Tend&Grow

According to a well known plant and garden authority here in the UK Cordyline australis dislikes deep shade, but seen here flowering happily in exactly those conditions, tucked right under a dense Tilia with only north facing exposure.

Very fragrant in flower and benefits from having old leaves lowest on each crownshaft removed along with the inflorescences post flowering.

Seen here on Sussex flint walls along with Umbilicus rupestris, Navelwort. Two plants that really look after themselves once established.

Phlomis fruticosa, Jerusalem sage, demonstrating its unusual form and flowering habit. Geranium psilostemon, brilliant cerise flowers with a black centre. Eremurus, the Foxtail lily, tall and exotic. All clump forming or spreading perennials.

The June graden is alive with much interest at every turn. Here a beardless iris, Iris sibirica, a perennial poppy, Papaver orientale, and self seeding annual Nigella, aka Love-in-a-mist.

A non native annual wildflower, most often used as a cover crop for which it is ideally suited. Loved by bees and very fast to flower (beginning 3rd week of May) from seed broadcast in March on ground intended for pumpkins from the beginning of June.

Hard to ignore and significant throughout human history, Iris being the Greek goddess of rainbows, which is certainly apt given the shear variety of colours and combinations in cultivation. The tripartite flower was significant to early Christians in representing the Holy trinity, the Greeks planted Bearded Iris on the graves of women and the stylised Fleur-de-lys was the symbol of French royalty for god knows how long.

Prefers a warm dry situation.

Seen here in Sussex chalk woodland Asplenium scolopendrium, the Hart’s tongue fern and the Male fern, Dryopteris filix-mas. The Male fern is often the dominant fern in chalk and limestone woodland, so if identity is in question that’s the safe bet. Both enjoy the local high rainfall, lime rich soil and understory light levels.

Vigour is the defining characteristic here and on the one hand there is potential for it to overwhelm its allocated space, on the other hand it doesn’t object to use of the pruning saw. Certainly an impressive plant in flower and mostly evergreen. Generally problem free unless its vigour is likely to becomes an issue.

Annual Welsh poppies, Papaver cambricum, native to Wales (as the name suggests) and a garden escapee in parts of England – a confident self seeder here in orange which I think beats the more often seen yellow option. Chives, Allium schoenoprasum, also keen self seeders, striking in flower and of course edible. Lastly, Scarlet avens, Geum quellyon, unknown cultivar, another good value long flowering cottage garden perennial.

Choisya ternata, Mexican orange blossom, aromatic, evergreen, with spring flowers and some in late summer too. Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum multiflorum, a shade loving asparagus family perennial, often preyed upon by grey caterpillar like larvae of the Solomon’s seal sawfly. And lastly Apple blossom, spot it by the road side where a tree has grown from the pip of an apple thrown from the car window.