Acer palmatum dissectum atropurpureum

• Acer is the genus for a range of trees that includes the Sycamore and some of the loveliest foliage trees for your garden.
• palmatum the species name refers to the hand shaped leaves
• dissectum or variety name reflects how the feathery leaves are finely separated and deeply cut or fringed
• atropurpureum is the colour of deep purple leaves that turn bright red in autumn
• Japanese Maple is a generic name for a range of Acers which have this semblance of age and dignity even when the trees are small and relatively young.

Hints on Cultivation

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These gardening books are just crying out to be written so we suggest some titles and authors.

Do not smoke your grass by Mary Wana

Turn your MP into Compost by Pete Substitute

Money saving tips add up by Alice Summ

Trollius, Yaks and other plant transportation by Dick van Bike

This noble fir is a large prostrate form with thick rounded bright blue needles that gives a good colour contrast within any garden. This is just one of the good looking Conifers that can be suitable for a British garden.

• This prostrate form is slow growing. Remove any strong vertical branches
• Young plants need a good soaking when the soil becomes too dry and prefer a moisture retentive soil
• Roots spread wider than the tree but shouldn’t need fertiliser
• Will stand very cold winter temperatures
• The habit, form and colour of this Pine make it a good plant to incorporate into a garden design

This Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ was grown from seed distributed free to members by the RHS in 2003. It grows four feet tall and has many very attractive bell shaped flowers. The flowers are arranged on a stem in a loose cone shape but with each of about 60 flower about an inch wide the effect is light and flowing. This species commonly called the Milky bell flower is a lilac colour but Campanula more often seen as a giant bellflower in dark blue. This is the white C.persicifolia alba

Hints about the Campanula Family

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You do not always associate Tulips with fragrance but here is a selection that may be worth trying. Tulips do not need to be planted until November but if you want specific varieties it may be worth getting your order in sooner rather than later. I have received two bulb catalogues and the newspaper had a special offer this morning on lily flowers tulips. If you can’t get to a specialist nursery try mail order as your bulbs will be supplied at the right time and in good condition.

Scented Botanical or Species Tulips

• T. aucheriana rich sweet flowers open flat
• T. celsiana Persian tulip June blooms delicious scent
• T. gesneriana scarlet flowers sweetly scented
• T. primulina primrose yellow flowers smelling of lily of the valley
• T. saxatillis lilac flowers with primrose scent
• T. suaveolensscarlet scented blooms
• T. sylvestris Lemon-yellow with sweet perfume
• T .fragrans pronounced scent as you would expect with a name like that

Other Fragrant Tulips worth Considering

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I have not grown Monarda or Bergamot as an annual or a perennial. This large bed of perennial Monarda hybrid ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ was very showy and looked exceptionally good in a sunny well mulched site.

Some plants attain a status of the must have plants or flowers of the moment, (do you remember when no one grew Verbena Bonariensis). If this Monarda isn’t already in great demand (and I have missed the boat) then it is destined to be in future. The tufty red tops on the flowers are a strong red colour and grew 2-3 foot tall.

Cape primrose known as Streptocarpus now come in a wide range of colours and bi-colours. I like ‘Roulette Cherry’ a maroon with white center. Still my favourite is the pure white ‘Albatross’ AGM with just a hint of yellow in the center. regular readers will know I tip a lot of AGM plants, the RHS award of garden merit, because if it is good enough for the RHS I have to make a real botch of it not to get a decent plant.

A comparatively new range of seven ‘all year around’ flowering Streptocarpus are sold by Dibleys nursery under the banner ‘Crystal Series’. The flowers are smaller but initially more numerous. I have been a bit frustrated by the sparse flowers from Autumn onward and don’t think they are worth growing in preference the main cultivars. Crystal Ice has an AGM and is white with a purple throat.

• For more information or read the Streptocarpus book.
• Shallow pots are recommended but I find the roots quickly matt up and become hard to water.
• I have taken to only using clay pots (Wide Toms)
• Start with AGM varieties.
• Dibleys attend a large number of plant & flower shows

Similar to spinach with a slightly bitter flavour Swiss Chard is pungent and slightly salty. It contains an exceptionally impressive list of health promoting nutrients. Although Swiss Chard is available throughout the year, its season runs from June through August when it is at its best.

• Swiss Chard is a tall leafy green vegetable with a thick, crunchy stalk that comes in white, red or yellow with wide fan-like green leaves.
• It is ornamental enough to grow in the border.
• Chard is easy to grow from seed and grows upto 18 inches tall and spread.
• Eat and cook Chards like spinach. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.
• ‘Ruby Red’ has stunning deep veins and can be picked young.
• ‘Bright Lights’ is a seed mixture ready within a month
• Organic seed is available and if growing it organically watch out for slugs

Can you see a smell?

The scent from this rose should be pulsing through the internet in waves of perfume. It certainly pulsed through the RHS garden at Harlow Carr with a far spreading aroma. The light rain (well it is an English rose in an English summer) probably enhanced the sweet scent as the fragrant oil was dissolved and let loose. Moss roses have furry growths which at a glance look like aphids but are in fact oil glands that provide fragrance.

White flowers attract pollinating insects, butterflies and sometimes birds by the scent and source of nectar. They do not use colour for obvious reasons. For this reason white flowers in a species are often far more scented than coloured equivalents. Some of the most scented flowers are white including Philadelphus, Lily of the Valley and members of the Rose family.

Hints on other Achillea to grow