Amateur Gardening – 21 May 2019

11 mAY 2019 AmAteurGArDeNING 29

6 winners for flowers

Digitalisxvalinii Illumination

Pink(2012)

Hardyandcompact(noneedtostake),

whatsetsthisstrikingfoxgloveapartis

thefactthatit’sbothperennialandsterile

• it bloomsforages,yetstillproduces
  nectar.Partshadeorsun.Flowers:
  Jun-Nov. HxS: 3x1½ft (90x45cm).

mulberryCharlotterusse(2017)

Noflowers,butwecouldn’toverlook

thefirstedibleplanttowinChelsea’s

topprize.Compactmulberrybush

CharlotteRusseis perfectfora small

gardenandwillfruitfroma young

age– andovera longperiod.Fruits:

May-Sept. HxS: 5ftx39in (1½x1m).

AnemoneWildSwan(2011)

Aswellasdistinctivecolouring(the

whiteflowersfeaturegrey-blue

undersidestothepetals),thisJapanese

anemonehasthebonusofa long

floweringperiod,withbloomsappearing

intermittentlyfromMaytoNovember.

Great for shade. H&S: 1½ft (45cm).

HydrangeamissSaori(2014)

There’scertainlynomistakingthis

double-floweredmopheadhydrangea,

whichhaslong-lastingbloomsin an

eye-catchingblendofpinkandwhite.

Plantedin fullsunorpartialshade,it

willthrivein theborderorin a largepot.

Flowers: Jun-Oct. H&S: 39in (1m).

ClematiskoreanaAmber(2016)

Awinningcombinationofdrooping

yellowflowerheadsona compactplant

thatusuallyhastwoflushesofflowers

andrequireslittlepruning.Excellent

forgrowingupa supportin a pot.

Flowers:May-Jul,thenagain in

Sept. H&S: 6½ft (2m).

All photographs Alamy unless otherwise credited

Streptocarpus‘HarlequinBlue’(2010)

Streptocarpusmakegreathouseplants

andbicoloured‘HarlequinBlue’,withits

blueandyellow-petalledlobedflowers,

carriedonshortstems,haslotstooffer.

Compactandcolourful,it produces

massesofbloomsovera longperiod.

Flowers: Apr-Oct. H&S: 1ft (30cm).

addsheightandcolourtoshadyspots

(asyoumightexpect),butbloomsevery

year,unlikenormalbiennialfoxgloves.

Other winners are equally useful.

GAP

Youcantransforma wallorfence

withvibrantClematisAmber,orboost

indoorwindowsillswithlong-flowering

Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’.

GAP GAP

SuchplantscombinetheX factor

withreliability.I can’tthinkofanything

bettertotransformcontainerdisplays,

borders and boundaries, can you?