Tag: garden plant of the month
June garden plant of the month: Climbing Fruit
Continue reading June garden plant of the month: Climbing Fruit
April’s garden plant of the month: Petunia
March garden plant of the month: Ivy
February garden plant of the month: Salix
January Garden Plant of the Month: Camellia
November garden plant of the month: Osmanthus
September’s garden plant of the month: cushion chrysanthemum
Continue reading September’s garden plant of the month: cushion chrysanthemum
October’s garden plant of the month: Leucothoe
The fantastic foliage shrub Leucothoe is a beauty in the garden, on the patio or balcony. Beautifully coloured leaves bring life to the garden – particularly in autumn and winter – and shines both on its own and when combined with plants such as Skimmia, ling heather or checkerberry. The garden plant of the month for October certainly makes an impact with its eye-catching appearance!
Fabulous leaf colouring
Leucothoe is a compact evergreen shrub which makes an impact with the beautiful colour of its leaves. The plant blooms in May with small white flowers, but surprisingly that’s not really its best feature. In early spring the young leaves are fresh green, purple or bright red and as the growing season progresses, they change colour from bronze to dramatic red, allowing them to combine beautifully with other plants in the garden. The range of Leucothoes is wide: there are multicoloured variegated species with decorative foliage, varieties with red leaves and plants with curled-up leaves.
Caring for Leucothoe
Follow a couple of simple tips to keep your Leucothoe healthy and attractive. A position in shade or partial shade is important – this garden plant really isn’t a sun worshipper. The plant requires humus-rich, acidic, damp soil and cannot tolerate drought at all so water the plants regularly and ensure that the soil never dries out. Give extra food in spring so that the plant remains healthy and strong and use special fertiliser for heathers (Ericaceae) to keep the soil sufficiently acidic. A layer of bark around the plant also helps to maintain that acidity and prevents the plant from drying out. Leucothoe is moderately hardy but might need a little protection in the winter, particularly against raw East winds and in periods when both frosting and thawing occurs regularly.
Leucothoe pruning tips
Generally speaking, Leucothoe plants do not grow particularly large – up to a maximum of 1×1 metre – and therefore pruning is only necessary in order to refresh the plant or remove parts that have become unsightly. It’s best to prune after flowering in late spring. Pruning too early in the winter can cause the branches to suffer frost damage.
More information about Leucothoe and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk.
September’s Garden Plant of the Month: Fountain grass
Garden Plant of the Month for September: Fountain grass
Grasses are popular in the garden, particularly fountain grass. With its elongated leaves and flowering plumes, the Garden Plant of the Month for September looks fabulous in the garden or on the balcony. The curving and upward lines of this grass species are attractive to look at in both summer and winter. Fountain grass comes in multiple varieties, with shorter and longer plumes that can look great in your garden.
Attractive dark plumes
Fountain grass (Pennisetum) is a member of the big family of ornamental grasses. Fountain grass is also called foxtail grass. When you see the plant with its attractive dark plumes, you can understand where these names come from. The plant originates from Australia and East Asia. The brownish, cylindrical inflorescences can reach a length of 25 cm and flower from July to September. The plant’s waving plumes are particularly elegant in summer, but they are also decorative in winter when they’re covered in snow. Fountain grass is a pollen-forming grass species with long, elegant, flat leaves from which the plumes emerge. The Latin word Pennisetum is a combination of the words ‘penna’ (= feather) and ‘seta’ (= pig’s hair) and refers to these inflorescences.
Caring for fountain grass
Your fountain grass will remain healthy and attractive by following a couple of simple tips. The plant likes a sunny spot in the garden, but can also do well in partial shade. Make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out, particularly during lengthy periods of drought. However, the plant doesn’t like to have its roots wet all the time either. Although the plant is hardy, it can do with a bit of protection during a hard and extended period of frost. Leave exhausted plumes and leaves on the plant in the autumn and winter to act as protection, and only remove them in early spring (March). New leaves will then form, and plenty of new ‘brushes’ will grow in the summer.
Pruning tip for fountain grass
To ensure an attractive plant again in spring, it’s a good idea to cut the plant back to 20 cm above the ground after the winter at the start of March. It will then have provided its own protection through the winter with leaves and old plumes, and can start growing and freshly blooming again.
More information about fountain grass and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk