Thompson Morgan sell peruvian lilies and Alstroemeria under different search terms

See more on cultivation on Gardeners tips

Alstromeria are great as cut flowers as they last very well in a vase. See more on floristry

Mare’stail or Horsetail is a common garden weed that flourishes on damp soil. Even the RHS is prone to Horsetail as the picture taken at Harlow Carr Gardens demonstrates. I look forward to seeing how they cope!

Why it is a Problem

• The plant reproduces by spores that are readily wind dispersed but most problems come from the rhizomes.
• Rhizomes are extensive both horizontally and vertically and may reach over 5 feet deep depending on substrate.
• Rhizomes break into small parts and reproduce quickly.
• Tubers are then produced at the nodes of the rhizomes.
• You can’t dig it out, although you may weaken the plants if you remove as much root as you can then hoe when you get above 1″ shoots.

Control and Eradication

• Glyphosate weed killer will have an effect and eventually kill the plant. Apply at least 3-4 times. Crush the leaves to create an entry point.
• Ammonium Sulphamate can kill and you need a brushwood killer that incorporates it like Rootout or Deep Root
• Emerging   stems can penetrate some woven polypropylene mulches.
• Horsetail can survive periods of flooding and burning and has survived millions of years.
• Black plastic sheeting has been found to kill or suppress rhizomes in the upper layers of soil.
• Control on arable land include soil drainage, liming, deep cultivation, improvements in soil texture and persistent cutting of vegetative and spore bearing shoots has some effect.
• In grass, regular mowing over a period of years may eliminate horsetail.
• Eventually the food supply in the root is exhausted. Let it get bigger than1-2″ and food begins to be stored in the roots again, and round and round you go ad infinitum or 60 million years and still counting.

Attracting bees into garden. Bees in the Garden. Bush is Ceanothus

Great Foxglove. Growing foxglove

Attracting Butterflies into garden. Creating a butterfly garden

Related

• Top 10 Flower Photos

Explanation of Scent

• Scent is the oxidisation of essential oils of flowers and leaves.
• Oils are mainly found on the upper surface of petals.
• The most scented flowers are those with thick velvet like petals which slow down the evaporation of the scent.
• Double white flowers like the rose are especially fragrant.
• Oils are produced in inverse proportion to colour pigment which is why orange and scarlet flowers tend to have less scent.
• Scent is classified into 10 and more groupings.

Wild Flower Families and Scented Examples.

• Buttercup: Stinking Hellebore is sulphury smelling, Aquilegia vulgaris have a soft clove like scent (without scent in blue and purple varieties) and Clematis vitalba or Old Man’s Beard has a light scent.
• Cabbage: Stinkweed smells when bruised, Sweet Alyssum and Wallflowers are  well known for their scent. Hesperis and Matthoila are also native plants to smell out for.
• Hypericum: All the St Johns Wort family have a foxy or goat like smell but Hypericum androsaemum has a more lemony scent.
• Pinks: include the Dianthus and Silene vulgaris or Bladder Campion have the characteristic clove like scent.
• Geranium: Mallows and Laveteria have little or no scent but Geranium robertianum or Herb Robert is quite pungent.
• Rose: Meadow Sweet says it in the name. Wild Strawberry has scented fruit and the drying leaves also produce a good scent. Geum or Wood Avens and Water Avens have scented roots that traditionally add fragrance to apple pie. For Roses go for the field or musk Rosa arvensis, Sweetbriar or Dog Rose Rosa canina. This is a big family and Hawthornes and Mountain ash have a rubber scented flower on a still spring day. Fruit smells come from Pear and Crab Apples.
• Primrose: This family includes Oxlip, Cowslip and Primrose with the cultivated doubles having the strongest scent.
• Honeysuckle: Family has some of the strongest and most pleasent scents from Viburnum, Sambucus (Elder) and Honeysuckle or Woodbine.
• Daisy: Anthemis or Chamomiles have renown scent as have Achillea or Yarrow  and Feverfew. The Wormwoods are also part of the Daisy family.
• Lily: Probably takes the prize for the most scented family. From Lily of the Valley (Convalleria majalis), Polygonatum, Fritillary meleagris to Hyacinth, Chives, Scilla and the Turkscap Lily they are all fine scents.

Other Wild Scents of Note

• Violet odorata was Shakespear’s favourite flower judging by the mentions it gets in his plays.
• Evening Primrose Oenothera odorata has become colonised on waste land close to the coast
• Berberis vulgaris has a scent to attract flies whilst its cousin the imported Mahonia has a sweet scent in winter.
• Herbs particularly the Thyme and Parsley family have good scents.
• Many wild Orchids have there own fragrance.

Aubretia is an excellent, 6″ high perennial that is almost smothered with flowers in early spring.
Aubretia is suitable for rockeries, walls, borders, edging paths, planters and window boxes. Spread is 12-18in and flower colours include blue, rich purple and pink shades.

Sowing Instructions

• Sow by just covering the seed, from late winter to early summer, in a good free draining seed compost.
• Add some grit or sharp sand to ordinary compost as Aubretia doesn’t like wet feet.
• Make sure the compost is moist and not wet and seal in a polythene bag.
• Germination usually takes 14-21 days at 65F .

Growing Instructions

• Transplant, when large enough to handle, into boxes or 3in pots.
• Later plant out 12in apart into a sunny, well drained garden soil preferably containing lime.
• Trim with shears after flowering to keep plants tidy. Allow to trail if you like the unkempt look.
• Desirable plants can be increased by cuttings or layering in late spring.

Old Hybrids to Look Out For

• Doctor Muller – deep violet-blue
• Mrs Rodewald – larger red flowers.
• Bridesmaid – pale pink  with a deeper eye.
• Barker’s Double -  a pink mix with semi and double flowers

You can buy seeds or plants from Thompson Morgan

Aubretia deltoidea Variegata has white edged leaves.

Aubretia deltoidea Aurea has gold edged leaves. Aubretia is also in books with the spelling Aubrieta and Aubrietia

Light and shadow over Oxford Botanic Gardens. Cloud cover clears to allow sunlight through.

Crocosmia Lucifer – A great variety of Crocosmia. It is actually a deeper red, but, the midday sun made it a little washed out.

Close up of Rudbeckia.

• More Photos from Botanic Gardens

The horticultural industry put most of it’s effort into flowers, trees and shrubs. Leaves however appear on all most all these plants and repay close inspection.
As this book Extraordinary Leaves shows there is an amazing world out there for those who look closely and want to find new visual and sensual experiences.

The ancient Greeks and Romans used Acanthus leaves in Sculpture, Architecture and Art as did William Morris during the Arts and Crafts Movements in the 19th Century.

As Dennis Schrader explains: “To prepare this book, I have been obligated to take a more intimate look at all aspect of leaves -their many uses, their place in history, the science behind what’s going on in a leaf and the unadulterated, simple beauty of the leaf itself.”

The excellent book ‘Extraordinary Leaves’ by Green-Armytage and Schrader is availablefrom amazon.
‘Photographer Stephen Green-Armytage discovered the beauty of leaves while browsing in a greenhouse. The more he looked at the intricate patterns, the more fascinated he became. His photography in this book is the result of years of study, and it is strikingly beautiful.’

Occasionally a tip comes to us that we have not tried for various reasons. Here are a few of examples:

Organic Aphid Treatments

• Boil orange peel, lemon and or lime in water & use the solution as an aphid control. Aphids should hate citrus oil.
• On the same theme steep garlic cloves and chilli left overs as a ‘toxic bug blaster’. (The Oldie summer 2010)
• When the leaves of tomato plants are chopped, they release   alkaloids. When the alkaloids are suspended and diluted with water, they make an easy to use spray that is toxic to aphids.
• A simple soap spray, water and some liquid soap can work wonders by dissolving the aphids wax coating
• Teas made from elderberry or rhubarb leaves can act as a deterrent assuming you use it as a spray.
• Place banana peels at the base of infested plant. The peels give them a shot of potassium too.

With all homemade sprays, strain out the residue before spraying.
Read more

The best time of the day to water plants is in evening or early morning. This is mainly because the watering will be more efficient. Away from glare of sun, the water has time to seep into soil before evaporating. The main thing is getting the right amount of water to the plant, the time of watering won’t really affect growth. Though in greenhouses, watering in day, can help keep temperature down (dampening effect)

Other Tips for Watering Plants

• The most critical Time for watering is:

• 1. When in flower
  2. When  fruits have started to form
  3. When newly transplanted
• When you water, make sure it seeps down to roots and not just first inch of soil, otherwise roots will grow upwards not downwards. It is sometimes better to water a lot every week, than frequently and often.
• Try mulching after a good water. Mulch is something that preserves moisture of soil.
• Different Plants have much different needs for watering.

Related

• 7 Tips for saving water in garden
• How to water Plants
• Watering systems for garden

What is Inula

• This is a yellow flowering, herbaceous, perennial that grows 3-4 feet tall in my garden. The leaves are large, gently serrated and light green.
• The flower stalks have up to seven daisy like flowers on firm stems. Support in high winds.
• Inula is very attractive to bees and hoverflies.
• The flowers go brown in the centre once they have been fertilized.

Inula Varieties

• Inula magnifica grows in most soil conditions and is good near a pond.
• The pygmy Inula acaulis has rosettes of narrow 1.5″ leaves and golden daisies 1″ or more across.
• Inula hookeri is a clump-forming perennial with hairy self supporting stems and large, spidery, yellow, daisy flowers.

Propagation and More

• Propagate by splitting the clumps
• Micropropagation of Inula racemosa is explained in this interesting article.
• More about yellow daisies.
• See more images.