New Plant Introduction - Echinacea 'Green Envy'

Echinacea 'Green Envy' has exceptionally long lasting green flowers and will happily bloom from July to October. Although I usually prefer the more elegant long thin reflexed petals of echinaceas like 'pallida', this new plant introduction has stolen my heart.

I am a big fan of green flowers, and this echinacea is a welcome addition to my planting design palette.

The broad-petalled blooms have a suprise in store. Although they open green - they turn magenta from their centres outwards as the flowers age through the season.

Drought tolerant and great for cutting, this plant will reach a height of about 80cm

Worth a place in every garden. You can buy them from:

UK Suppliers:
Cotswold Garden Flowers
Thompson and Morgan

US Suppliers:
White Flower Farm
Springhill Nursery

Snowdrop season - gardens to visit

Snowdrops (Galanthus) are classic winter flowering plants that herald the approach of spring - and at this time of year, they are everywhere...


Why not visit a snowdrop garden near you this season?

Easton Walled Gardens LINCOLNSHIRE Hodsock Priory, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Rode Hall, CHESHIRE Brandy Mount House Gardens, HAMPSHIRE Cambo Estate, SCOTLAND Anglesey Abbey Gardens, CAMBRIDGESHIRE Rodmarton Manor, GLOUCESTERSHIRE Ragley Hall, WARWICKSHIRE Glen Chantry, ESSEX Scotney Castle Garden, KENT Chelsea Physic Garden, LONDON

A colourful garden border need not bust the bank; start from seed

Making a garden can be very expensive. People often embark on a makeover after moving house, when money is tight, or they splurge on landscaping and then realise they don’t have enough left over for plants, but it is surprising how frugal you can be if you plan ahead and are prepared to spend time raising your own plants. The easy answer is to sow a wildflower mix evenly across the entire bed. A more challenging solution, and the one I am going to talk you through here, is to sow a composition that produces flowers in the first year but includes a balance of perennial and annual plants so that your garden will become less labour intensive every year.

For my plot I’m using a 5m by 2.5m patch of ground, with good sun and drainage, but the plan can be adapted easily if you have more space. The plot has a fence at the back of it and forms part of a larger garden, and the plants I have chosen are fairly well behaved. The planting is free-flowering and painterly.

VALUE FOR MONEY

When most people think of growing plants from seed, they think of annuals, but there is a large variety of perennial plants you can use. Perennials represent better value for money because you don’t need to re-sow them every year, and, if grown from seed, are less expensive than if bought as young plants from a garden centre. One of the main structural plants in this scheme is the perennial Achillea millefolium ‘Cassis’. This produces immense flat plates of intense cherry red flowers over a very long period and has a strong winter skeleton. I have repeated the Achillea in clumps throughout the scheme to bring continuity and cohesion to the composition. Repetition is important in any scheme as you will see by my continued use of it here. Echinacea also has wonderful structural forms and produces large seed-heads that will give the border real strength and interest in the winter months.

I have also chosen a couple of climbers to provide height and structure at the back of the border. These are both annuals and ramble up home-made tepees constructed from bamboo or hazel (or other garden prunings). Lathyrus odoratus ‘Wiltshire Ripple’ is a richly scented sweet pea that blooms over the summer months and Nasturtium tropaeolum majus ‘Jewels of Africa’ is a variegated climbing nasturtium with attractive marbled foliage. Although included for its long season of colour, the leaves and flowers of the nasturtium are edible and can be used to add spice to salads.

SHOW-STOPPERS

Atriplex and fennel are favourites among garden designers. Both bulk up early in the year and work as excellent foliage fillers for juvenile plantings. The other plant I have included for its textural qualities, Panicum (switch grass), is slow to bulk up but is worth the wait. Its foliage will balance the brighter flowers in this scheme. For the first year or two, I would recommend sowing extra digitalis in a spare bed, or indoors, so that you can plant them out as bedding among the switch grass seedlings in May.

With the backbone of new planting in place, we can turn our attention to the show-stopping annuals and perennials that will fill out the border. These include the spring-flowering Viola cornuta nigra ‘Bowles Black’ and the long-lasting clouds of Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’. Also fighting for attention are tall velvety sunflowers, the sumptuous skirts of black poppies and colourful wallflowers. Many of the plants, including the long-flowering Verbena bonariensis and my star plant, Verbena hastate, will attract butterflies, which will only add to the display.

GROW YOUR OWN

For the best results, follow this step-by-step, month-by-month guide, and then sit back and enjoy

February/March

Sow in a windowsill Achillea millefolium ‘Cassis’, Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Nora Barlow’, Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’, Malva ‘Zebrina’, Panicum virgatum, Verbena bonariensis and Verbena hastate.

Sow seeds on the surface of lightly firmed, moist seed compost in a propagator.

Cover seed with a light sprinkling of compost or vermiculite and keep the compost surface moist but not waterlogged.

The exceptions are Viola cornuta nigra, which likes dark conditions for germination, so make sure you exclude light, and Erigeron, Dianthus and Papaver orientale, which germinate best if the seed is not covered with soil.

If you do not have a propagator, try sealing your plant pot or tray inside a polythene bag until after germination. I use small heated windowsill propagators that have seven compartments but come in all shapes and sizes.

The best way to check that you have watered your seeds correctly is to place a dry finger on the soil. If soil sticks to your finger, you’ve got it right. If no soil sticks to your finger, you need to add more water.

March

Prepare the soil by weeding thoroughly and digging through some leaf mould or mushroom compost before raking the bed to create a fairly level surface.

With a tool or stick, make a furrow to a depth of about 2cm, then sow your seeds, dropping them in 5-6cm apart.

After sowing, cover your seeds by pulling soil over your furrow. You want your seeds to be 5-6cm deep, so move just enough soil to fill in your trench without creating a mound over the seeds.

Use a watering can or hose with a diffuser attached to water the seeds. Sprinkling the water like a rain prevents it from washing away the soil.

Sow direct into the garden Atriplex hortensis cupreata, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’, Foeniculum vulgare, Helianthus annuus ‘Velvet Queen’, Lathyrus odoratus ‘Wiltshire Ripple’, Tropaeolum majus ‘Jewel of Africa’ and Papaver paeoniflorum.

Late March

Your seedlings should be large enough to handle so transplant them into 7.5cm pots or trays.

Gradually acclimatise your plants to the outdoors for 10-15 days by placing them in a cold frame or using a greenhouse. Once the risk of frost passes, plant them out.

If you don’t have a cold frame, you can make one out of a plastic storage box and a sheet of perspex. Rest the perspex on top of the box at night to keep in the warmth and during the day turn it 45 degrees for circulation.

April

Clean your propagator and then sow foxgloves in it and leave indoors.

The seeds sown straight into the ground outside should have germinated by now, so thin them to their correct spacing.

Erect tepees as climbing supports for the sweet peas and nasturtiums.

May

Plant out Digitalis seedlings into the garden.

The hard work’s over. Enjoy!

Planting Design for a twilight garden

Integrate light blooms in your planting, and see the twilight garden come alive.

It’s frustrating for many of us that we only return from work as the light is fading or almost gone, aware of all the perfect garden moments that have slipped by while we were stuck at the office. However, with a little planning, it is possible to create a garden that is at its peak at dusk – welcoming us in a cloud of fragrance as we open the back door.

White, grey and silver are colours that appear to glow at dusk: an optical effect that results from the ability of these colours to bend invisible ultraviolet and infrared light into the visible spectrum. In giving back more light than they receive, white, grey and silver plants appear to effloresce.

White and pale-coloured plants also tend to be the most fragrant, and it is always worth including a selection of these night-scented treats in your garden. Jasmines such as J. officinale and J. polyanthum are best grown against a house wall where they will benefit from the retained heat of the bricks, oozing a rich heady scent in the evenings. This provision of scent close to the house can be continued throughout the year, perhaps with a winter flowering honeysuckle and pots of lily of the valley, hyacinth and tobacco plants. By integrating fragrant white blooms and silver-leafed aromatics throughout the planting scheme, you can create a scented garden all year round.

The delicate, aromatic foliage of grey and silver-leafed plants such as lavender and artemisia provide the backbone of the planting and can be complimented by more structural forms, perhaps Melianthus major or the biennial sea holly Eryngium maritimum ‘Miss Willmott’s Ghost’. Other silver plants include the non-flowering lamb’s ears Stachys byzantina ‘Silver Carpet’ or the wonderful, silvery Convolvulus cneorum.

Concentrated daubs of white can be used to draw the eye and as a striking focal point. You can achieve this effect by grouping together plants with large, white flowers such as Lavatera trimestris ‘Mont Blanc’ or Hibiscus syriacus ‘Diana’, whose flowers stay open at night.

White flowers with an airy texture work in a different way, creating a misty, romantic feel when dusted by frost and dew. Cleome, Gaura lindheimeri and gypsophila work effectively as a subtle introduction to larger white blooms. The best effect is gained by sparing use of white within a matrix of grey and green foliage. The darker greens, greys and silvers of the foliage form a strong background against which the white can shine, as well as serving to separate the multitude of white shades that appear in nature.

It is worth avoiding plants with white blooms, whose dead petals cling to the plant, such as roses and the white form of lilac. Superior choices include spring-flowering snowdrops, the white flowering bleeding heart Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’ and tulip ‘White Triumphator’. These could be followed in summer with Geranium ‘Kashmir White’, white foxgloves and the fluffy clouds of Crambe maritima, plus the sweet scents of the tobacco plant Nicotiana sylvestris and a mock orange Philadelphus ‘Belle Etoile’. A wilder autumnal aspect could come from the translucent grass-like molinia and the pale spires of Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’, before rambling into the ghostly elegant bramble Rubus thibetanus and a sweetly scented virburnum at the year’s end.

With so many plants to choose from and so few precious daylight hours in the garden, a moonlit garden never seemed more appealing.

Gardening is like matchmaking: some plants just go together

The essential beauty of the snowdrop lies in the linear perfection of the single bell. Classically, they are planted in sweeping drifts beneath deciduous trees, demonstrating the awesome power of repetition. But they can also be used in stunning modern combinations. Of the 500 varieties of snowdrop (yes, really), Galanthus nivalis and Galanthus elwesii are the most common. They'll go with anything. Those with double bells need a bit more thought.

1 With Black Lilyturf: Galanthus gracilis, Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'

This contemporary design classic of pure white flowers emerging from matt black strappy foliage exploits the drama of tonal extremes. The slender, linear thrust of Galanthus gracilis punctuates the black grass and lifts an otherwise dark, flat scheme. You could also use Galanthus ikariae (which is more suitable for drier situations) or my favourite, Galanthus 'S. Arnott', which flowers freely and increases easily. In the autumn, it's worth planting some tulips — I like the maroon Tulipa 'Recreado', which creates a suspended sea of colour against the black, once the snowdrops are over.

2 With red-stemmed dogwood: Galanthus 'Atkinsii' with Arum italicum 'Marmoratum' and Cornus alba 'Sibirica'

A haze of bare red stems draws the eye from a distance, but close up the combination of red Cornus against green foliage can appear brutal. Snowdrops — in this case Galanthus 'Atkinsii' — break up the harsh contrast. Plant a milk-white Narcissus ­ triandrus 'Thalia' — for later.

3 With an architectural grass: Galanthus 'Atkinsii' and Stipa tenuissima

The bright dots of 'Atkinsii' bells appear to hover above Stipa tenuissima, as their stems disappear into the coat of grass. Catching the breeze, the Stipa shifts between an opaque mass and a transparent screen, peppered by the white points of the snowdrops. A smaller variety could get lost, but Galanthus 'Atkinsii' is a relative giant at 20cm tall. Try a burnt-orange foxglove — Digilatis parviflora — for later colour.

How to grow

Snowdrops can take a while to establish as dry bulbs, so are best planted "in the green" (that is just after flowering, while still in full leaf). Persuade a friend to let you divide a clump, or buy them mail-order from a specialist nursery.

Replant at the same depth — up to the white stem — with some sharp sand for drainage.

Suppliers: The Snowdrop Company (01993 842177); Cambo Snowdrops (www.cambosnowdrops.com; 01333 450054); Avon Bulbs (www.avonbulbs.com; 01460 242177).

Spectacular in its transformation, Miscanthus will anchor a scheme throughout the winter with its distinctive skeleton.

Usually found towering at the back of the border, Miscanthus really comes into its own in the autumn, when its feathery silver panicles unwind from its upright foliage. In shades of claret, red, purple and brown, the bold arching flowers fade through pink to silver, becoming fluffy with age. The tight clumps of narrow foliage also change colour in winter, turning orange, copper, rust and cinnamon. Spectacular in its transformation, Miscanthus will anchor a scheme throughout the winter with its distinctive skeleton.

With Dogwood: Miscanthus sinensis ‘Flamingo’ with Cornus florida ‘Rainbow’

Leaning into the russet arms of the cornus, Miscanthus adds a bit of architectural weight to the planting scheme. In late summer, you get wonderful claret-red flowers that look like wet mops (but more elegant). These Miscanthus flowers cascade from the plant, leading the eye to the dogwood below.

As the autumn colours of the dogwood intensify, the flowers of the Miscanthus fade through pink to a silvery white. The winter silhouette of the grass will remain strong throughout the winter, so combine it with spring-flowering bulbs for extended interest. Try Eranthis hyemalis, Narcissus cyclamineus and the dwarf species tulip ‘Fusilier’, all of which can be planted this autumn.

How to grow

Miscanthus grows well in any soil and autumn is one of the best times to plant them. Try to position flowering varieties so they catch the afternoon sun, and leave the flowerheads on throughout the winter so they shimmer in the low light.

Cut down to the base in late January. Miscanthus bulks up steadily, so it will need dividing every five to seven years. Divide in spring, but always take care when handling the foliage, as it is sharp and can cut your hands.

- Suppliers: Miscanthus is available nationwide in garden centres or by mail order from www.knollgardens.co.uk or www.hardybamboo.com.