Launched at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May 2002 was a beautiful new form of 'Jacob's Ladder' with dark purple leaves and large single light violet-blue flowers. Polemonium 'Bressingham Purple' is a direct result of Blooms of Bressingham's ongoing new plant marketing and breeding programme at the New Plant Discovery Centre. In 1996 President of Blooms of Bressingham, Adrian Bloom, selected a particularly dark purple-leafed form of polemonium from a batch of hundreds raised at Bressingham. The striking vibrant purple leaf colour of this new plant was further enhanced as the large, light violet-blue flowers opened and the prominent bright yellow anthers further added to its charm.
Polemonium 'Bressingham Purple' forms a mound of burnished, dark-purple, pinnate leaves with contrasting flowers held on erect stems above the foliage, making it a stunning plant in the border or in containers from early to mid-summer. Try it with the popular variegated Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou', also introduced by Blooms of Bressingham.
Also launched At RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May 2002 was Coreopsis rosea 'Sweet Dreams'.This new Coreopsis has large bi-coloured flowers of white, flushed soft pink with dark rapsberry coloured centres held above narrow linear shaped leaves. Discovered in California, USA, Coreopsis rosea 'Sweet Dreams' has been extensively trialled by Blooms of Bressingham New Plant Discovery Centre at Bressingham, Norfolk and in the USA by Blooms of Bressingham North America.
In 1996 at his nursery near Sacramento, California Mark Leanard spotted an unusual flower growing amongst a bed of Coreopsis rosea. The flower was twice the size of other coreopsis with white-tipped petals and a dark raspberry coloured eye. Amazingly, it was just a single stem growing from one plant of an ordinary Coreopsis rosea. Mark managed to take cuttings from this single shoot, stocks were built up and Blooms of Bressingham North America successfully trialled the plant. In England, the New Plant Discovery Centre at Blooms of Bressingham have been trialling Coreopsis rosea 'Sweet Dreams' since 2000 and it has adapted well to UK garden conditions.
Available from Blooms of Bressingham garden centres , or mail order on 0845 6014019 (9.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday) and the website at www.blooms-online.com
The 'Paragon' rhubarb, first raised in Sledsyke Nurseries, Brighouse in 1878, has been missing from our gardens for over 124 years. In February 'Paragon' was safely returned to its heartland and placed in the National Rhubarb Collection held at RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate. It came with other varieties in a collection of 12 varieties. The collection arrived with the help of The Rotary Clubs of Harrogate and Lelystad (Holland), and a major flower exporter, Heemskerk. As the Collection is of scientific importance, each individual root had arrived at Harlow Carr with its identity clearly marked.
The Dutch collection has had to be relocated due to the closure of its current site, and staff at Harlow Carr are overjoyed to receive it. Says Andrew Hart, Curator at Harlow Carr: "This is an important addition to our National Collection and will further help us in the quest to preserve and secure Britain's garden plant heritage for future generations".
The first rhubarbs introduced into Britain from China and Russia were grown as medicinal plants, the roots being used as a purgative. In the Victorian era the leaf stalks began to be used in pies and over 100 new cultivars were raised. The West Riding of Yorkshire became the main growing area, once producing over 5000 tons of rhubarb annually.
The National Collection of Rhubarb has been at Harlow Carr since 1983, and includes approximately 140 varieties. Some of the new arrivals have exotic names such as 'Champagne Rood', 'Holsteiner Bloed1 and 'Frambozenrood'. The best time to view the rhubarb collection is between March and September.
RHS Garden Harlow Carr holds five National Collections (one provisional status) including rhubarb, ferns, heathers and fuchsia. For further information about Harlow Carr, please call 01423 565418.
You only have to look through the vast number of gardening magazines and catalogues to realise how many so-called new plants there are. Most of them are nine day wonders and are not worth growing space, with the exception of Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'.
This was discovered at Walters Gardens in Michigan USA in a tray (flat) of Brunnera macophylla 'Langtrees'. It has large heart-shaped silver leaves marked with fine green veins which remain all the summer, making this a most distinct and dramatic plant In early spring it has the usual bright blue brunnera flowers which compliment the silver foliage.
I have a group in my own garden planted in semi-shade and it has been looking good all summer. I cut the flowering stems off before it has a chance to set seed in case of seedling variation occurring. This is a plant to have and definitely a new plant which will be around for a long time. It is protected so propagating for selling is prohibited.
Ivan Dickins
I am suffering from Old Mother Hubbard syndrome: I have so many young plants that I do not know what to do. Well, one good thing to do would be to cut down on the amount of seed sown, so I decided to declare an embargo. I would take a year's break and not sow any seed (except for my Alpine Garden Society seed allocation and my Hardy Plant Society allocation and...). I came to this momentous decision just before the November NCCPG meeting at Otley. At the back of the room, neatly laid out on the table were some peony seeds from Will McLewin, on offer to anyone who wanted to try them. Now, I really love peonies and there were seeds of some species that I had not tried, so that was the resolution gone for another year.
Peony seed is very satisfying to sow: lovely, big and easy to handle. I usually sow it in 10-12 cm pots in a mix of John Innes and a multipurpose compost. Peony seed usually stays in its pot for some time and I like the stability of JI compost but find that on its own it sometimes sets to a rock-like texture. I cover the seed with their own depth of a flint hen grit (when my chickens can spare it). The pots are stood outside against the house wall, where they are reasonably protected from bad weather. I have tried giving alternate periods in the 'fridge' and airing cupboard but have found that the only thing that you really need with peony seeds is patience. With many species the root emerges after the first winter but it will be a further year before you see any shoots in the pot.
I have had Paeonia ostii flower in four years from Alpine Garden Society seed. This is a lovely tree peony with large single white flowers. Mine look true to name but Will McLewin commented in The New Plantsman, December 2000, that true P. ostii may not be in cultivation in Britain.
P. tenuifolia is an exceptionally lovely flower with very finely divided leaves and beautiful rich red glossy flowers. I raised two plants; one of which has much finer leaves than the other. I am still waiting for a flower on my plant of P. emodi, raised from seed wild collected by Chris Chadwell on his 1996 Himalayan trip. I am particularly keen for this to flower as I have a mature plant of this species that has forty or more beautiful nodding white flowers in May and June, but is not self-fertile so I get no seed on it. When my seed-raised plant flowers, hopefully I will be able to cross pollinate them and start passing some seed round to friends.
Another favourite is the small species P. cambessedesii, which I grew from seed from the Peony Group of The Hardy Plant Society. It has lovely purple-backed, bluey green leaves and rose-pink flowers. There was a good plant of this species in the alpine house at Cambridge Botanic Garden. I have planted mine in a sunny raised bed but Margery Fish reported that it does better in shade, so I may need to move it.
P. mlokosewitschii, called Molly the Witch or Mousey Whiskers by those like myself, not endowed with a flexible tongue, is loved for its delicate lemon-yellow flowers, though often damned for being fleeting in flower. I think that it is worth growing anyway; it has lovely seed pods and good autumn leaf colour as added value.
I am still waiting for flowers on a number of tree peonies; suffruticosa hybrids, P. lutea and its forms and hybrids. Whilst the first flowerings will be exciting, I get much pleasure from the foliage in the meantime. So, to anyone else who was unable to resist that seed in November, be patient, it will be worth it.
Gail Harland
Growing up in a small town in New Zealand didn't spare me from the municipal plantings of Salvia splendens. Row upon row of neat stiff red plants lined the footpath leading to the local swimming baths, where we used to spend every waking moment in the long school holidays. How many of us can claim similar introductions to the world of Salvia?. When my interest in gardening took hold, it was my pesky childhood memory that kept me away from the genus for quite some time assuming quite wrongly that Salvia splendens was typical.
John Sutton, National Collection holder, meets this prejudice regularly, and by all accounts enjoys the dismantling. He did just that for us, at a talk in October about the genus and his collection. John Sutton's horticultural career took him to Pershore College where he was a lecturer. Eight years ago he took up horticultural writing and is the author of two books on Salvias, the most recent being A Gardener's Guide to Growing Salvias published by David & Charles.
The Salvia genus is vast, holding an estimate of over 1,000 species, although those currently cultivated number some 200 (See The Plantfinder). The genus is within the Lamiaceae family, which includes dead nettle, bugle, ground ivy, catmint, bergamot and rosemary.
John's experience and excellent slides led quickly into a discussion of which species and cultivars to grow. He began with those considered to be tender. Tenderness, comes in for considerable debate, and many members claimed successful over-wintering outdoors in Suffolk.
This species was one that John considers among the best John felt it should over- winter outside in Suffolk, but suggested it might need some moisture to support its growth, which can be l-2.5m. Bright deep blue flowers appear from July until they are cut down by the frost. The cultivar 'Blue Enigma' has been recognised by the RHS with an AGM. Propagate by division in the spring.
Originating in Mexico, this species can be found flowering in the Mediterranean during winter. Its late-flowering characteristic is common to many salvias. To see it flower here, a pot and a conservatory are vital, but otherwise its soil requirements are easy to provide. The distinctive aroma in its leaves is from an oil which in the wild discourages grazing animals and sap-sucking insects.
For best results this should be propagated in mid- to late April by cutting the tubers with old and new growth with a Stanley knife. Salvia microphylla The protection of a south-facing wall is needed to get the best out of this long- flowering shrub. Cut the shrub back to a new shoot in the spring.
Hardy in the south of England, in a sheltered position it may reach 2.5m. Some support is needed, as is a moist rich soil. The rewards are lovely pale blue flowers borne freely on slender stems.
A late flowering cultivar, reaching a height of 1.5m. It is seems never to bloom before mid-October. Unless it is grown in a particularly sheltered spot, you will have to grow it in a pot and bring it indoors in order to enjoy the fragrant, rich red flowers.
Among folly hardy salvias is Salvia argentea, enjoyed for its silver grey foliage. Its requirements are for dry winter conditions on fast draining soils. It is very easy to grow from seed.
Salvia vertcillata 'Purple Rain' is a good cultivar.
Salvia x sylvestris 'May Knight' and 'Viola Clover' are both good cultivars.
John put in a plea not to overlook the only true annual Salvia viridis, more commonly called clary sage. The white, pink and blue bracts are of great charm and it makes a good cut flower.
For anyone wanting more information on salvias John's book The Gardener's Guide to growing Salvias, published by David & Charles, is recommended.
Anne Tweddle -