Floral Sunshine

Summer hyacinth (Ornithogalum candicans) is a delicately pretty flowering plant which adds dynamic interest to flower beds and mixed borders. Though this unique bulb is relatively easy to grow, becoming familiar with its needs and growth habit will ensure that plants thrive for years to come.

When you grow pearlbush, you are adding a flourish of rare beauty to your garden. With its brilliant white flowers, this shrubs makes a beautiful plant for a border or hedge. Common pearlbush (Exochorda racemosa) is known for its dazzling display of bright white flowers in early spring. These flowers blossom from pearl-shaped buds which gives this shrub its name.

If you are a beginner, knowing some easy fruits to grow can get you on the path to self sufficiency and well being. Growing our own food allows us to control what’s in it, making us healthier. Fruit is one of our main dietary requirements and a pleasure to grow in a home garden.

Among all the hobbies you could choose to engage in during your free time, gardening should definitely be top of that list. The therapeutic feel and connection with nature you get to experience even while enjoying the fruits of your labour is one of its enticing perks. But all this might just be an added advantage if you're focused on the beautiful landscapes and serenity it creates.

Busy Lizzies continue to amaze me every year with their flower power – those above have been flowering since the beginning of June and show no sign of stopping, despite a large degree of neglect by the gardener; however, a dose of frost would quickly send them packing.

In Issue 181, we got to know some of the plants that grace Mt. Cuba Center’s hot, sunny South Garden during the spring and summer months (10 Great Natives for a Sunny Border). The garden had been recently redesigned to showcase a collection of borderworthy natives that can take the heat of the Zone 7 summers in Hockessin, Delaware.

After a couple of years living in the wasteland that was my allotment, my lavender plant has gone a little wayward and woody. The rosemary is the same way, really. They should have had an annual chop after flowering, to keep them nice and fresh. It’s possible that some serious remedial pruning later in the summer will shock them into more appropriate behaviour – but it’s not guaranteed. The garden wouldn’t be the same without rosemary and lavender (their flowers and their scents, their lovely flavours), but they’re easy plants to replace if they get out of control. (There’s nothing inherently wrong with a big, bushy lavender or rosemary, I just don’t have the space to let them grow.)

Amy Batog

Greenery is all very well but I like to see swathes of colourful flowers. I try to envisage how mixed planting will shape up in terms of colour but generally my minds eye falls short when it comes to the imagination department. The best tip is to keep it simple with only a very limited number of varieties chosen because they are due to flower around the same time.

August is a good time to trim your hedges and create a neat appearance for autumn and winter.

You may see a splash of yellow if the Fawn decides to take a spring dip in the pond. The skunk cabbages are reputed to stink but these Lysichiton americanus are also named swamp lanterns so they flower well near the boggy pond.