Getting prickly

11:27am Saturday 16th August 2008

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Gloves at the ready, Gina Parkinson inspects an invading thistle which will have to go, and nurtures one she does want in the garden.

A THISTLE has appeared in our garden this year, not a small irritating weed in the lawn but a majestic specimen growing tall in the back of the border.

The reddish-purple flowers have attracted a lot of bees and other insects, and as an architectural statement it is impressive, even though the spines are fearsomely sharp. They are on the leaves, stems and flowerhead and I have soon learnt that gloves are needed anywhere near this plant.

Since I have no recollection of putting this plant in the garden, the variety is a mystery, but research in books and online seems to suggest it is possibly Cirsium vulgare.

If this is correct, the specimen that has landed here is not a desirable ornamental garden must-have, but is instead a weed and an invasive one at that. This is disappointing since I have admired this thistle for most of the summer as it has got taller and mingled beautifully with its neighbours, mustard yellow achillea and fennel and purple Verbena bonariensis.

Despite one gardener’s weed being another’s prize specimen, I think I will stick to one year’s enjoyment of this plant and remove it from the garden before it spreads itself about too much.

I’m going to try another from the thistle family, but will go for an ornamental relative such as the perennial Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’.

This has the traditional reddish purple thistle type flower heads that attract the bees and other insects we need to have in the garden, but is less prickly. It likes good moisture-retentive soil – the term rivulare means to grow by a steam – in sun or light shade and can be persuaded to repeat flower from July until the autumn, if spent flower heads and stems are cut back. While the cirsium described above is an unexpected visitor to our garden, a couple of sea hollies, Eryngium tripartitum, growing in a dry sunny bed have been slowly developing for the past couple of summers. They were bought from a bargain bin as two bare roots in a bag of dry compost and, not surprisingly, didn’t do much last year, apart from forming rosettes of rounded green leaves.

After lying dormant over the winter, this year they have sent up tall branching wiry stems. At the end of each is a small bright blue flower with a similarly coloured bract.

The tops of the stems are also the same metallic blue and the flowers are often covered in bees and hoverflies.

Given a dry, sunny spot this plant can be left to grow undisturbed over many years, apart from pushing in a couple of peasticks in spring to support the stems. The flowering stems can be cut for indoor decoration or left on the plant until late winter before being tidied away as new growth appears.

Garden show

On Saturday, August 30, the York Organic Gardeners Association is holding its second Organic Fruit and Veg Show at Brunswick Nursery, Bishopthorpe.

There are lots of classes to enter (see website: www.yorkorganicgardenersassociation.org.uk for the schedule).

Entries are welcome from any organic gardeners in our area, both members and non-members of York Organic Gardeners Association. As entries will be judged on taste, rather than just appearance as in traditional shows, after the prize giving there will be opportunities for the produce to be tasted by visitors. Entrants are encouraged to state the variety of the produce if known, as this can be useful for other gardeners interested in growing something different next year.

Home-made refreshments and lunches will be available, and the Brunswick shop will be open. There are lots of prizes to be won, and a cup for the overall winner. More information can be found on the website above or from show secretary Chris Bond on 01759 302147.

Gardening TV and radio

Sunday, August 17

8am, Radio Humberside, Gardening Phone-in. With Blair Jacobs and Doug Stewart (telephone number 01482 225959).

9am, Radio Leeds, Gardening with Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, BBC Radio 4, Gardeners’ Question Time. Bunny Guinness, John Cushnie, Bob Flowerdew and chairman Peter Gibbs are in Newark-on-Trent, where they help members of Collingham and District Gardening Association with their horticultural problems. Meanwhile, Anne Swithinbank and Pippa Greenwood look at the Liliaceae family and the gardening weather forecast is at 2.25pm.

Friday, August 22

8pm, BBC2, Gardeners’ World Special. Rachel de Thame looks at the concept of the cottage garden and comes up with some contemporary ideas as climate change threatens some iconic cottage garden plants.

Saturday, August 23.

7am, BBC Radio York, The Plant Surgery. Presented by Julia Booth with horticulturist Nigel Harrison.