IN THE GARDEN
Anise hyssop, with its aniseed-scented downy leaves tinged with purple and dense spikes of blue flowers from June to September, is always a winner in the garden. Long flowering and great for bees, it is also good for cutting and making tea. Plant in full sun, I find it lasts for several years, even through our cold winters. Height 1.2m (4’), Spread 40cm (1’4”).
These summer flowering herbaceous alliums are not often grown, yet they flower throughout July and into August. They look super with short grasses such as Stipa tenuissima (now known as Nassella tenuissima) and have seed heads that give autumn and winter interest. There are several varieties and species but Allium lusitanicum is one of my favourites. It forms a clump of upright, strap-shaped, onion-scented leaves, with rounded heads of light purple, bell-shaped flowers in mid to late summer. Plant in a sunny border. H 30cm (12”), S 30cm (12”).
Another allium, but I love a quirky plant and this one does not disappoint. Curious in its growth, adding a fun element to the herb garden with new bulbs growing at the top of its stem, hence the name tree onion. Hardy and typical of the Allium family with thick hollow cylindrical stems. Small green-white flowers appear in the second summer of growth, which are followed by the quirky little stem bulbs. The whole plant is edible but also looks good in flower borders. The tree onion is also known as the Egyptian or walking onion. Grows in most soils in a sunny spot. H 1.5m (5’), S 30cm (12”).
Another of my favourite plants: a pink cow parsley! A lovely, soft-pink umbellifer, flowering in early summer. The pink flowers and soft green foliage is very effective when grown with Brunnera macrophylla and Tellima grandiflora or Actaea ‘Brunette’ and purple hazel. Grow in light shade and moist soil. H 60-90cm (2-3’), S 1m (3’3”).
A towering cultivar of Filipendula that features white to pale pink flowers with red stamens in July. This combination means that from a distance the flowers look darker pink. Perfect for the back of a border in sun or partial shade in almost any soil, it loves our wet clay soil! H 1.5-2.5m (5-8’), S 1.5-2.5m (5-8’).
What is not to love about Monarda? This one displays eye-catching, scarlet flower tufts on rigid stems of fresh green, bergamot-scented foliage from June to August. Blessed with this amazing scent, bees love it too. Leave the flower heads for winter interest. Try with Deschampsia and Actaea ‘Brunette’. H 1m (3’3”), S 45cm (1’6”).
Plants at Quercus Garden Plants are propagated and grown, peat-free, at 850 feet (259m) and stay outdoors all year, so are tough and acclimatised to Scottish growing conditions. Most of them can be seen growing in wildlife and environmentally friendly, inspiring demonstration gardens.
Quercus Garden Plants is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm from March until the end of October. Find them at Whitmuir Farm, Lamancha, EH46 7BB.