STILL FLOWERING IN NOVEMBER

Dianthus amurensis has been flowering constantly since late July. It still looks fresh in November.
Cobaea pringlei and Cestrum parqui started late - probably due to the cold winter but have made huge growth all summer and are still going stong..

SHADE LOVING PLANTS FOR JUNE AND JULY.

These plants do not require too much moisture and are growing strongly now.


Ligularia intermedia - BSWJ606a and Pseudolysimachion kiusianum set off the splendid

Veratrum ‘Irish Green’ a gift from the (equally splendid ) Margaret Owen.

EMERGING FOLIAGE

Some of the new foliage unfolding at the minute deserves a closer look.

ROY LANCASTER AT STONE HOUSE COTTAGE GARDEN.

Thanks to Roy Lancaster for this article in the September issue of the RHS publication 'The Garden'.www.shcn.co.uk/roy1.htm

WOODLANDERS IN AUGUST

Woodland plants seem to be associated with spring but here are three that are at their best now.

They all prefer some moisture as well as shade.

Briggsia kurzii is a hairy leaved creeping rhizome from Sikkim. It grows to about 18" and the flowers resemble a yellow foxglove.

Roscoea 'Red Gurkha' has stout red flowers now. The foliage does not appear until quite late in the spring which makes it a perfect partner for a summer dormant plant.

Anemonopsis macrophylla is an elegant Japanese perennial and flowers for some weeks during July and August. Like the others it likes to be moist in the summer but never too wet during the winter months.

BORDERS AT STONE HOUSE COTTAGE IN JULY 2010

INDIGOFERAS

These beautiful shrubs never fail to delight me. They are shrubby legumes with bright pink flowers and delicate pinnate foliage.
They prefer full sun and a well drained soil.
The first to flower here is Indigofera hebepetala, it makes a wide spreading shrub and flowers on bare wood in early May. It looks a bit like a miniature Judas tree.

Indigofera pendula comes out later and is a more fastigiate grower. It has pinky-lilac flowers that hang from the branches for many weeks.

Indigofera subverticillata beats the lot.
It starts in June and seems to go on all summer and into the autumn. The flowers are pink but fuller and with a hint of peach. Mine is 8' high and was undeterred  by last winter - but I do grow it against a wall.