Chosing Pelargoniums


There is a a Pelargonium for every situation.

Did you know P australe and P tomentosum will grow in deep shade? P tomentosum has huge glabrose silver leaves and smells strongly of peppermint. It bears large sprays of small pink veined white flowers in the late Spring. The foliage of P australe is deep bronze and eau de clogne scented - it bears clouds of white flowers throughout the summer. Both these species Pelargoniums are strong growers and look wonderful in large lead or zinc planters.


P. tomentosum


For window boxes rather than the inevitable ivy leaf Pelargoniums why not try P. sidoides. This forms handsome cushions of gun metal foliage which will hang down over the side of the box. It bears its magnificent intense deep burgundy flowers all through the summer and autumn.



P. sidoides


For large tubs try growing P Lara Rajah - a wonderful shrubby Hartshook Unique which will cover itself throughout the summer with an endless succession of it rich deep red flowers.


P. Lara Rajah


If you want a small tender tree try growing P papilonaceum - it has huge lemon deep green leaves and makes a small bushy tree with a stout trunk to 150cm tall.


P. papilonaceum


And did you know that Pelargoniums Claret Rock Unique and Purple Unique are first rate climbers - they will both ascend to well over 3 metres.


P. Purple Unique


Or maybe you just want an elegant plant for a windowsill. There is none more beautiful than the lemon scented Lara Starshine with its silver grey filiogree foliage and endless succession of warm pink flowers.



P. Lara Starshine


Do phone me if you want more advice on Pelargoniums. Tel: 01502 478258.

Kind regards

Michael Loftus













If you want

All About Auriculas



Our Auriculas are at last budding up. Normally I reckon the last week of April to be be the peak week for Auricula flowering. This year it looks like being the second week of May.
Do feed your auriculas in the build up to flowering. Use tomato fertiliser at half recommended strength every two weeks - we give them their first dose at the end of February.
With the weather getting warmer we have just ordered our first batch of Phytoseiulus persimilis, a beneveolent mite which controls red spider mite - in a hot dry summer red spider mite can ravage the foliage of auriculas under glass.
The photo above is of one of my very favourite auriculas Auricula Dale's Red - a super velvety red, border auricula; this is a tough easy plant which should be in every garden - looks wonderful with Pulmonaria Blue Ensign - our plant of the week.

Click here to see our plant of the week Pulmonaria Blue Ensign.
Click here to view our Auriculas

Regards

Michael Loftus

Black as Lace




Anthriscus sylvestris "Raven's Wing".

This is a super cow parsley deviant with the blackest of black lacy foliage. If you are mad about Actaea Brunette this is a must for you. This Anthriscus is very early into growth in the Spring and looks wonderful with orange tulips such as Abbu Hassan.
Also looks good with the deep crimson flowers of Cirsium rivulare Atropurpureum
Anthriscus s. "Raven's Wing" is dead easy to grow and thrives in any soil except bog. It is a biennial and self seeds 70% true. When the seedlings come up in the autumn it is easy to distinguish and rogue out any unwanted green leafed forms
We have super 2 litre pots available. Click here to see more details on our website.

A couple of weeks ago I was writing about the wonderful yellowy green Hacquettia. I cannot get enough of this colour in the garden. At the moment Euphorbia myrsinites is in full flower, cascading over the edges of our raised beds - the coils of blue foliage perfectly set off by the Derbyshire sandstone.

Euphorbia myrsinites
This plant will grow in any well drained soil and is very long lived. Looks wonderful with the dwarf tulip Persian Jewel. Click here to see more details on our website.

Regards
Michael Loftus

Hungry For Fragrance...

This winter because of the unrelenting cold has been a poor winter for fragrance. The iris unguicularis have flowered meagrely. The winter flowering Viburnums got completely burnt off...

For the last couple of weeks I have been comforting myself with Clematis armandii which we have growing in tunnels. Its large spidery white blossoms are a perfect Easter blossom. Both so fresh looking and fresh smelling with its delicious lemon scented flowers. Click here to view further details on our website.

Of course you can grow Clematis armandii outside on a warm wall where it will flower somewhat later. It is a wonderful climber for a London house A vigorous plant with elegant deep green oval evergreen foliage it will soon cover large expanses of ugly brickwork.

My house is full of bunches of Narcissi. Every year we grow many new varieties but for me Narcissus Jenny still reigns supreme

This photo shows flowers which have been open for a couple of days. When the flowers first open the coronas are lemon yellow. Its great beauty lies in its winsome swept back petals. Narcissus Jenny grows only15cm tall and is a wonderful coloniser. We have it planted ut in our beds of Iris sibirica to give early interest.

All the best

Michael Loftus