GARDENER'S WORD

This year my Hydrangea paniculata White Lady has put on the most amazing display of flowers on its single vigorous stem. There are other stems but they are comparatively weak. I'm thinking of training it into a standard.  Not sure yet. It is growing on a north-facing fence but it still gets morning sunshine (through the  slatted fence ) and afternoon sunlight (over the rooftops).  The soil tends to be damp there, at the bottom of a slight slope, which hydrangeas (hydra = water) like.  Hydrangea paniculata White Lady This year, the flowerheads, eight of them, are about 30cm (12in) in length, easily.  They've been flowering for weeks! I first planted the Hydrangea paniculata 'White Lady' in 2015 , but the refuse collectors kept throwing the dustbin lid on it when it was still quite young and small, and damaging it.  I then protected it from them by placing an obelisk over it temporarily, and the shrub has struggled along, recovering.  It's ge...

The fuchsia, Jack Shahan, is definitely one I will grow again.  The flowers are not massive but mine - I have one planted in each of four hanging baskets - are blooming by the hundreds.  The baskets are dripping with them and even outshine the showy Cecile double-flower trailing fuchsia .  Since taking the below photograph, there are easily twice as many flowers on display right now.  They just keep on coming! Fuchsia 'Jack Shahan' The label says that the fuchsia Jack Shahan needs sun to partial shade.  It has single flowers with a rose corolla and pale rose sepals with green tips. It can be planted in hanging baskets, patio tubs and windows boxes, preferably in dappled shade .  Mine grow on an east-facing wall in partial shade (morning sun, afternoon shade).  Be aware, the flowers should be dead-headed to encourage prolonged blooming.  The flowers attract lots of pollinators, like bees and those delightful garden  good-guys, little ho...

There's no doubt about it, the Southern Belles fuchsia, Cecile, is a show off.  It has big, fat, heavy flowers opening from big, fat buds.  I've planted this fuchsia in four hanging baskets this year and although it's not as floriferous as 'Jack Shahan', which I have also planted (will post about it next), the heavy flowers really stand out.  Fabulous. Fuchsia Southern Belle 'Cecile' The label says that the fuchsia 'Cecile' grows in partial shade, and achieves a trailing length of 30-45cm (12-18in). It provides a delightful succession of charming double flowers throughout summer to autumn.  It is suitable for hanging baskets, patio tubs and window boxes, preferably in dapple shade.  Spray flowers occasionally to raise humidity.   My hanging baskets are on an east facing wall and get morning sun and shade after that.  Fuchsias grow very well in that situation.  Although the flowers of Cecile are double, pollinating insects can easily ac...

One plant that I love to put in hanging baskets is bacopa. It can be quite pricey but it doesn't half work hard for the money.  Gulliver Dynamic White is not the bacopa with tiny flowers, this one has  flowers about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter with deep yellow eyes.  What I like, apart from a bacopa's appearance, is that I don't have to deadhead the flowers, they just wither away when finished. The plants just keep on flowering right through until the frost kills them off. Bacopa -  Gulliver Dynamic White The label says that Gulliver Dynamic White is an excellent trailing plant with strong green foliage, perfect for hanging baskets, window boxes and containers.  It trails to 30cm (1ft), and should be planted 20cm (8in) apart in any well drained soil in full sun or partial shade [mine are in partial shade].  They should be fed weekly when in flower and protected from frost. Bees and other pollinating insects love them, but I am talking about bacopas ...

I've just posted about Polystichum polyblepharum which I bought the other day along with Polystichum setiferum 'Proliferum'.  The latter fern cost twice the price of the other. It is quite beautiful as the fronds are very soft and lacy in appearance. Polystichum setiferum 'Proliferum' The label shows that  Polystichum setiferum 'Proliferum' enjoys partial shade, achieves a height of 70cm (2ft4in) is hardy down to -15, and is evergreen. More than 10,000 varieties of fern are found all over the word. Ferns reproduce by spors. They filter polluted air and produce pure oxygen.  This plant should no be placed in full sun but should receive much light indirectly. Water sufficiently to keep the soil moist. What more could I want.  It will go against the house wall, in a container, facing kind of east, so it will get full morning sun and then shade from noon onwards.  

It's been quite a while since I last posted. I've been keeping up with the garden but the garden room keeps beckoning and I keep getting lazy and sitting in there, reading. Even when it's windy, it can be toasty warm in there if there is some sunshine to warm it up.  While my back was turned, critters have destroyed the hostas —not killed them, but savaged the leaves so badly that I decided just to get rid of the plants entirely.  Tragic really because they were so beautiful when intact, but they have been plagued with vine weevils and snails, and the leaves have ended up shredded or full of holes. In their place, I am growing ferns which seem to escape such devastation. I have a small path in my garden, near the house, and already one side of the path is bordered with ferns . One new fern for my collection (I have about eleven) of ferns is Polystichum polyblepharum.  It's very shiny! It caught my attention straight off at the garden centre. A had to have. Polystic...