SATURDAY MAGAZINE SATURDAY MAGAZINE 6565GARDENING
THE GREAT
OUTDOORS
support. Nor do they need much
pruning, since they are relatively
slow growing and unlikely to get
so large they become a nuisance.
In time they will make shrubs
six feet tall and three feet across,
which means they can fit into the
smallest of gardens and, come late
summer when many others have
given their all, your hardy
hibiscus flowers will be
more than welcome.
Buy a plant in full
bloom now so you
can see what you are
getting and position it
in the sunniest spot
possible in soil that
does not stay soggy.
When pruning, you can go
easy with the secateurs. Hibiscusneeds no regular attention other
than the removal of badly placed
shoots or any that die back.
But that is looking on the
black side. Given the right spot,
the hibiscus is one of the most
trouble-free shrubs I know,
provided you can be patient
enough to resist digging it up
if those leaves are a
little slow to open.
Believe me, the
plant will more
than make
up for it later.PLANT
OF THE
WEEKPlant this shrub in
well-drained soil
in your garden’s
sunniest spot
and it should
prove to be a trouble-free,
late-summer stunner...
● Don’t miss Alan’s gardening column
and Tip Of The Day every weekday in
Pictures: Alamy; National Trust Images / James Dobson the Daily Express.
BLUE BIRD
has rich lavender
blue blossomsHibiscus
without
the fuss
The only way is Essex
A two-year exhibition on the
life and work of Anthony
Denney has transformed the
National Trust’s Rainham
Hall into a showcase for
his fashion, food, travel and
gardening photography. But
the four-storey Georgian house
in Essex also has gardens, an
orchard and a wilderness play
area. Open daily until October
31 from 10.30am to 4.30pm,
then Wednesday to Sunday
all winter, tickets cost £9.90
for adults, £4.40 for children
and £24.20 for a family.
Garden-only entry is free.
Call 01708 525579 or visit
nationaltrust.org.uk.Star of the show
Brighten up your patch with
these colourful hardy hyacinths.
Order 10 bulbs for £8.99,
including p&p, or buy 20 for
£17.98 and get another 10
free. Order online at shop.
express.co.uk/EXP495, call
0871 664 1469, or send a
cheque, payable to Express
Newspapers, to Express Offer
EXP495, 14 Hadfield Street, Old
Trafford, Manchester M16 9FG.I
s it dead? That’s the question
I frequently hear in relation
to one particular shrub. It’s a
beauty you might have seen on
holiday in the Mediterranean or
the Caribbean – or at least you
might have seen its near relation.
Hibiscus is not that tricky to
grow, provided you have a warm,
sheltered, sunny spot in well-
drained soil. But it is rather late
coming into leaf – hence that
often-asked question.
It may be as late as June before
a hibiscus starts to unfurl its
foliage, but then it shows its true
worth as a late-flowering shrub.
The species that grows in the
warmer countries is Hibiscus
rosa-sinensis, which is too tender
to grow outdoors in the UK. Our
winters would rapidly see it off.
But Hibiscus syriacus is altogether
tougher and available in a wider
colour range than its counterpart.
Blue Bird is a rich lavender blue,
Red Heart is white with a crimson
eye and Woodbridge is deep
rose-pink with a mauve eye.
The habit of these hibiscus
shrubs is upright and fairly stiff,
so they need nothing by way of‘In late
summer
your hardy
hibiscus
flowers will be
more than
welcome’RED HEART
blooms are white
with crimson eyesWOODBRIDGE
comes in a deep
shade of rose-pink