Tips for Growing Series – Gardeners Tips

Growing Iris siberica

September 25, 2024 hortoris

Iris sibirica is a clump forming member or the Iris family. In this walled garden the clump has been left undivided for several years and looks good in early summer with its blue flowers held above the foliage.

Growing Siberian Iris

Iris siberica is widely and easily grown in gardens with moist sunny conditions.
This Iris is the parent plant of many hybrids that vary widely in flower colour.
The roots grow and spread with the foliage, neither bulbs, rhizomes nor stolonesque.
The flower stems usually carry three buds which open to 3″ wide flowers.
The leaves look deep brown in Autumn.

Siberian Iris Botany

Iris siberica is one of eleven species of Siberian iris split into two groups.
28 Chromosome group are the easiest to growÂ comprising Iris siberica, closely related Iris typhifolia and Iris sanguinea .
Iris siberica has been cultivated since Carolus Clusius 1526-1609 and there are numerous hybrids.
40 Chromosome species include I. bulleyana, I. chryographes, I. clarkie, plus the later flowering I. delavayi, I. dykesii, I. forrestii and I. wilsonii.
In another series Tripetalae there are 2 more species the easy grown Iris setosa, 2-3′ tall with six or more flowers and Iris tridentata.

Hydrangeas Gardeners Tips

September 4, 2024 hortoris

Hydra may be a monster but Hydrangeas can be stunningly beautiful.

Hydrangea are easy to grow, voluminous shrubs with long lasting flower-heads. They can grow to be handsome 6 foot high and wide shrubs.

Growing Hydrangea Early autumn is the best time to plant new Hydrangeas. If planting in spring take more care with watering and mulch the plants to keep the soil damp. Hydrangeas grow best in semi shade in rich moist soil. Trim off old flower heads and dead stems in spring. Give them a balanced fertilizer in spring.

Choose the Right Variety Mophead or Hortensia hydrangeas are the type that have pompom like heads that open into a globe shape such as â€˜Blue Bonnet’ or ‘Forever Pink’. Lacecap varieties have flat heads whose flowers do not open at the same time.
Quercifolias often have pyramid shaped white flowers and oak shaped leaves. Annabelle is the best known and well liked variety of Hydrangea arborescens.
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Help Change the Colour of Hydrangeas

September 3, 2024 hortoris

What Causes and Changes Hydrangea Colour

Hydrangeas grown in the presence of metal salts, particularly Iron or Aluminium sulphates, will turn blue.
Plants growing in acid soil will turn the best form of blue but acid soil on its own is no guarantee of a blue Hydrangea.
Pale pink varieties tend to change to the deepest blue.
Dark pink varieties tend to turn mauve or muddy purple when treated with metal salts.
Blue varieties will seldom turn pink unless all the metal salts are washed out and withheld. Even then it may be a naturally pink variety.
You can buy a bluing agent or colourant from a garden centerelp change the colour from pink to blue. You can introduce metal salts in other ways like us to hing rusty nails or even tealeaves in the soil.

Pot and Container Grown Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas need plenty of water – just a reminder. However they can be grown in pots both outdoors and as a houseplant.
Mix blueing agent if required with the soil when potting a hydrangea. Water weekly with a solution of water and colourant dissolved in a little hot water then diluted per the instructions on the packet.

Help White Hydrangeas

White varieties of Hydrangea will stay white despite the gardener.
As white flowers age they may take on a pink tinge to the outer-side of the petals.
White flowers will last longer with some shade before turning brown.
The Hydrangea panniculata Limelight pictured has a natural green tinge that looks very attractive under larger trees.

Coloured Hydrangeas

Mophead Hydrangea Macrophylla ayesha shown above is purple on this neutral London soil and flowers on previous seasons wood.
Most neutral and alkaline soils produce pink Hydrangeas whilst an acid soil will have a blue flower.
White Hydrangeas remain white or the bracts get tinged pink as they age.
These colour rules apply to Lacecap hydrangeas where the bract-petals don’t all open and have a looser more subtle effect.
To turn a pink Hydrangea blue add aluminium salts or iron salts. You can add by powder or colourant mixes.
A Pink hydrangea needs no aluminium and lime is used to restrict its uptake of metal salts.

Other Hydrangeas

Hydrangea arborescens is smaller than many hydrangeas, they are around 3ftÂ height and spread. One of the best varieties is ‘Annabelle’ which is a mound forming shrub which is compact and requires little pruning. The flowers are a very showy, large and white.
Hydrangea paniculata are generally larger and have a large cone or pantical of flowers
Hydrangea quercifolia has large lobed leaves like oak leaves
Hydrangea anomala is a climbing plant that has attractive mahogany brown stems and lush, bright green, deciduous foliage. The lacecap flowers last just a few weeks in summer.

Further information on Grow healthy hydrangeas
Tips for Growing Hydrangeas and Hydrangea Aspera

Amazon supply Colourant to change hydrangeas click here

Simple Daffodils

September 1, 2024 tejvan

Autumn is a good time to think of planting some more daffodils for cutting or naturalising.

Daffodils are one of the easiest plants to grow. If basic care is given, the bulbs can flower year after year.

Planting Daffodils.

The best time for planting daffodils is in September and October. They can be planted in the green in late spring. But, usually do fine through planting in autumn.

The most important thing when planting daffodils is to plant them at the correct depth. As a basic guide the depth want to be 3 times the length of the bulb. E.g. if the bulb is 2.5 inches. They should be planted at a depth of 7-8 inches. However, it is better to err on the side of planting more deeply. Planting them more deeply makes it less likely they will dry out.

Feeding Daffodils

After flowering, it is advisable to sprinkle a fertilizer around the base of the leaves. This gives the chance for the bulbs to gain greater strength for future years.

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Oenothera biennis Our Evening Primrose

July 7, 2024 hortoris

The Evening Primrose is one of my favourite, limeish yellow, summer, biennial flowers. 2024 is becoming a spectacular year for my plants growing in a wall.

Evening Primrose Oenothera glazioviana

Evening Primrose Growing

These plants are capable of seeding profusely
The large-flowered evening-primrose Oenothera glazioviana is one of 4 common UK species
There are another dozen species and many hybrids and crosses.
Evening primroseÂ flower from June to September. and seeds are produced in mid-August
There is a fragrant evening-primrose Oenothera stricta.

Evening Primrose Medical Benefits

The plant is common and popular in the USA and its roots are eaten and used for various purposes. Gardeners Path say it can ‘help a number of conditions including eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual syndrome, and osteoporosis and oil of Evening primrose can be used to regulate blood pressure and to keep the immune system functioning’.

Grow Top Patio Roses

March 14, 2024 hortoris

What is a Patio Rose if it isn’t a rose grown on a patio?
Patio roses grow bigger and bushier than miniatures and are about 14 -24 inch high, yet they are perfectly formed. H.T. Bush and Floribunda roses grow bigger but Patio roses are easy and decorative.

Patio Roses are easy for growing in small spaces and can be useful in many other garden locations. They can be grown in containers and pots or just planted near your front door.

Easy Places to Grow Patio Roses

Edging plants in front of other plants or in a narrow border on their own.
Some varieties make an attractive small hedge.
They all look well planted in groups 3-5-7 of each variety.
They are not house plants and are as hardy as larger roses.
Patio Roses are great for tubs and containers but remember to feed, water and mulch them.
Combined with summer bedding plants they will flower all summer long.

Growing Tips For Patio Roses

Minimum pruning in late February or March will help keep them tidy.
Plant in full sun for the best show.
They are of course totally hardy and being perennials will appear year after year.
Roses are outdoor plants and do not survive in the house.

More information from Amazon in ‘Growing Miniature and Patio Roses’ by Dawn and Barry Eagle £6.99

Top Ten Repeat flowering Patio Roses

Some special varieties providing a great display of colour and scent include:

Loving Wishes A free flowering rose with good disease resistance and scented, scarlet-red blooms
Golden Wishes The flowers are golden yellow with a slight fragrance and 14″ tall
Flower Power produces peach-salmon blooms with a spicy scent
Golden Anniversary Large fragrant golden rounded flowers with yellow centres from summer to autumn. Upright bush habit.
Red or Yellow Sunblaze,
Sweet Dreams, or Sweet Magic,
Charmant,
Flirt,
Diamond Wishes
One of the smaller varieties is not surprisingly called Peter Pan.

There seems to be a named patio rose for most birthday and anniversary event if you shop around – that is modern marketing for you.

June is a wonderful time to appreciate the variety of easy care patio roses that are now available.

Third Year of outstanding Flowering

Facts about Patio Rose

Small and miniature versions of the traditional floribunda type of rose are being bred of the smaller gardens, window boxes, patios or decking areas.
‘Peter Beales’ rose grower offers patio climbers, ramblers and a variety of shrub roses for patios
Patio roses can thrive in pots, containers or direct in the ground
The smaller cousins ‘miniature roses’ grow to a height of between 12 and 18 inches.
Patio plants grow up to 30″ tall are generally hardy and repeat well.

Yorkshire Princess Patio Rose

Care Tips for Patio Roses

I have been fortunate but there have been no greenfly or bug infestations of any note. I would be ready with a garlic spray or proprietary insecticide if needs must.
Only one out of a dozen plants has suffered from black spot and as you can see the pots are close together so I must be lucky.
I gave my plants a mini prune in early spring after a winter prune to keep the plants short and prevent wind damage

On My Patio with Room for More

Columbines, Aquilegia, Paraquilegia & Semiaquilegia

March 7, 2024 hortoris

Genetic purity cannot be guaranteed with a species that has been bred and cultivated for centuries. The above Aquilegia flabellata is an alpine species found in Japan and the Kurile Islands. (Flabellata means fan-shaped)

Columbine Growing Tips

A porous soil is better than hard clay but Columbines grow in most soils preferring alkalinity.
Columbines like partially shady spots, and may be happy planted under leafy trees.
With long tap roots, they establish themselves where they are planted, so they may be difficult to move after a couple years.
Plants are hardy and do not require extra fertilizer.
Columbines are relatively pest and disease free but aphid attacks may need treatment

Columbine Features

Columbines range from 4″ to 4′ high
Columbines last 4 years and more depending on variety. You can extend life expectancy by cutting down flowered stalks prior to seeding.
Grow these beauties from seed – a variety pack of columbine seeds will no doubt delight you with the end product. If you are in a hurry you can buy pot grown plants but division of plants is seldom successful.
Columbines cross-pollinate readily and willingly so it can be fun growing from your self- collected seed.
65 species are discussed in Robert Nolds book ‘Columbines’

More photos on Growing Aquilegia

The long spurred Aquilegias are showy perrenial plants that are easy to grow from seed sown March to June. These cottage garden favourites grow up to three feet tall on thin stems without hindering other plants. They are not too fussy about conditions tolerating some shade and dry spells.

Tips on growing – Aquilegia

Aquilegias can be grown and used as cut flowers.
There are smaller varieties for rock gardens and patio pots such as A .Tiddlywinks
For a quick impact buy ready grown plants
Spurless double flowers like A. Noral Barlow and A William Guiness tend to be longer lived but I think they are less showy.
A. chrysatha is tolerant of shade try A. Yellow Queen and I like A. vulgaris with pure white flowers and grey green foliage.
The plants can be short lived but self sow and hybridise with other aquilegias. This can lead to inferior smaller seedlings and it may be best to start again as the plants are so easy to grow.

Hydrangeas At Thorp Perrow

March 3, 2024 hortoris

This Hydrangea panniculata Limelight was one of several under-planted trees at Thorp Perrow Arboretum. In full flower at the beginning of September this Hydreagea was one of 70 or so species and varieties planted in the grounds. Different parts of the arboretum have soils with PH values of 6.7 to an acidic 4.6 . There is marshy and wet ground despite the 15,000 trees drawing water from the land.

This Hydrangea quercifolia or oak leaved hydrangea looks a bit bedraggled in the photograph but it looked marvelous insitu. Quercifolia are medium sized shrubs worth growing for the leaf colour in autumn.

The volume of flowers and bracts on the one head was astonishing. There are many interesting Hydrangeas to see at Thorpe Perrow and I recommend buying the authoritative catalogue (£3.75) listing the featured trees and shrubs by location, name, origin and often age.

Hydrangea Villosa group are hairy leaved shrubs. This glorious specimen was at least 8 feet high and made a startling feature in moderately acid soil.

For more information on Thorp Perrow see Gods Own County

After a good wet year for Hydrangeas, please can we have more sun next summer.

This was first posted in September 2012 now with updates

Clematis for Pots and Containers

February 26, 2024 hortoris

Tips for Growing Clematis in Pots

Use a large pot, bigger the better as the roots need room to grow and the soil needs to hold moisture. 18″ depth and diameter are needed.
Use good quality compost and add a slow release fertiliser.
Top dress each year and add more slow release fertiliser.
Repot when the compost is totally denuded of goodness, perhaps every 5 years.
Plant deeply as you would in the garden, to avoid clematis wilt.
Water regularly and avoid drying winds and strong sunshine.
Support the vine with a good quality, firm framework.

‘Adventures in Clematis Propagation by billums who tried this successfully the year before last, but only with one little pot. Last spring I tried again on a much larger scale.

You just take a Clematis vine and run it through a pot of soil and it will take root. Not much effort involved if the damn squirrels would quit digging the vines out of the pots.

You do have to do this right when the vines first pop up and are still flexible enough to bend into a “U” shape to run through the pot without breaking.’ CC BY 2.0

‘Which’ Recommended Clematis Varieties for Pots

Chantilly is a small flowering rain resistant white clematis.
The Vagabond grows 4 feet tall in a pot and has a long flowering season.
Early summer flowering Rebecca has deep red flowers and like most varieties suitable for pots, only needs a light pruning in early spring.
Crystal Fountain is one of my favourites looking like a quilled, double flowered clematis in a pale lilac.

Pots suitable for Clematis

Select good looking pots and containers. Only the skeleton will be visible in winter.
Unusual containers may be created from reclamation or recycling activities.
Ensure you create drainage holes.
Pots need to hold healthy hairy roots at least 12″ long.
A wide pot can also support some annual trailing plants to disguise the pot edges.
If using terracotta pots line the inner walls with polythene to reduce evaporation.
Are you ‘Pushing your luck’ with so many good clematis grown in the ground. I’ve moved away from pots and containers for my clematis.

Rampant and Strong Clematis Unsuitable for Pots

Clematis Venosa Violacea
Clematis armandii
Clematis cirrhosa ‘Freckles’
Clematis montana and its relatives

Interest in Flag Iris is Flagging

February 24, 2024 hortoris

Wild Flag Iris are easy to grow. The flowers are bright yellow, blue or purple. The seed heads show bright red seeds and are quite decorative.

Where to Plant

Wild Flag grow in most damp borders but look best near ponds or streams.
On the edge of a pond the roots will creep into the water and a large clump will grow.
Wild Flag Iris will flower in a shady area providing a splash of colour when other plants are over.

Growing Tips

Flag Iris grow from horizontally growing Rhizomes.
Buy plump roots without soft mushy parts. Cut foliage down to 3- 4″ before planting.
Keep new plants well watered.
Top dress in autumn with good compost.
Increase your stock by dividing the root in late summer after blooming has finished.
Sow fresh seed in late summer but it may take 3 years to bloom.

Varieties and Colours

Iris pseudacorus has yellow or golden blooms up to 4 feet tall.
Iris pseudacorus variegata has cream stripes in the green leaves.
Iris virginica is a small growing blue iris.
Iris versicolour rosea has lilac-pink flowers.

Avoid Stinking Iris feotidissima

I know it is a Maple leaf and not an Iris but it amused me.

Upgrading Iris
I renovated my Iris last September. The centre was woody and no longer producing flowers.
I cut out old material and planted new lengths of Rhizome in rows laid flat like a cigar.
I made sure they would get the sun by only half burying them and running rows East to West.
I will be interested to see what the result is like in a few weeks time.
It was a great way to increase my stock

This year I must try to be a bit tidier when I reduce the flags to stop wind rock