spring in soil that is humus rich and well drained. When talking about Wisteria the question I get asked most often is how to prune them for maximum flowers. The flower buds develop at the base of the previous years growth on the spurs jutting outward from the plant, most visible once the leaves have fallen. Any water or side shoots sticking out (long wispy bits) should be trimmed back to three or four buds from the base. I usually do mine over winter but some people prefer to wait till early spring. In the summer after flowering growth will be vigorous so cut off all the long shoots that you don't want to keep to extend the plants height or width otherwise it will become very tangled. Happy wisteria growing! Pictures (copyright simon tinks davis) Top: A lovely day among the cottages of Amport village. Middle: Wisteria sinensis Bottom: Wisteria sinensis Alba (white) All posts are archived below, to go to the homepage click:http://www.lifebetweentheflowers.blogspot.com/ your views are welcome please say hello by leaving you message in comments below