July’s plant of the month: Potted summer bulbs

 
Colourful, impressive, summery bulbs 
Most people are familiar with spring-flowering bulbs but there are also a various range of bulbs sold in pots in the summer months that can bring colour and atmosphere to the patio. We have selected three summer-flowering potted bulbs as the Garden Plant of the Month for July: the Calla, the Lily and the Star of Bethlehem. Varied, colourful and impressive, both on their own and combined together or with other garden plants.
Potted summer bulbs: Calla, Lily and Star of Bethlehem 
Zantedeschia is often known as the Calla or Arum Lily. In the past, we were only really familiar with the flowers of the white Zantedeschia aethiopica – it has large white calyxes and can grow quite big in the garden. There are now more compact varieties, in many different colours from white to orange and dark purple to yellow. The flowers are smaller, the plants also have attractive markings on the leaves in the form of silver spots.
Potted Lilies are all hybrids – many original species originate from Japan, China and Korea. The name LA (Longiflorum x Asiatic hybrids) is an old Latin plant name for the Lily. The plant is characterized by the many buds on the stem and the leaf that extends the full length of the stem. The larger the bulb that is used, the more buds there will be on the stem. The most common potted Lilies have large flowers with a strong scent, and the LA Group usually comes in pastel shades. The range of colours varies from yellow, orange and red through to pink and white. Many bicoloured lilies also have flowers with an extra spot in the Calix.
Ornithogalum, as the Star of Bethlehem is officially known, grows from beautiful leaf rosettes from which a leafless stem emerges with the flower on the end. The name Ornithogalum derives from an old Greek plant name which means ‘bird milk’ (‘ornithos’ = bird, ‘gala’ = milk). There are three most common species. O. Saundersiae has long stems over a metre in length bearing a composite white flower. Every separate flower has an eye-catching black dot at its heart. O. dubium is much shorter, often just 10 to 30 centimetres and is available in orange and yellow. O. thyrsoides has white composite flowers in the shape of plumes.
Caring for Calla, Lily and Star of Bethlehem
The summer-flowering bulbs are very easy to care for, and will give weeks of pleasure.
  • The plants are undemanding and can be placed in both the shade and the sun. The temperature does need to remain above at least 5-8 °C, but that won’t pose a problem in the summer.
  • Make sure that the soil never dries out, so water regularly, particularly when the plants are placed in pots or containers. The bulbs and tubers mean that the plants can survive through a slightly drier period, which is handy when you go on holiday for a week.
  • Give plant food once a fortnight to ensure lavish flowering. Remember, the plants are only for decoration and not for consumption.
Tips for keeping potted summer bulbs
Summer-flowering potted bulb plants can be kept by bringing them indoors after flowering in October or November. That gives them a hibernation period whereby the plant remains dry and the foliage dies back. The bulbs and tubers will then produce plenty of new flowers during the next growing season. You can plant them outside again from April onwards. The plants will then produce the fabulous flowers again in the summer.
More information about potted summer bulbs and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

June garden plant of the month: Rose

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Roses are undoubtedly the Queen of Flowers. With an incredible variety of shapes, colours and scents, garden roses are an essential plant in the garden. Enjoying the setting sun, sultry heat and the fabulous rose display on a lovely summer evening is the ultimate pleasure of roses in the garden! Who wouldn’t want that? The Garden Plant of the Month for June can provide it!

To suit every taste

The range of garden roses is incredibly large and can be different from the roses we know as cut flowers. There are many colours, scents and flower shapes, as well as various styles and growth habits. Bush roses, climbing roses, standard roses, espalier roses and ground-covering roses are common. Every garden rose has its own characteristics and can be used in many places in the garden. In the soil, in containers on the balcony or patio, or against a wall or fence.

Care

A couple of simple tips will keep garden roses healthy and beautiful.

  • It’s important that they are placed in full sun with at least 6 hours of sunlight.
  • Regularly water the plant when it’s been dry for a while outdoors, particularly if it’s just been planted in the soil or in a pot.
  • Give the plants special rose fertiliser in the spring to ensure that they keep flowering profusely for a long time and remain healthy.
  • Garden roses are generally very hardy when they are planted in the soil. In pots it’s best to provide winter protection with jute or bubble wrap.
  • The best period for pruning is the end of February or beginning of March. It can also be done later, and the roses will then bloom later. It’s not a good idea to prune earlier, because young shoots can then be damaged by night frosts and the plant is more prone to fungal infections such as blackspot and mildew.
  • Pruning depends on the type. Bush and standard roses should be cut back to 10 – 15cm above the soil or the trunk. For climbing roses, look particularly at the shape and height that the plant should grow to.
  • Don’t be afraid to prune roses vigorously; the plants will produce new shoots and will then flower profusely in the spring and summer.

Pruning tips

Pruning is very important for roses. It helps them to grow well, produce many flowers and remain young and healthy.

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More information about roses and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk

 

 

May’s Garden Plant of the Month: Woodland Sage

WOODLAND SAGE 

A delight in your garden

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One unusual feature is that Woodland Sage is one of the few garden plants with square stems. Honeybees, butterflies and dragonflies also love the plant because of its high nectar production so it’s safe to say that the Garden Plant of the Month for May is a blessing to your garden!

Woodland Sage is a member of the Salvia plant family that includes over 900 species.  Unlike other varieties, this variant is a feast for the eyes rather than the stomach but is perfect for idyllic garden displays as the purple plumes sway elegantly in the wind.

More information, care tips and images of Woodland Sage can be found at Flowercouncil.co.uk.

April garden plant of the month: Million Bells (Calibrachoa)

For an instant injection of summer

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Ideal for hanging baskets, window boxes and pots, and it also does very well in borders amongst other ground covering plants.  Wherever you place them, their colourful trumpets perform a summer samba that lasts well into the autumn. Continue reading April garden plant of the month: Million Bells (Calibrachoa)

February Plant of the Month: Snowball (Viburnum)

 Even when it’s not snowing, Viburnum brings snowballs to the garden – and if it does freeze, this garden plant stays green and brings an early spring-like invigoration into a garden lover’s garden!

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Snowball is a diverse family of shrubs. There are species that remain green in winter, and semi-evergreen varieties and species that shed all their leaves. As compensation, they do grow sprays of white and pink flowers on the bare branches between November and March. Those flowers have a fabulous fragrance and are very frost-resistant: a spectacular combination.

Generally speaking, the later the shrub blooms, the larger the flowers will become. Snowball also either has a second flowering in the autumn or will produce lovely red, blue or black berries at that time of year. With foliage that also changes colour beautifully in autumn, this garden bloomer has something special to offer in every season.

More information about Snowball and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.

You can find out about all our other plant-related categories on Flowercouncil.co.uk.

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September plant of the month: Heather

Heather heralds the arrival of Autumn

Calluna vulgaris Juliane

Heather: Nectar in the Autumn

In September, the summer flowers in the garden and on our terraces have peaked so now it’s heather’s time in the spotlight. Heather begins to flower in September and is a source of luscious late summer colour, and for this reason, it is Thejoyofplants.co.uk‘s Garden Plant of the Month of September.

Carpet

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) is a European classic and is native to the coastal areas of Western Europe, Great Britain and Ireland, as well as being one of Scotland’s most prolific plants. It grows in beautiful long shoots with shingled leaves and small symmetrical flowers. Its purple and pink flowers have a slightly weathered appearance and that gives both the plants and the countryside a tough and natural look. In the garden, the plants provide a hardy carpet that give a calm and authentic effect whilst in pots, heather becomes a robust eye-catcher.

Nectar

Heather will flower from September to early November. The flowers contain an abundance of nectar which enables the bees to have a quick restock before winter begins, thereby providing us with a plentiful supply of their delicious heather honey.

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Pure Nature

Heather is a perennial plant that can survive 30-40 years in the wild. It is a little higher and less dense than other types of heath and this gives it a strong and natural appearance. In the wild, the purple and pink flowers create beautiful landscapes.  In the garden, heather has the same effect, providing a wonderful contrast to the other green and variegated leaves, with its foliage deepening and intensifying as the year progresses.

Heathers are incredibly versatile and look fantastic in pots and rockeries, as well as providing stunning ground cover alongside flowering perennials and grasses in your flowerbeds.

Care Tips

  • Heather loves the light – The more light it gets, the more beautiful the leaves.
  • It is a natural survivor and can tolerate very little care and poor soil, but it does prefer well-drained, acidic conditions.
  • Heather can be planted at any time of the year, provided the soil is not frozen, and should be pruned every year after flowering.

Interesting Facts

  • The scientific name for heather is “Calluna vulgaris”.  “Calluna” originates from the Greek word “kallune” which means “to clean” or “to brush” as the twigs were historically used to make brooms.

– Heather provides a great flavouring agent for beer, wine and tea – cheers!

– Heather is used in many cosmetics such as shampoos, lotions, bubble baths and perfumes.

– And finally, in the plant world, Heather symbolizes admiration and good luck!