High summer ‘flower power’

I love this time of year when the massed drifts of perennial flowers interspaced with annuals and summer bulbs combine like a painters palette. This year the ‘Mediterranean bank’ looks stunning with many South African species combining to produce vibrant colour.Deep blue Agapanthus inapertus,shell pink Watsonia hybrids and crimson Crocosmia ‘lucifer’create intense colour permeations.
Another favourite of mine is Impatiens tinctoria, one of the largest species in this remarkable genus and one of very few plants from tropical Africa to be hardy outdoors in the British Isles.The flowers look more orchid like than its smaller relative the ‘Bizzy Lizzy’.It survives our winters because it’s tuberous root system is tough enough to avoid deep frost penetration, aided with a good layer of mulch like leaf mould. In Ethiopia this fleshy root is the source of a red dye, hence the latin name tinctoria.
Friday 22nd – I am leading a “Garden Walkabout Tour” Ticket only tour of the gardens, looking at planting schemes, design elements, choice plants and the Sub tropical effect. We are limited to 30 people for this informal tour, lets hope the weather is kind to us on the day!