Posted on 18.06.2020 |
Added in Featured Conservation Plants
Spring into Summer
This month I thought it might be interesting to look at how some of the conservation plants have performed so far this year.
The first to show in the persistent rain of February and March were Vinca minor ‘Mrs Betty James’, Bergenia ‘Pugsley’s Pink’ and Pulmonaria ‘Erway Farm’.
 Vinca minor ‘Mrs Betty James’ |
 Bergenia ‘Pugsley’s Pink’ |
 Pulmonaria ‘Erway Farm’ |
By April the erysimums, (from top left) E. ‘Bowles’s Yellow’, E. ‘Bloody Warrior’ and E. ‘Ruston Royal’ were basking in hot sunshine along with Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica ‘Arctic Joy’ providing cool tones of white and green,
 E. ‘Bowles’s Yellow’ |
 E. ‘Bloody Warrior’ |
 E. ‘Ruston Royal’ |
 Arabis alpina subsp. caucasica ‘Arctic Joy’ |
while the emerging leaves of Rodgersia podophylla ‘Instow’ and the Heuchera ‘Burgundy Frost’ added texture and foliage colour. Heuchera ‘Snowflakes’ resembled a snow flurry with a mass of tiny white flowers on long wands.
 Rodgersia podophylla ‘Instow’ |
 Heuchera ‘Burgundy Frost’ |
 Heuchera ‘Snowflakes’ |
 Heuchera ‘Snowflakes’ |
May felt like midsummer and some plants flowered earlier than usual with Penstemon ‘Margery Fish’ packing a punch and Erigeron ‘Sincerity’, both much loved by bees.
 Penstemon ‘Margery Fish’ |
 Erigeron ‘Sincerity’ |
Elegance too from Iris sibirica ‘Peter Hewitt’ and Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Glencoe’.
 Iris sibirica ‘Peter Hewitt’ |
 Zantedeschia aethiopica ‘Glencoe’ |
This month the summer show continues with Iris x robusta ‘Dark Aura’, Geranium x oxonianum ‘Fran’s Star’ and Phlox maculata ‘Snow Blush’ along with little gems such as Geranium ‘Pink Delight’ and Dianthus ‘Gold Dust’.
 Geranium ‘Pink Delight’ |
 Iris x robusta ‘Dark Aura’ |
 Phlox maculata ‘Snow Blush’ |
 Dianthus ‘Gold Dust’ |
 Geranium x oxonianum ‘Fran’s Star’ |
All these plants grow reasonably well on my thin stony soil with added mulch and occasional watering for those which like damper conditions and I was fortunate to escape the late frost this year which caused significant damage for many gardeners.
There are many conservation plants still to come in the latter half of the year and I will do another review in the autumn.
