Plant advice articles

What should I do when I get my perennials?

As soon as you get your plants open the box up and remove them from the packing. This stops them from 'sweating'. Depending on what time of year, and the weather conditions, this ...

Autumn Leaves on Peonies

Think of autumn and think of cool, misty mornings and tree leaves turning red. It is sometimes forgotten that the leaves of some perennials also change as they start the journey into winter. Among the most colourful perennials with autumn leaves are peonies.

Echinacea

Put Echinacea (Coneflower) into Google; and the few first pages list the plant's medical properties. But there is more to an Echinacea than a pill or powder.

Echinops

Echinops, or Globe Thistles, are one of those plants that you either know or you don’t. Popular with gardeners who have space and big, deep herbaceous borders, they tend to be ignored by those who have smaller gardens. This is because most Echinops can be big. If this is a problem for you try Echinops ritro ‘Veitch’s Blue’ as it is ideal for smaller gardens.

Epimediums

It’s difficult to say why, but I always feel a touch of joy when I spot an epimedium. These delightful spring flowering plants with delicate flowers and handsome leaves are neither glamorous nor showy.

Do we use pesticides?

The answer is no, there is no need to and this includes neocotinoids.

What do I do if the ground is frozen or too wet to plant?

If the ground is frozen, or very wet, simply put them outside because in the vast majority of cases...

Geraniums

(Hardy Geranium) Indispensable, easy to grow and often long-flowering, what more does any gardener want from a plant? We are, of course, talking about hardy geraniums as opposed to the brightly coloured ones grown for summer colour which are pelargoniums.

Geum

Geums are colourful, cheerful and easy-to-grow. The flowers remind me of the strawberry plant; pretty and simply shaped, some produce dangling cup-shaped bells while others raise their heads revealing perfect rosettes.

Helenium

Heleniums are also known as Sneezeweed, a name that refers to the unfounded ability to cause hay fever. They seem to have been largely unknown as a garden plant before the end of the 19th century, today they are steadfast favourites of the late summer border.