http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/ Colourful, cheerful and easy to grow – that is how I like to describe geums. The flowers remind me of those of the strawberry plant; pretty and simply shaped, some produce dangling cup-shaped bells while others raise their heads revealing perfect rosettes. The larger, rosette-shaped flowers are generally borne on long stems and come from the... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=44 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=44 Sat, 08 Feb 2014 10:00:00 +0000 Potentillas seem to have been forgotten in recent years. Distinctly different to the popular shrubby potentillas they have the same flowers, simple and pretty, but unlike their shrubby cousins they bloom for ages. In shape the flowers are similar to Geums, but unlike Geums they are carried on long stems that erupt from a clump of strawberry like... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=52 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=52 Sat, 08 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000 I really admire the big Persicarias (Knotweeds) despite their unpronounceable second name amplexicaulis (amp-lex-y-caulis). These are plants with presence, producing thick mound clumps of big, dock-type leaves that easily exclude weeds but are not invasive. A continuous display of elegant, upright flower spikes, made up of tiny deeply cupped flowers... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=47 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=47 Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:00:00 +0100 If you have an iris that is too big, stopped flowering, or needs moving September, in my opinion, is the best month to do this in the UK. This does not mean they cannot be lifted at any other time of the year. I have lifted irises from 6 weeks after flowering, right through to early spring without harming the plant Lifting them is easy. Simply ease... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=8 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=8 Sun, 15 Sep 2013 08:00:00 +0100 Irises are beautiful, often flamboyant plants that are easy to grow given the proper situation. There are three types of irises; ones with beards, ones without beards and ones that grow from bulbs. The most flamboyant types, Bearded irises (those with a caterpillar of hairs on the lower petals) like a well-drained, sunny site. A little overhead shade... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=5 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=5 Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:00:00 +0100 Forget the myths, peonies are easy to grow. In fact, once established they will live for more years than most people are likely to inhabit their houses. When you move house they can come too. Where to plant herbaceous peonies Peonies need a soil that does not become water-logged at any time during the year. A good well-drained loam is ideal, but... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=2 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=2 Fri, 30 Aug 2013 15:00:00 +0100 I never really think about achilleas (otherwise known as Yarrow) until they come into flower. Then I remember why I like them. Achilleas are stately plant with broad flat heads of colourful, small, round, papery flowers range from pale yellow, through orange to rich magenta red. Some varieties have flowers that start one colour and gently change... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=46 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=46 Wed, 14 Aug 2013 15:00:00 +0100 Sanguisorbas (commonly known as Burnets) are not the sort of plant that immediately leaps into the mind when considering what to grow in the garden. Which is a shame because these tolerant, long flowering hardy perennials are marvellous for creating a ‘see-through’ effect. They are easy to grow, trouble free and there are varieties for all... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=49 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=49 Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Hybrid peonies produce some of the most stunning late spring flowers. Large, often single and cupped, the flowers come in a glorious array of colours ranging from bright poppy red to stunning lipstick pink, and softest pink to purest white. They are hardy, don’t suffer from any diseases, easy to grow and long lived.   What is a Hybrid... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=38 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=38 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Of the different types of peonies Intersectional Peonies are the most beautiful, useful and longest to flower. But because they have been introduced so recently they are still a plant for those who don't mind spending a bit more to have a truly unique and wonderful plant.   The first Intersectional peonies to be introduced were ‘Yellow... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=48 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=48 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:00:00 +0000 Many hardy geraniums will grow in a spot that is lightly shaded during the day, but there are a few geranium groups that are happy in a place that gets more shade than sun, such as beneath a canopy of shrubs and trees. All are easy to grow, provided the soil is right for them, and there are lots of different variations to choose from. Being plants for... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=43 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=43 Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0100 When it comes to choosing irises, most gardeners go for the big, blousy Tall Bearded varieties that flower in June. It is quite easy to forget that some varieties of bearded irises will also produce a second flush of blooms from August onwards. These are known as remontant irises. Bearded irises seem to want to naturally bloom twice. It seems to... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=42 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=42 Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:00:00 +0100 So they say we are in drought (April 2012, and who are they anyway). It’s not a problem here in the Welsh Marches, can’t stop the stuff from coming down. But this has not been the case with all the places I have gardened on or grown nursery stock. Dry Sandy Soil The nursery at Shawbury, Shropshire had one the driest land I can imagine... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=41 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=41 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:00:00 +0100 Gillenia trifoliata is one of the most delightful border perennial, yet it is rarely seen in gardens. Not only is it handsome it is hardy, easy to grow (if a little slow to start off) and care for, and long-lived. Also called Bowman’s Root it flowers from June to August and grows around 90cm high with a spread of about 75cm.   Red shoots... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=40 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=40 Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:00:00 +0100 Put Echinacea (Coneflower) into ‘Google’ and the few first pages list the plant’s medical properties. But there is more to an Echinacea than a pill or powder. These handsome plants have large, daisy shaped flowers that add a splash of colour to late summer borders. The flowers, which bloom from mid July to late August and occasionally... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=33 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=33 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:00:00 +0100 Big, blousy, glamorous, fleeting, whatever you feel about Oriental poppies they are hard to ignore. Wonderful for mixing in borders, they produce large, often brightly coloured flowers that bloom from mid May into June. FLOWERS The blooms unfurl gracefully from large, hairy buds and open into deeply cupped, or shallow saucer like flowers. Some have... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=39 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=39 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:00:00 +0000 It is beginning feels like winter is on the wane. Of course this is just an allusion as we have at least another 6 weeks to go before we break the back of winter. Still, the birds are beginning their mating calls, daffodils are thrusting through the soil at a rapid rate, and at last the Hellebore buds, which have been teasing me for weeks, are now beginning... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=19 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=19 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:00:00 +0000 It’s difficult to say why, but I always feel a touch of joy when I spot an epimedium. These delightful spring flowering plants with delicate flowers and handsome leaves are neither glamorous nor showy. They are demure, discreet, a little shy, and can be slow to establish. In the wild Epimediums are found in woodlands of China, Japan and eastern... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=18 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=18 Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000 When my pulmonarias begin to bud up ready to flower I know that the days are getting longer, and possibly a little warmer. Along with hellebores, pulmonarias (lungworts) are the first perennials to bloom. These attractive, low growing evergreen plants, along with many spring flowering plants, prefer shady places, but they can be grown in sunnier... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=37 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=37 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000 Mention to a gardener that you like Bergenias (Elephant ears) and you get a long, confused stare as though to say ‘what those boring things!’ But I really do like and respect these robustly formed, immensely useful plants. Okay, so they may not be the prettiest or most intriguing of garden plants but they do provide architectural structure... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=30 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=30 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:00:00 +0000 We are just starting to develop a new garden. This is presenting a new challenge - a clay soil, or to be more precise, a clay-loam soil. In the past I have gardened in sand, in a good deep loam, on loam with lumps of clay, but never in a really clay soil. This is the sort of clay soil that is pale to look at and stays wet for ages. When trodden... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=13 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=13 Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:00:00 +0000 Now we are at the end of the iris season, I can look back and say that in 28 years of growing bearded irises this must be the most challenging.   THE COLD WINTER, DRY SPRING The year started with a winter like few others. Temperatures down to -19C, with many days not climbing above -10C - it’s unusual to go much -7C. Initially I was... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=29 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=29 Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:00:00 +0100 Daylilies, or more correctly, hemerocallis, are a rather overlooked group of plants. They are called dayliles because they produce at least one flower per flower stem every day for weeks, but when mature each plant can produce up to 20 flower stems, resulting in a mass of colour for 10 weeks or more.   Many years ago (perhaps 25) my father... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=10 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=10 Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +0100 Perennials are ideal for growing in containers and because they come back year after year they are ideal for anyone who has less time to spend in the garden. Almost any perennial plant can be grown in a container, but best are those that produce lots of flowers, or handsome leaves. All can be grown in sunny parts of the garden, but there are lots of... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=9 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=9 Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0100 Think of autumn and think of cool, misty mornings and leaves turning red – the leaves of trees that is. It is sometimes forgotten that the leaves of some perennials also change as they start the journey into winter. Among the most colourful perennials with autumn leaves are peonies. Peonies put on a lot of root growth during early winter, which... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=27 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=27 Sun, 18 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0100 No flower border is complete without at least some herbaceous perennials. These are the non-woody plants that die right back in autumn and emerge again in spring. Some herbaceous perennials are evergreen - but not many. In size they vary in height from 6in (15cm) right up to 15ft (150cm). Some perennials can be ground covering (prostrate in shape)... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=6 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=6 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:00:00 +0100 Peonies are beautiful, long-lived and easy to grow once established. We sell three distinctive types of peonies, herbaceous, intersectional and the tree peony. The difference between tree peonies and herbaceous peonies lies in the way it produces its foliage. Herbaceous peonies produce leaves, which form handsome rounded mounds that die back in the... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=4 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=4 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:00:00 +0100 In every garden I have created a Centaurea has been included. More commonly known as knapweed or perennial cornflowers these handsome perennials are “easy-to-grow” and have sculptured flowers, some of which look like flat cartwheels, while others produce a fluffy knob-like flower. All of them are seated on what looks like a brown woven... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=26 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=26 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 09:00:00 +0100 Now we are back from the Chelsea Flower Show I have had time to look at the iris field. What a sad sight. Normally at this time of year there would lots of blooms, but this year so few irises have flowere we had to cancel our Field Open days. Many flowered too soon, others not at all. The harsh winter knocked out the leaf fans with flowers, followed... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=25 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=25 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0100 So here we are in early May and normally I would be looking forward to the pleasure of seeing the first little bearded irises blooming in a few weeks time. Not so this year as, due to the unusually hot April (average I would say around 18 degrees instead of 13), they came into flower 2 or 3 weeks ago and are now just about over. The Intermediate... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=24 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=24 Tue, 03 May 2011 10:00:00 +0100 Peonies make wonderful cut flowers. The blooms are large, soft, silky and romantic. They can be found in a range of soft colours, and a few brighter ones, making them ideal for weddings, as well as for placing in the house. In many ways they are better as cut flowers than roses, but the season is very short. Peony flowers are only available from... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=21 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=21 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:00:00 +0000 Bearded irises are the irises with large glamourous flowers that have a caterpillar of hairs on the falls (lower petals), and a large rhizome at the base of the leaves. All types of bearded irises have broad, sword-like, greyish green leaves. As there are so many varieties to choose from they are divided by height and flowering time into 6 different... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=3 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=3 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:00:00 +0000 September is a wonderful month with its misty morning and warm days. It is also a time when the garden is beginning to fade away, so brightly coloured autumn flowers as important for bringing that touch of gaiety back into the garden.   Most Asters are easy to grow. They originate from the USA. They all have daisy-shaped flowers that range... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=7 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=7 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0000 I have been asked to write a few words about a favorite plant for one of the gardening magazines. What a challenge! Of all the wonderful plants I have grown which one should I choose? So I thought I would write something about all the plants that I would not be without, starting with Astrantia ‘Roma’. I love Astrantias. These days... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=14 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=14 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000 Autumn springs up a many delights, which include fluffy asters, glowing chrysanthemums, stately aconitums and those glorious reblooming irises. Yes, I did say irises. We have just finished lifting irises for orders before the ground gets too cold and wet for planting. However, some varieties are still flowering their heads off, these are the remontant... http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=11 http://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/blogarticle.php?id=11 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0100