12 May 29, 2022The Sunday Times
Home
SARAH CUTTLE/RHS; JACKY PARKER/BG WALKER/GETTY IMAGES; ANNETTE LEPPLE/RM FLORAL/REX MAY/BOTANY VISION/CLARE GAINEY/AY IMAGES/HENRY KOSKINEN/ALAMY; CAROLE DRAKE/JASON INGRAM/GAP PHOTOS1 2
3
4 5
its unusual purple-tinged grey
foliage and elegant deep-pink
flowers, which are followed in
autumn by striking red hips.
Among the roses on the Morris
& Co garden, the blooms of
Rosa Jacqueline du Pré were
particularly eye-catching, with
their rows of white petals
tinged with the faintest hint of
pink surrounding a centre of
scarlet stamens. This repeat-
flowering shrub rose grows
to 3ft by 3ft.7 Sesleria
Ornamental grasses tend to be
associated with late-season
interest, but this group of
compact, evergreen, early
flowering grasses was used on
several gardens. Cityscapes’
Darryl Moore and Adolfo
Harrison used four species as
part of a matrix planting
scheme on the St Mungo’s
Putting Down Roots garden,
including Sesleria heufleriana,
whose flowers emerge black
before turning white. It needs
moist but well-drained soil
that’s neutral to alkaline.8 Allium siculum subsp.
dioscoridis
The purple, spherical bloomsflowering plants and the
seedpods add autumn
interest. Chris Beardshaw
used the indigo-coloured
Baptisia australis ‘Blueberry
Sundae’ in his gold-medal-
winning garden and Pollyanna
Wilkinson included ‘Pink
Truffles’ and ‘Dark Chocolate’
on her Mothers for Mothers
garden. Plant these hardy
perennials in sun.5 Silene fimbriata
Several members of the
campion family featured in
gardens this year, including
bladder campion, red
campion and ragged robin,
but it was the fringed
campion, with its white frilly
petals, that stood out from the
crowd. It’s tolerant of dry
shade, which makes it a good
option for planting in those
tricky spots underneath
deciduous trees.6 Roses
A variety of roses from shrub
types and climbers to wilder-
feeling species roses featured
on several gardens this year.
Andy Sturgeon’s garden for the
mental health charity Mind
showcased Rosa glauca, withextra nutrients will produce
lush growth. Watch out for the
Mullein moth caterpillars,
which can defoliate the plant.3 Melica
Drifts of the pretty deciduous
grass Melica altissima ‘Alba’,
with its delicate veil of white
rice grain-like flowers, were
used in the understorey
planting on Sarah Eberle’s
Medite Smartply Building the
Future garden. It will thrive in
dappled shade on fertile soil,
where the seedheads will
provide interest right through
to autumn. Simply cut
back last year’s
faded foliage in
early spring
before the new
shoots
emerge.4 Baptisia
Popular with
designers at
Chelsea for several
years now, this
member of the pea family
has upright spikes studded
with flowers in late spring
through to midsummer. The
attractive foliage provides a
lovely backdrop to laterN
ature has provided
the inspiration
at this year’s
botanical
spectacle in thegrounds of the Royal Hospital
Chelsea, sponsored by The
Newt, with designers showing
how we can all do our part to
make our gardens that bit
wilder and improve
biodiversity. While woodland
planting was a strong theme,
there were plenty of colourful
blooms to punch through the
oasis of green. But how do
you choose something that’s
suitable for your own garden
when there was so much on
display? Here’s my guide to
some of the best plants
Chelsea 2022 had to offer.
1 Alstroemeria
The Peruvian lily is a
popular addition to flower
arrangements and Juliet
Sargeant used several cultivars
to add vibrant colour to her
New Blue Peter Garden at
Chelsea. The yellow and blush
pink ‘Layon’ grows to about
27in, with a spread of 12in;
‘Indian Summer’ has attractive
purple-tinged green foliage
and flowers in sunset shades
of red, orange and yellow on
3ft-tall stems; and the dwarf-
growing ‘Little Miss Christina’,
with cream flowers flushed
pink and yellow, is ideal for
border edging or container
growing. Despite their exotic
looks, most alstroemeria are
hardy, needing full sun or part
shade and well-drained soil;
and with an exceptionally long
flowering period, from May
until November, it’s surprising
these plants aren’t more
widely grown.2 Verbascum ‘Petra’
The flower spires of
verbascums are a
favourite with
Chelsea
designers as
they add
vertical
accents to a
planting
design. This
year the warm
terracotta-
coloured flowers of
this cultivar were a striking
addition to Ruth Willmott’s
Morris & Co garden. It is best
grown in poor, well-drained
alkaline soil; on richer soil the
plant may need support as thePICK OF THE BUNC
Be inspired by this
Chelsea Flower Sho
selection of stando
across the gardens
6
7