Friday 6th June 2014

Hydrangea aspera 'Macrophylla'

We had some discussion about hydrangeas - they can be shrubs or climbers and flower from late spring to late autumn. They thrive in moist soil in a cool or semi shaded part of the garden and they are easy to grow from softwood or hardwood cuttings.They come in a number of habits and forms from mophead, lacecap, paniculata, oak-leaved and climbing and usually flower on current season's growth.
Hydrangea 'Annabelle' has profuse white flowers from July to Sept and grows to a height of 4-5ft
Hydrangea paniculata 'Phantom' has conical flowerheads that are creamy white and flushed with green and pink and grows to 4-5ft
Recommended book: Hydrangeas: A Gardener's Guide by Toni Lawson-Hall

We also looked at bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum') which is a very useful plant for the border.

Bronze fennel

Activities in the garden:

• Planting up pots and hanging baskets
• Planting sempervivums in chicken feeders
• Lots of weeding and getting the garden ready for the plant fair

The garden looked particularly beautiful for the plant fair on Saturday, after early rain the sun shone for the rest of the day and there was a profusion of wonderful plants to buy.

Paul's plants

Stanmer plants