38 womansweekly.com
GARDENING
PHOTOS:
ALAMY,
GETTY
Famous FIVE
C
ertainplantsinspirea particulardevotion,inspiring
gardenerstotravelfarandwidetoseekoutnew,
unusualorrarevarietiesat plantfairsaroundthe
country.Here’sfive of our favouritecollectables.Discover the top the five garden plants
you’ll want to collect, says Adrienne Wild
Clematisbloomscomeina varietyofcoloursandshapes
fromtinybellsandlanternstoglitteringstars.Some
flowersarefragrantandsomeareevergreen,although
themajorityofclematislosetheirleavesinwinter.
Clematisliketheirheadsinthesunandtheirrootscool.
Toprotectthemfromsuccumbingtothedreadedclematis
wilt,settheplantslightlydeeperthanitwasinitspot
withthefirstpairoftrueleaveslyingjustunderthesoil.1 Hellebore
2 Clematis
Stunning,diverseandeasy
to grow,helleboresare
highlycollectable.Be
warnedthough,that buying
hybridsofHelleborus
orientalis, also knownas
Lentenrose,couldeasily
becomeanobsession.This
is becausetheycomein a
captivatingrangewith
flowercoloursfrom purewhiteto ivory,cream,
lemon,andchartreuse,as
well as pale pink,rose,
duskypurple,to nearblack.
The showieststrainsof
theHelleborehybridsoften
comewith single,semi-
double,or doubleflowers
andmanybloomshave
decorativemarkings.
Helleboresgrowwell inalmost all
conditions,
including pots, and
prefer rich, well-
drainedsoilandshade.There are over 70 different
hosta species and many
hundreds of varieties. While
the foliage is more luxuriant
when grown in semi-shade
and moist conditions, their
water-retaining root system
enables them to be grown
in pots, as long as they are
given a regular foliar feed.
Unfortunately their worst5 Hosta
Make more: Hellebores
are promiscuous and
readily self-seed giving
you plenty of free
plants, which could
result in unexpected
hybrids. If you want
identical plants you
must dig up, divide and
replant in autumn.Make more: A quick and easy way to propagate
clematis is to sever the cuttings just above a leaf
joint, dip them in hormone rooting powder and plant
them in a pot covered with a polythene bag.