Amateur Gardening – 24 August 2019

32 AMATEURGARDENING 24 AUGUST 2019

W

ITHtheirdistinctive

flowerheadsmadeup

of spikycollarsof bracts

surroundingcentral,

thistle-likeclustersof tightlypacked,tiny

blooms,eryngiumsareoneof themost

sculpturalof gardenplants.Emergingin

midsummer,theflowerheadscontinue

toprovideinterestrightthroughautumn

andintowinter,astheyfadefromblueor

silvertobuffandbrowntones;theylook

particularlygoodwhentheirjagged

outlinessparklewithfrost.

Packedwithnectar,theflowersarea

magnetforbeesandbutterflies.They’re

alsogoodforcutting,andif thestems

arepickedjustastheflowersare

startingtoopentheycanbedriedto

useasChristmasdecorations– spray

themgoldorsilverfora lovelyeffect.

Worldwide, there are more than 240

speciesof eryngium,withtheonesmost

commonlygrownin Britishgardens

originatingfromEurope.Thecommon

nameseahollycoversalleryngiums,

butit onlytrulyappliestoournative

E. maritimum. It growsonbeachesalong

thesouthcoast,whereit thrivesin a

nutrient-poor,free-drainingenvironment

withlotsof sunshine.Thoseworth

growingin thegardendon’trequiresuch

extremeconditions,buttheyareaverse

tosittingin damp,heavysoil– European

eryngiumsareveryhardy, but winter

wet will kill them.

Moretendertypes

Lesscommonlygrownin UKgardens

areeryngiumsthatarenativetoSouth

America,wheretheythrivein damp,

grassyareas.Thesearenotashardy

• they cannot cope with anything below

Spike your interest with

Lovedfortheirsculpturalshapesandcoolcolourpalette,seahollieswillgive

gardens a border boost from late summer into autumn, saysLouiseCurley

Eryngiums

Withtheircone-likeflowerheadsanddistinctive

spinybracts,eryngiumslikeEryngiumxtripartitum

add architectural interest and attract pollinators

-5°C,soareonlysuitableforgrowingin

fairlymildlocationsin theUK.Theyneed

a moisture-retentivesoilthatwillnot

becomewaterloggedin winter and

theylikea fertilesoil.

Theflowersof theseSouthAmerican

eryngiumstendtobegreeny-white;

lessshowyandstrikingthanthe

Europeantypes,theyemergelaterin

theyear,appearingin autumn.However,

thefoliageandbranchingstemsmake

a dramaticsightandE. agavifolium,

forexample,is a goodchoice for an

exoticplantingscheme.

If youfancygrowingthesemore

tendertypesyou’llneedtoseekout

a specialistnursery.Thesummer-

floweringseahollies,ontheotherhand,

areavailableasyoungplantsin most

gardencentresnow– perfectforgiving

pots and borders a late-season boost.