Good plant #121 - Pyracantha 'Orange Glow'

This is a gardener's favourite evergreen shrub often used for climbing. It produces masses of white flowers in spring followed by long-lasting bright orange berries from autumn.

If you need to prune to shape, it is best done in late winter/ early spring.

It's a do-er in almost any soil an set against a wall. It will thrive in sunny and part shady sites.

You can take cuttings from late spring through summer.

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Good plant #120 - Rudbekia 'Goldsturm'

This is a very reliable and easy to grow variety of this much loved perennial. It will grow into a hefty clump really quickly and produce masses of flowers that persist very late into autumn.

It looks great in a prairie border or any other late flowering setting.

It will tolerate all but the most shady site and almost any soil type.

You can divide it in spring when the first shoots appear.

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Good plant #119 - Euphorbia Blackbird

A stunning euphorbia that provides both structure and colour. It is very compact and will tolerate very dry conditions once established. It doesn't seem to spread as much some varieties.

It thrives best in sunny well-drained and moderately fertile situations. However, it will cope with part shade and very dry conditions once established.

I remove fading flower heads of spurges.

You can divide this in spring after it has established for a couple of years.

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Good plant #118 - Symphytum x Uplandicum 'Axminster Gold'

This is a gorgeous hardy perennial foliage plant that produces clusters of bluey-pink flowers. It's grown mainly for its dramatic, large and variegated leaves - one of the best in my opinion. It contrasts well with dark green plants like Hakonechloa Macra in part shady moist sites.

After flowering you can cut it back and get a new flush of leaves.

It will tolerate sun and part shade and likes moist fertile soil - even very poorly drained soil.

You can divide the clump in spring.

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Good plant #117 - Helianthus Annuus 'Dwarf Sungold'

This is my favourite dwarf sunflower. It produces masses of pom pom like flowers from many branches. Several of these in a large pot look fantastic.

The leaves seem to be tasty for every type of insect, slug and snail. I recommend that young plants should be protected with as many deterrents as your conscience will permit.

The sunnier the site the better. They prefer moist but well drained and fertile soil. Just as flower buds begin to appear I feed them with a soluble general purpose fertlizer. If you grow them in a pot, water regularly.

These hardy annual plants are grown from seed, which can be sown outside in April.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:http://greenshootsgardeningandhorticulture.blogspot.com/ and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Weeding the easy way

Weeds are often described as plants in the wrong place. If you want to cut down weeding, put a weed barrier down in winter or very early spring. I find a porous woven fabric sheet and 2-4" layer of bark does the trick.

Weeds are either:

(1) Annual weeds (which last a year)

(2) Ephemeral weeds (which last less than a year)

(3) Perennial weeds (which come back year after year)

The best ways to get rid of categories (1) and (2) are hand picking, hoeing (on a hot dry day), or burning them with a flame. This is best done when the seedlings appear in spring and summer so the weeds do not set seed.

Perennial weeds take a bit more work because many perennial weeds will come back after hand picking, hoeing or burning unless you remove/ damage the entire root system. Your options include:

(1) Remove all soil and vegetation to a depth of two to three feet and replace with some new screened soil in winter - expensive but effective

(2) Apply a glyphosate systemic fetiliser when the weeds are in full growth summer - effective but needs to be applied carefully so as not to damage other plants

(3) Be vigilant and carefully remove the entire vegetative growth and root system of each weed - effective but time-consuming

Some weeds require professional attention, such as Japenese Knot Weed.

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Good plant #116 - Acanthus Spinosus L.

This is a very statuesque perennial with tall flower spikes and glossy and spiny leaves. One of its great strengths, is that it is very drought tolerant.

It'll grow in any deep and well-drained soil and tolerates all but the most shaded sites but it does best in plenty of sun.

You can divide it in spring, once it has had a couple of years to establish.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:http://greenshootsgardeningandhorticulture.blogspot.com/ and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.

Good plant #115 - Eupatorium Maculatum Atropurpureum

This is a huge late flowering herbaceous perennial - it can get to 7ft in height and spread in fertile soil. It's a great plant for the back of the border with its purple stems and pinky flowers. It looks great mixed in with late flowering grasses like miscanthus and cortaderia.

It prefers moist and fertile-ish soil and will grow in all but the most shady of sites.

You can divide it in spring.

For more good plants and gardening tips click here:http://greenshootsgardeningandhorticulture.blogspot.com/ and check out the archive at the bottom of the page.