Container joy

1:04pm Saturday 26th July 2008

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Midsummer sees the triumph of hanging baskets and containers as they come into full bloom and greet us by the front door and on the patio as we step into the garden.

I love filling pots with baby bedding in the spring and watching them grow and bud during May. By June, the first flowers are appearing, even if the sun has failed to put in much of an appearance, with more and more trotting on to stage until the chorus is complete in July. With care most displays will last well into September and even into October.

The row of pelargoniums on our kitchen windowsill has grown well from the plantlets. They had barely a half-dozen leaves each in April are now strong bushy specimens covered in flowers. They are zonal pelargoniums with attractive rounded mid-green foliage marked with a darker ring, so even in their early flowerless stages they are interesting to look at. The blooms have no scent but the leaves give off an evocative aroma when the plants are watered.

Petunias are always a good choice for containers in a sunny site. Many are scented, some quite heavily so, and their perfume will wander into the house through an open door or window especially in the early morning or evening. I chose a darkly-veined deep red one this year to grow with the yellow centred blue daisies of Brachycome, white lobelia and a lilac alpine aster. All have thrived on a warm wall by the back door, and although petunias will cope with a little neglect as far as watering is concerned, the rest of the plants won’t so the pot has been watered daily come rain or shine.

This petunia container gets sun for a good part of the day from very early in the morning until mid afternoon. In contrast, the basket by the front door gets very little, just a few rays first and last thing in the day. However, it isn’t in deep shade and will support a number of flowering bedding plants throughout the summer. This year the beautiful large flowered pale pink fuchsia which stays in situ through the year has been joined by dark, almost black violas and mid blue and white flowered Bacopa together with a silvery leafed trailing foliage plant. These colours pick up those in the rest of the garden, variegated cornus and hosta and pink flowered Clematis ‘Hagley Hybrid’. Later in the summer white and pink flowered hydrangea will join the scheme.

Summer show

The Ancient Society of York Florists will hold its Summer Horticultural Show tomorrow in the Conference Hall at Askham Bryan College.

As usual, there will be excellent displays of seasonal flowers from top class growers, who this year include members of the British and European Geranium Society, who are holding their North-Eastern Region Championship in conjunction with the show.

There will also be a display of sweet peas, again from exhibitors skilled in growing these typical English summer garden plants. The show opens to the public from 11.30am-3pm. Admission is £1 and there is plenty of free parking in the nearby college car park.

Open gardens

Tomorrow

In aid of the Candlelighters and CLIC Sargent Children’s Cancer Groups
58 Rawcliffe Lane, off Shipton Road, Clifton, York. Established garden with two ponds, pergolas, rockeries, lawn, trees, brick paths, climbers and many perennials, including popular varieties and more unusual and choice species. Plants on sale, as be will cream teas and a range of garden inspired greeting cards. Open 10am-5pm. Admission £2 adult, 50p child.

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Holly Tree Cottage, Back Street, Burton Fleming, 11 miles north east of Driffield off the B1249. Small garden planted with more than 100 clematis and 50 roses as well as hardy geraniums, water features, wildlife areas and unusual plants and shrubs in colour-themed mixed borders. Open 1pm-5pm. Combined admission with The Ridings £5.

The Ridings, Bridlington Road, Burton Fleming, 11 miles north east of Driffield off the B1249. Cottage garden with a brick pergola and arches covered in climbers leading to a secret garden with lavender edges beds and colour-themed mixed borders. There is also a terrace with a water feature and a small vegetable plot and greenhouse. Open 1pm-5pm. Combined admission with Holly Tree Cottage £5.

Rustic Cottage, Front Street, Wold Newton, 13 miles north of Driffield off the B1249. Cottage garden with many unusual plants including roses, fragrant perennials and herbs grown with wild flowers to provide a habitat for wildlife. Open 11am-4pm. Admission £2. Within visiting distance of Holly Tree Cottage and The Ridings.

Wednesday

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme
Hunmanby Grange, www.hunmanbygrange.co.uk, Wold Newton, 12.5 miles south east of Scarborough. Three-acre garden created from an exposed field now sheltered by hedges and fences which provide shelter for a series of gardens planted for year round interest with seasonal highlights.

The adjacent nursery will be open and an artist will be working in the garden. This is the last time the garden will be open for the NGS this year. Open 1pm-5pm. Admission £3.