Growing Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Spectabilis)

Growing Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Spectabilis)

bleeding heart

Dicentra spectabilis or bleeding heart name is actually – Lamprocapnos spectabilis.
Bleeding heart is a rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plant native to eastern Asia from Siberia south to Japan. It produces wonderfully delicate flowers from long arching stems. It makes a wonderful addition to any mixed border, and can be very easy to grow.

  • In the UK, after flowering, the plant tends to die back where it lies dormant until next spring.
  • In fact the biggest problem with Bleeding heart is forgetting where you planted and then digging it up or planting other shrubs too close.

bleeding heart

Bleeding Heart makes good cut flower.

  • The plant is a natural woodland plant so needs protection from intense sun. In the north of England full sun, will probably be fine. Though in warmer climates it may need protecting from glare of midday sun.
  • When hot and sunny, keep well watered
  • Being a woodland plant, Bleeding heart are not heavy feeders, a good soil should be adequate for feeding requirements.
  • It is easiest to grow from tubers, which can be split when dormant. To grow from seed requires patience. Also you need to use fresh seed – the seed is very tiny – almost powdery.
  • Bleeding Heart do not need to be dead-headed or pruned. They will definitely not get too big.

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Euphorbia Euphoria

Euphorbia Euphoria

Euphorbia lambii

Euphorbia Facts

  • Euphorbia are the largest genus in the plant world with varieties on every continent except Antarctica.
  • 150 species that grow well in UK gardens are listed in the RHS Plant Finder from over 2000 species worldwide.
  • Euphorbia exist as tiny prostrate annuals, perennials and even Trees.
  • Some spiny Euphorbia can be confused with Cacti, If you are in Africa it will be a Euphorbia in America it will be a Cactus.
  • Spines of Euphorbia will be in pairs.
  • Euphorbia exude a white, sticky, irritating resin when scratched.

Euphorbia Groups

  1. Annuals, Biennials and Short Lived perennials  – grow, flower, seed and die in a season
  2. Annuals, Biennials and Short Lived perennials  – grow, flower, seed and die in a season
  3. Herbaceous Perennials – die back in winter so cut down when unattractive but some varieties have good autumn colour
  4. Biennial-Shooted evergreen perennials – grow leafy shoots that last 2 seasons then flower to be replaced by new shoots. Cut down to ground level when they look untidy
  5. Evergreen or deciduous shrubs – prune only when they grow too big.

Euphorbia atropupurea

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Wisteria Hysteria due to Scale Bugs

Wisteria Hysteria due to Scale Bugs

Wisteria

Spring flowering Wisteria are starting to clothe the walls with festoons of flowers.
It may be an excuse for newspapers to show pictures of Wisteria in full bloom but they are running a story about Asian insects wiping out our Wisterias.

The Problem

  • RHS entomologists are reputed to be very concerned about Wisteria scale insects  that are 10mm in diameter.
  • These insects deposit 1000’s of eggs to later feed on the plant’s sap.
  • Branches and whole plants will succumb over time.
  • Infections are worse around London and the south.
  • Stems can become heavily encrusted with scales.

The Future

  • Experts fear the bug may spread to other trees and fruit bushes.
  • Treat with a systemic insecticide – it is no time to worry about organic insecticides.
  • It also gives me a chance to show a white flowering Wisteria

White Wisteria

Tips for Moving Shrubs such as Forsythia

Tips for Moving Shrubs such as Forsythia

Forsythia

How do you move shrubs that have out grow their current location? When should you move flowering shrubs?

Tips for Moving Shrubs
Move plants only when unavoidable by digging around the plant to create a big root ball of soil.
Heavy rootballs can be dragged into place on a piece of sacking or an opened out compost bag.
Dig a £10 hole for a £5 plant, loosen the bottom of the hole, mix in some bone meal, back fill, tamp down the soil and water in.
Replant at the same depth – look for the soil level on the trunk or lower branches.
If the shrub is really big and bulky, prune it back hard before moving. You may loose some blossom the following season but it should regrow.

When to Move Plants
Move flowering shrubs in early winter when the shrub is dormant.
Incase of fatality take and root cuttings before moving.
If moving house ask permission of the new owner or stipulate your intentions when selling your property.
If you must move the plant when it is growing, water well for several days before, prune off unnecessary lush growth and do not allow the roots to dry whilst moving.

After Care
Keep your shrub well watered and mulched until it settles down.
Do not stress the plant by striving for excessive blooms in year one
Revitalise the soil around the old hole for your next plant. Humus and nutrients will be needed.

Join the Hardy Plant Society

Join the Hardy Plant Society

peaonie

The Hardy Plant Society is a friendly members organisation that specialises in perennials, plants that keep growing for years, and hardy plants, that will survive our British weather.

The regular feature ‘Plant of the month’ for May is Paeonia mascula ssp. russii. However they also give information on growing easier Peonies like Lutea and Peonie Ludlowii

Membership Benefits
All members of the Hardy Plant Society receive The Hardy Plant journal twice a year and a newsletter three times a year which provides information on all of the Society’s events, activities, interests and group contacts. There are also seed distributions, shows, open gardens, plant sales and a photo library for loan.

Specialist Groups within the society include:
Half Hardy Valerie Livesey 01970 880564 [email protected]
Hardy Geranium Oliver Folkard 01328 851468 [email protected]
Peony Gail Harland 01449 760553 [email protected]
Pulmonaria Barry Street 01494 [email protected]
Ranunculaceae Gill Regan 01795 890556 [email protected]
Variegated Plant Brian Dockerill 01443 402999 [email protected]

Local Groups
The Hardy Plant Society has around 40 local groups in the UK and national members are invited to join the group nearest to them. The wide range of gardening activities including informative lectures from local and national gardening speakers, garden visits and plant sales together with educational and social events throughout the year creates an active and informative club atmosphere .

Link for membership application form

Growing Basil a Sweetherb

Growing Basil a Sweetherb

Fragrant and sweet tasting Basil is an easy to grow, popular herb. Aka Sweet Basil, with many other basil types including Sweet Genovese, Thai basil, Lemon basil and Mexican spice basil there is a good range to grow.

Sow From Seed
In May or June fill small pots with moist multi-purpose compost. I use 3″ plastic pots.
Sprinkle seeds thinly on the surface. About 10-12 seeds per pot.
Cover lightly with fine compost or vermiculite.
Keep on a warm windowsill and seedlings will appear in about 2 weeks.

Growing Onward
After 4-6 weeks the seedlings can be planted into individual pots.
Then leave on the windowsill or harden off for outdoor planting
Treat the Basil as an annual.

Outdoor Basil
Plant out in June or July in a sunny sheltered spot.
They make good fragrant container plants.
Feed with a general purpose liquid feed and water little and often.
Pinch out the growing tip to get a bushy plant.

Using Basil
Leave the stems on pick and come again plants taking a few leaves each time.
Grow several plants if you need large quantities for Pesto or other culinary uses.
The seeds can be used to flavour a drink.

Credits
Basil has medicinal and calming properties.
Photo by Marmot on flickr
Seed suppliers

The Power of a Giant Flower Tower

The Power of a Giant Flower Tower

Public gardens are building more towers of flowers using bedding plants like Busy Lizzy.

Your Own Edifice
On a small scale you can grow mound for pounds by buying mini plugs.
Build a shape using chicken wire or proper units and incorporate containers at varying levels.
Instal a watering or irrigation method as you build.

Plants to Use
Busy Lizzie are a great start as the have a loose habit and will flower in some shade and that will be important if the structure is 360 degrees around
Trailing petunias will aslo do well at covering the structure quickly.
Tyrolean window boxes should also provide the idea of using red trailing geraniums

Thompson Morgan supplied the photograph and have an advisory service for those interested in the ‘Maxi Tower’ large structure.

Harlow Carr Library & Learning Centre is Eco Friendly

Harlow Carr Library & Learning Centre is Eco Friendly

HHarlow Carr Library & Learning Center

Harlow Carr continues to be a rising star amongst the Royal Horticultural Societies Gardens.
Opening in the next few weeks will be the new library and learning centre at the gardens in Harrogate.

‘The building, designed by one of the leading practitioners of sustainable building architect Andrew Yeats (Winner of the Queens Award For Sustainable Design), is designed to be one of the ‘greenest’ buildings in the UK with a zero carbon footprint.’ (Dean Peckett)

Eco Friendly Features
Super insulated, low energy consumption building.
It will have integrated renewable energy technologies including  rainwater harvesting and a grey water recycling system.
A small wind turbine will provide energy to the building and a ground source heat pump will help with the minimal heating requirements.
A sedum roof design to help blend the building into its surroundings and provide an insulating surface, promoting biodiversity and assisting with  the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Other Energy Saving Features include:
• Solar panels and Sun pipes
• Wind turbine
• Cement replacement concrete
• Clay blocks
• Natural ventilation
• Timber from sustainable sources.
These will all be incorporated by the main contractor William Birch of York.

If you are interested in ‘Homes for a Changing Climate’,  Will Anderson has a new book out.

Book Cover

No Chelsea Flower Show This Year?

No Chelsea Flower Show This Year?

Book Cover

If you can’t visit the Great Show this year £10 or so gets you a good book with memories of Chelsea flower shows inspirational aspects. ‘RHS Take Chelsea Home: Practical Inspiration from the Chelsea Flower Show‘ by Chris Young is available from Amazon by clicking here

Well illustrated with lots of photos and a huge amount of information ‘The book features best planning, design and decoration ideas from the last five years of shows, including masterclasses with gold-medal winners, celebrity designers, RHS experts and the world’s top plantsmen and plantswomen. The design and planting ideas inside the book are not just enviable but are made achievable for show-goers and armchair gardeners alike.’ It is so good you wont need to read Gardeners Tips much longer.

May 25-29th is Showtime
Visit London and ‘The Great Show’
Take in a show after the show with an organised break.

New Places for Growing Cress

New Places for Growing Cress

HC & York 115

Egg and Cress sandwiches from your own home grown cress – marvelous and so easy.

I liked the Cress growing in this large wine glass at a local cafe so I thought I would grow some as I did as a child.

  • Fill your glass with an absorbent paper towel or blotting paper.
  • Dampen the paper and if necessary add more paper so the Cress will grow above the rim of the glass. This is a bit low to get at the sprouted cress.
  • Sow seeds evenly onto the damp paper.
  • To get good germination, make sure the freshly sown seed is kept in the dark.
  • These will take from ten to fourteen days to mature.
  • Mustard grows 3 days quicker than cress so if growing both sow Mustard later.
  • As there is no drainage do not flood with water keep just damp.
  • Harvest whilst still young and crisp.

Proper cress as in “Mustard and Cress” is Lepidium sativum and the Mustard is Brassica hirta. Beware many supermarkets sell oilseed rape seedlings (Brassica napus) as Cress with little or no flavour.

Beware if you grow on soil the seed husks drag up the soil as the plant grows and can create a gritty feel to your harvest. I like the scent of growing Cress but it may not be to everyones taste.

Other places or receptacles for growing your crop of Cress could include a smart plant pot, broken or chipped china but not grannies best antiques. I put a pot on top of the TV and the water leaked and broke it!

Cress seeds and other ‘sprouters’ from Thompson Morgan