Green Fingers: The joy of May flowering plants
If space is restricted I sometimes use the fruiting apple as the small ornamental tree in the garden and a few apples at the end of the summer is always welcome.
A combination of longer daylight hours, warm temperatures and enough rain has seen buds and growth bursting on plants within a short space of time. Nature is catching up, as it always seems to do and never ceases to amaze and delight.
While all aspects of gardening should be a pleasure or at least give some satisfaction, there are some things that give more pleasure than others. For anyone who wants to grow fruit and vegetables, the preparation, sowing and planting has to be done or you will not obtain a harvest. For those who do neither food crops but have an ornamental garden in which to relax and chill, there is no such priority or pressure, and it is simply a case of getting the grass in order, cleaning up the shrubbery beds and maybe plant up the patio containers for the summer.
There are many plants that seem to hold the whole garden together and we call them structural plants. These plants are solid hardy types that with little or no fuss keep on giving generously with flowers, foliage or fruit.
I shall mention a few of them now that you might be interested in reading about, even though some may be in your garden already.
I like apple blossom whether on a fruiting or ornamental tree as the combination of white and pink petals are visually very attractive and last longer than many of the cherry blossoms.
If space is restricted I sometimes use the fruiting apple as the small ornamental tree in the garden and a few apples at the end of the summer is always welcome.
The newer ornamental crab apple varieties are far superior to the older varieties and are also disease free so stick with some of the following: ‘Evereste’, which has red buds opening to white flowers followed by red flushed, orange-yellow fruits in the autumn. ‘Gorgeous’ has pink buds opening to white flowers followed by long lasting crimson reds fruits.
One of the most beautiful plants to be introduced in recent years has to be Viburnum plicatum ‘Kilimanjaro Sunrise’. It grows typically in a small pyramid to around 2.5m (8’) or less with pruning and has white lace cap flowers followed by red berries and coloured leaves in the autumn but just prior to that, a second flush of flowers occur with pink tinged white flowers. It can be also be grown as a small tree or focal point in a landscape design.
Many exciting plants belong to a group that needs to be grown in acid soils. If you can grow rhododendrons and perhaps your hydrangeas turn blue, then you have acid soil and you can grow practically any plant.
On the other hand there are areas of the South East which contain lime, such as parts of Dungarvan and areas in Kilkenny too and for these areas acid loving plants like Rhododendrons, azaleas and pieris, among others, have to be grown in a container or in a raised bed with acid soil or compost. As they are so beautiful I feel that it is worth making an effort to grow some. To find out some more about your soil, all you have to do is ask at your garden centre.
In this part of Ireland the risk of a bad frost is low and, therefore, most of the seasoned gardeners are happy to plant out most of the vegetable and flowering plants, including direct sowing of seeds into the ground but do protect plants from slugs.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include it in a future article.
