2019-06-01 Country Homes & Interiors

(Joyce) #1
CH&Iloves...

AWisteriA-

clAdPergolA
Thewisteriafamilyhasaroundten
species;favouritesareWisteria
sinensisandWisteriafloribunda.
Theyaredeciduous,with
sweetly-scentedflowersinshades
ofwhite,purple,blueorpink.
Here’swhatyouneedtoknow...


  • Wisteriasneedsufficientsunlight
    toflowerwell– notlessthansix
    hoursa day– andgrowbestin a
    southor west-facingposition.

  • Choosematurenamedcultivars
    grownfromcuttingsor by
    grafting,preferablywhilein
    flower,andplantina deephole
    withaddedcompost.Astheplant
    develops,securetoitssupport
    withexpandableties.

  • Onceestablished,wisterias
    arevigorous,butcantakea few
    yearsto getgoing.

  • A pergolahasto besturdyto take
    theweightof a maturewisteria.

  • Tocreatelightdappledshade,
    a wisteriamustbeprunedfairly
    severely.A summerprunekeeps
    theplanttidy,theninwintercut
    eachsideshootbacktotwobuds,
    reducing the length of the leaders.


Theseatingareabeneath
a pergoladrippingwith
Wisteriafloribunda‘Alba’
isedgedwithbordersof
whitealliums,aquilegias,
meadow rue and lupins.


fittedbeautifullyintothedesign.’Theotheris a tallbirchthatforms


thenucleusofanislandbed,castingdeepshadeontoClaytonia


sibiricaf. albiflora, a starry-flowered,ground cover plant, one of


manyunusualplantsthatSuegrows.


Sueknowsa lotaboutherplants,havingruna smallnursery.

Whiteflowers,wisteriainparticular,arefavourites,andfillthe


centralpergolaanddiningarea,thefirstareathatSueandPete


created.Japanesewisteria,Wisteriafloribunda‘Alba’,is trained


overthepergola,itsperfumealmostoverwhelmingona warm


evening.Meanwhile,theneighbouringbordersareplantedinan


all-whitecolourschemeofaquilegias,alliums,a whitelupin‘Noble


Maiden’,Papaverorientale‘RoyalWedding’,delphiniums,Crambe


cordifoliaandmeadowrue,Thalictrumaquilegiifoliumvar.album.


‘It’ssimplybeautiful,a frothofpurewhiteflowersandfern-like

foliagethatlooksstunninginquitedenseshade,’sheadds.Sue


combinestraditionalfavouriteswithlessusualvarietiessuchas


theburningbushDictamnusalbus,PersicariaalpinaorAlthaea


cannabina,ina distinctivestyleshedescribesas‘cottagemeets


contemporary’.‘I liketocreateorderwithcolour-theming,whereas


traditionally,cottagegardenstylejumblesallthecolourstogether,’


shesays.Thelowerhalfofthegardenis distinctlyinformal,to


ensurethattheplanting‘bleeds’intothecountrysidebeyond.‘I’ve


usedgrasses,waftyperennials,smalltreesandRosarugosasoyou


canseethroughtofarmlandbeyond,’shepointsout.Thereis also


thelessfamiliarArtemisialactiflora‘Guizhou’withtall,airystems


thatcomplementtheornamentalgrassesinlatesummer.Trees


have been carefully positioned to screen power lines in an>

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