Good plant #137 - Viburnum 'Juddii'

Viburnums thrive here in Manchester.  In winter 2011/ 2012, many have flowered very early in the winter.  This particular variety is one of the later flowering viburnums - April/ May.   I like this deciduous (ish) variety for a few reasons.  It produces masses of fragrant clusters of flowers - almost obscuring the foliage.  Sometimes the foliage is purple in the autumn.  It is a compact variety.

This plant thrives in sun or part shade and prefers moist and fertile soil.  It benefits from a light trim after flowering to keep a nice shape.

You can take cuttings in summer.


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 #136 -Uncinia 'Belinda's Find'

This is an evergreen sedge with 'wow' factor stripy foliage.  It is ideal for bog gardens, moist shady areas and near pond edges.  I think it looks amazing in a low-sided pot as a specimen too, especially next to Carex Morrowii 'Ice Dance' - another sedge.

If you do use a pot for Belinda's Find, line it with a plastic bag with only a couple of holes and fill with  a 50:50 topsoil:compost mix plus water retaining crystals to make boggy conditions.

This plant has to have moist and fairly fertile soil conditions and does not like full summer sun.

You can divide this plant 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.

Good plant #135 - Anthriscus Sylvestris 'Ravenswing'

Although cow parsley can self seed prolifically, this purple variety is a stunner and can seed itself where it sees fit in my opinion. It has very feathery leaves and delicate frilly white flowers.

It tends to have a biennial habit.

You can restrict its seeding habit by removing the seed heads.  If it is in an exposed site it will need staking.

It will try to grow anywhere but does best in free draining soil and sunny-ish sites.

You propagate this from seed.

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 #134 - Buddleja 'Morning Mist'

I think this variety is also called 'Silver Anniversary'.  It's mainly grown for its strikingly silvery foliage which is accented by white flowers.  Unlike the more common buddlejas, this one will only get through the mildest of winters up here.  I recommend growing this in a pot and moving it indoors if there's any likelihood of frost.  Keeping it close to the house during winter will stop over-wetting.

Like other buddlejas, give it a hard prune in spring back to one or two buds per branch and remove old wood.

This plant will thrive in full sun and in well-drained soil.  A sheltered spot will do it no harm.

You can take cutting in late spring and summer.

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 #133 - Chamaerops Humilis var. Argentea

This a cheeky hardy palm with blue fan leaves.  It can cope with cold and dry conditions.  This a good palm for a pot.

This plant thrives in the sun in well-drained soils.

You can propagate this plant using its suckers that grow at the base, which you just remove and plant in free draining soil.

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 #132 - Fuchsia 'Genii'

This is a well-behaved, tough (generally hardy) and pretty fuchsia.  Cut it back as near to the ground in Spring and you will be rewarded with a compact, flowering shrub with golden green leaves.

This plant loves sunny-ish sites, moist and fertile soil.

You can take cuttings as soon as the new growth gets underway and these will flower in the same year.


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 #131 - Scabiosa Caucasica 'Clive Greaves'

This is another of my favourite Scabious - hardy and generous-flowering.  This one has large and very long-lasting flowers - sometimes from May right through to November if you regularly remove fading flowers.   They look great in cottage and prairie planting schemes.

Scabious need sunny positions and thrive in well-drained soil.

They can be divided 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.

Good plant #130 - Gillenia Trifoliata

This delicately-flowered hardy perennial adds a touch of class to any shady-ish border. It has masses of white flowers in summer and fiery red/ orange leaves in autumn.

You cut off old stems in spring or after the autumn leaves have gone.

It thrives best in moist soil that is well-drained. It much prefers a shady-ish site but will tolerate some sun if the soil is kept moist.

You can divide the clumps in spring once they're established.

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 #129 - Orlaya Grandiflora

This a belting hardy annual with lacey flowers and feathery leaves.

You can sow this hardy annual in spring or autumn. You tend to get stronger/ bushier plants from a sowing in autumn but you'll need protect the seedlings in the coldest weather. I tend to pop two/ three seeds in several very small pots in early/ mid spring and thin out the weakest seedlings.

You should plant them in the ground in late spring/ early summer and space them out about 9 to 12 inches apart.

It likes a sunny position and well-drained soil.

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 #128 - Aster 'Little Carlow'

This group of plants are loved for their late flowering right through Autumn. This particular hybrid variety is shorter than some varieties and very floriferous.

Although it's not tall, it's worth staking on an exposed site.

I get rid of all the old growth in spring, cutting almost to the ground.

This plant prefers fairly moist soil but will grow in all but a very shady site.

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 #127 - Brachyglottis Monroi

If you've got a very dry sunny spot, this small evergreen shrub is a great do-er. It's got lovely green wavy-edged leaves with a silver underside as well as a profusion of flowers in summer.

They are best given a sheer in spring to maintain the shape.

It must have a sunny spot and well-drained soil but is very drought tolerant. It's great for a gravel border.

Cuttings are best taken in late summer.

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 #126 - Tulipa 'Humilis Persian Pearl'

I love dwarf species tulips and this is probably my favourite. This tulip is very compact and ideal for growing in pots.

Squirrels love freshly planted bulbs but by soaking the bulbs in tonic water (which contains quinine) deters them. The new shoots are a slug favourite so use deterrents if you are inclined to do so.

You can ensure abundant blooms year after year by applying a liquid general purpose fertilizer to the leaves after flowering when the foliage is still green. All the foliage should be cut off and removed as soon as it has tuned yellow.

I always plant tulip bulbs in very well-drained soil by adding plenty of grit. I plant these bulbs 2 inches deep in the soil and 3 inches apart. I always put them in a sunny-ish spot.

Healthy bulbs will produce additional offset bulbs which will flower eventually. If you want more in a different location, lift the bulbs in late summer and remove and re-plant the offsets.

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 #125 - Choisya Ternata

This is an excellent and medium-sized evergreen and flowering shrub. It has dark green leaves and white flowers which appear in spring and then sometimes autumn.

It doesn't need pruning but you can prune as hard as you like after flowering.

It prefers a sunny and sheltered site and thrives in well-drained soil. It's fairly drought tolerant.

Cuttings can be taken in late spring after flowering.

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 #124 - Acer Palmatum 'Bloodgood'

This is a very reliable and tougher-than-most red-leafed acer. It looks well in a pot or as a specimen plant.

This thrives best in a free draining soil. If you have clay soil, add some compost and grit to the soil to improve drainage. However it will cope better with heavier soils compared to some.

This acer can be pruned – new growth in June and older growth in September. Carefully does it though! This plant grows fast when it’s young and may put out an excessively long branch that needs pruning to keep a good shape.

This plant prefers a sheltered site and part shade but produces more vibrant red colours in sunnier sites.

The main enemies of this plant are a late spring frost, over or under-watering and scorcing by the wind.

Use the 'SEARCH THIS BLOG' function (right) or click here for more good plants and gardening tips: http://greenshootsgardeningandhorticulture.blogspot.com/

Good plant #123 - Helianthus 'Lemon Queen'

This is a statuesque (6ft plus), very reliable and vigorous perennial sunflower that blooms quite late in summer. It's great as part of a prairie/ meadow or late flowering border. It looks great mixed in with the tall and red Crocosmia 'Lucifer'.

This herbaceous perennial is cut down to the ground after flowering or in early spring. It spreads very quickly and widely in fertile soil and can need staking in exposed sites.

It prefers fertile-ish moist and well-drained soil and will thrive in sunny and part shady sites.

It can be divided 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.

Good plant #122 - Cortaderia Richardii

My favourite large-ish grass. It's the New Zealand version of pampass grass. Elegant, compact, versatile and tough as old boots. It looks great on its own as a specimen plant in a pot or gravel border, with other grasses and with perennial and annual flowers.

It tolerates all but the boggiest of soils, exposed or sheltered sites and everything but deep shade.

I hack off all the dead leaves and flower heads in Spring with shears for younger plants. For more mature plants I almost cut it to the ground.

You can divide a mature plant or sow seeds in spring to propagate it.

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 #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.

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 #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.

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 #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.

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 #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.

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 #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.

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 #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.

Good plant #114 - Sanguisorba 'Menziesii'

This is an early flowering perennial variety. It is reliable and floriferous. The oval flowers rise above clumps of bluey-grey leaves. Looks nice with stipa tenuissima.

It prefers moist soil and will tolerate sunny and shady-ish sites.

You can divide it in spring, which I recommend as it is a rapid spreader.

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 #113 - Leucanthemum Superbum 'Snowcap'

This is a long-flowering perennial daisy. The flowers last up to three months. Dead heading will encourage more flowers in the growing season.

You cut back all the old growth in winter.

It will tolerate most fertile-ish soils and sunny and part shady sites.

You can divide this plant 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.

Good plant #112 - Nepeta Racemosa 'Walker's Low'

This is a less rampant variety of nepeta. It sometimes produces a mass of blue flowers twice if you cut it back after the first flush of flowers.

It prefers well drained soil and a sunny-ish site.

Cut back hard in early spring to encourage compact growth.

Divide large clumps in spring to maintain vigour and create new plants.

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 #111 - Lavandula

Even people who don't like gardening like the hardy types of lavenders. Why? Because they require very little maintenance to look brilliant and will even look good if you do nothing. Three of my favourites are 'Grosso', 'Hidcote' and 'Folgate' - great scent and compact shape.

They key for looking after lavenders is very well drained soil and a sunny position. This means adding plenty of grit to the planting hole soil mix - almost 50:50. If you do not do this, the plants can be short-lived.

If you want a compact shape, you can either trim in autumn or spring. I do it in early autumn. You should never trim back into old wood.

Be careful not to buy tender lavenders.

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 #110 - Solenostemon 'Henna'

This coleus is one of the less garish varieties - it's still quite vivid though. Whilst it can be a perennial, unless you've got a heated greeenhouse or are prepared to keep it indoors over winter, it's best treated as an annual foliage plant.

It does really well in a pot provided it's kept moist and will trail a little if confined to a deep but narrow diameter one.

This group of plants prefer sunnyish sites and moist well-drained soil.

If you buy one early in the season, its worth taking cuttings to increase your plants for a more spectacular display.

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 #109 - Heuchera Licorice

Most gardeners have a favourite heuchera. This one has particularly dark foliage which is slightly ruffled. The flowers are small and white.

It forms a lovely compact clump from which expands year on year. Heucheras like a mulch of compost every spring.

Heucheras prefer moist fertile, well-drained soil and will tolerate both sunny and shady-ish sites.

The best time to divide heucheras is mid Autumn.

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 #108 - Mesembryanthemum

This low growing tender annual is ideal for a very hot dry sunny site. It works very well in pots and is a good centre piece for an outdoor eating table. Its leathery foliage turns from green to red from late spring through summer.

They are very easy to grow from seed and are cheap to buy as small plants. The flowers are only open in the sunlight.

They prefer well-drained and impoverished soil and must have a sunny site.

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