Category: Gardening

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Great Companion Plants For a Cottage Garden: Astrantia

Astrantias at Arley Hall

First, What is a companion plant?

Plant society members often think of their ‘pet’ plants as the stars of any border: flowering perennials, shrubs, trees and climbing plants that are guaranteed to turn heads. Think of peonies, roses, hydrangeas, day lilies, dahlias, delphiniums, hollyhocks, or even topiary as in the picture of Arley Hall, above.

Companion plants are the ones with a supportive role. They are chosen to complement the feature plants, contrasting or harmonising with them, in colour, texture or form. I can’t imagine a traditional herbaceous border without companions to fill in the gaps and create a tapestry effect. While companions add to the richness and diversity of the garden, they will not compete too aggressively for the limelight or for resources such as food, water or space. They create a healthier ecosystem by attracting beneficial insects.

Many of my favourite companion plants are long-flowering, allowing the garden to transition seamlessly from one season to another. You might have overlooked every one of the companion plants I’ll be highlighting in this short series of posts, but I believe they’re worth their moment in the spotlight.

Astrantia (masterwort)

Red astrantia

Astrantias are such useful, trouble-free companion plants that you’d be hard pressed to find a major English garden without them. Masses of small umbels are held airily on wiry stems like a profusion of stars, as their Latin name suggests. The intricate, lacey flowers are encircled by papery bracts of varying lengths.  Continue reading “Great Companion Plants For a Cottage Garden: Astrantia”

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Rosa Red Cascade: A Repeat-flowering Miniature Climbing Rose

Rosa 'Red Cascade'

Some of the most picturesque American roses (to my British eyes, at least) have been encouraged to clamber over fences. That’s how Rosa ‘Red Cascade’ managed to sneak its way into my heart. If ever a rose was destined to make a plain fence seem more interesting, this is it. The first time I noticed it growing was in tough conditions, in full sun, on a mesh fence, in a graveyard in Jackson, Mississippi. If it had been flowering at all, I’d have been impressed, but this plant was liberally covered with red blooms.

While ‘Red Cascade’ is often sold as a miniature climber, ‘miniature’ describes the flowers more accurately than the habit of the plant. The Antique Rose Emporium has trained one to grow up a 15ft (4.5m) pillar.  Continue reading “Rosa Red Cascade: A Repeat-flowering Miniature Climbing Rose”

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Impressions: Cutting Garden At Arley Hall And Gardens

Cleome with annuals

If I was using a macro lens rather than an iPhone, I’d be able to isolate the spidery flowers of cleome against a nicely diffused, neutral background. As it is, I’ve learned to appreciate the impressionistic quality the iPhone can give. It’s nice that our eyes can drift along the flower border and make out some of the annuals: pink and red cosmos and blue cornflowers (Centaura cyanus). And I’m often impressed how well the iPhone captures colours, especially the blues, which my old camera struggled with.  Continue reading “Impressions: Cutting Garden At Arley Hall And Gardens”

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Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ And A More Menacing Variegated Succulent

Aeonium 'Sunburst' (group)

Until I had chance to travel through the Southern States of America, I didn’t much care for succulents. Gradually they’re been growing on me – not literally – though I could see these aeoniums being worn as cute little hats to Ascot or Chelsea Flower Show Press Day.

Aeonium 'Sunburst'

Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ captured my heart because of the variable variegation (did I just write that?) – each rosette is a blend of bluey green, green and cream, edged in pink. Continue reading “Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ And A More Menacing Variegated Succulent”