Growth is in full swing and it’s all happening fast, especially with the warmer days we have had since the start of April. The garden transforms daily, with new plants sprouting and a tapestry of fresh foliage and perky blooms unfurling.
The first swallows arrived here in Ireland on 2 April and, in the same way that their return heralds the promise of summer warmth and brighter days, I look forward every year to the exuberant flowering of our Sophora tetraptera.
Its pendant clusters of exotic-looking, deep yellow flowers are borne in abundance over a long period in late spring. This is a very eye-catching, small, multi-stemmed tree with elegant, semi evergreen foliage. We grow it in the shelter of a southwest-facing wall. It is an unusual and gorgeous choice of tree for a small garden.
Bees are loving the masses of tiny, white blooms smothering the arching branches of Spiraea arguta, commonly known as bridal wreath.
This unfussy, deciduous shrub is able to thrive almost anywhere. It makes a pleasing pairing with the egg-shaped, deep purple blooms of Tulipa ‘Negrita’ in the border just under our living room window.
Attractive also to the bees, as well as the gardener, are the tantalising wafts of sweet perfume that drift far from the showy, yellow flowers of Mahonia x wagneri ‘Pinnacle’ at this time. The spiky, glossy leaves of this handsome, evergreen shrub are bronzed when young, becoming dark green with age.
Beneath the white-stemmed birch, sprays of frothy blue flowers, like airy forget-me-nots, are erupting over the silvery, heart-shaped leaves of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. Revelling also in a cool, shady position are the soft coppery pink blooms of Lamium orvala.
Unusually, this is an upright form of lamium which are mostly ground covering perennials. We grow it with the Himalayan maidenhair fern, Adiantum venustum for an appealing combination of texture and spring colour.
The fresh growth of the fern is a lovely, light green, flushed with pinkish bronze overtones, on shiny, black stems.
As a wave of fresh green ripples across the herbaceous borders, sunlight floods through the satiny blooms of tulips, illuminating them like stained glass. For impact, we grow just one variety, Tulipa ‘Apeldoorn’, throughout these borders.
Colour wheel
The understorey of restful green is the perfect complement to the bright red goblets. Red and green appear opposite each other on the artist’s colour wheel and, in art theory, they are said to provide the perfect complementary contrast.
In a striking deviation from the usual green flush of new growth, nature presents a similarly engaging contrast in the vivid red new leaves of Pieris japonica, which strike a rich note against the mature, dark green leaves.
At the same time, sprays of pearly-white or pink-tinted flowers open, filling the air with their sweet, honey fragrance. This evergreen shrub requires an acid soil but, on our alkaline soil, we grow it in a raised bed or it can be grown in a container of ericaceous or lime-free compost.
With warming temperatures, April is a good time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, which include tubers, corms and rhizomes of plants such as dahlias, lilies, eucomis and gladioli. Begonias are best potted indoors and moved outside when all risk of frost has passed in May.
Over the next week, I will be planting up containers with corms of Acidant hera murielae or Abyssinian gladiolus.
Originating from east Africa, this sun lover is great for growing in pots as well as borders to provide a late-season boost of bloom from August well into autumn. It also makes a fantastic cut flower. The fragrant, lily-like flowers are pure white with a deep purple blotch at their centres.
Slender stems
Multiple blooms appear at the top of slender stems up to 1m tall and are attractive to a range of pollinators. Acidanthera can be quite slow to appear after planting, as they first develop their root systems underground and it may be late July before the erect, sword-like foliage emerges, after which they grow quickly.
If, like me, you choose to grow them in pots, keep them well watered once the leaves appear and I recommend adding liquid plant feed to the water every few weeks for best flowering.
When planting, use a good quality potting compost with added horticultural grit for enhanced drainage. If you plant the corms at a depth of 15cm, the flower stems will not need staking as they
grow.
Q&A: My camellia is not blooming
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’.
Why are there no flowers on my camellia? It is usually in full bloom by now and I miss its lovely colour in the garden? - Liam, Dublin
In most cases, a lack of flowers in spring is caused by the camellia plant not having enough water during the previous summer.
The flower buds start to form in late summer and, if the roots get too dry at that time, the buds either don’t form or they form but fall off before opening.
Make sure the plant stays nicely damp, but not soggy, throughout the year and particularly during July, August and September. Excessive or late feeding can also cause flower buds to abort. Do not feed any camellias, even those growing in pots, after the end of July.
Be vigilant for lily beetles as soon as growth starts. Remove and destroy adults, eggs and larvae as soon as detected to curb an infestation. Put a bag of barley straw in ponds to discourage algae and keep the water clear all summer.Keep cloches or large sheets of fleece handy to protect young plants and soft, new growth if late frost is forecast.Regularly water newly planted or transplanted trees and shrubs, as they can quickly dry out. Consistent attention from the outset ensures they establish successfully.
Growth is in full swing and it’s all happening fast, especially with the warmer days we have had since the start of April. The garden transforms daily, with new plants sprouting and a tapestry of fresh foliage and perky blooms unfurling.
The first swallows arrived here in Ireland on 2 April and, in the same way that their return heralds the promise of summer warmth and brighter days, I look forward every year to the exuberant flowering of our Sophora tetraptera.
Its pendant clusters of exotic-looking, deep yellow flowers are borne in abundance over a long period in late spring. This is a very eye-catching, small, multi-stemmed tree with elegant, semi evergreen foliage. We grow it in the shelter of a southwest-facing wall. It is an unusual and gorgeous choice of tree for a small garden.
Bees are loving the masses of tiny, white blooms smothering the arching branches of Spiraea arguta, commonly known as bridal wreath.
This unfussy, deciduous shrub is able to thrive almost anywhere. It makes a pleasing pairing with the egg-shaped, deep purple blooms of Tulipa ‘Negrita’ in the border just under our living room window.
Attractive also to the bees, as well as the gardener, are the tantalising wafts of sweet perfume that drift far from the showy, yellow flowers of Mahonia x wagneri ‘Pinnacle’ at this time. The spiky, glossy leaves of this handsome, evergreen shrub are bronzed when young, becoming dark green with age.
Beneath the white-stemmed birch, sprays of frothy blue flowers, like airy forget-me-nots, are erupting over the silvery, heart-shaped leaves of Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’. Revelling also in a cool, shady position are the soft coppery pink blooms of Lamium orvala.
Unusually, this is an upright form of lamium which are mostly ground covering perennials. We grow it with the Himalayan maidenhair fern, Adiantum venustum for an appealing combination of texture and spring colour.
The fresh growth of the fern is a lovely, light green, flushed with pinkish bronze overtones, on shiny, black stems.
As a wave of fresh green ripples across the herbaceous borders, sunlight floods through the satiny blooms of tulips, illuminating them like stained glass. For impact, we grow just one variety, Tulipa ‘Apeldoorn’, throughout these borders.
Colour wheel
The understorey of restful green is the perfect complement to the bright red goblets. Red and green appear opposite each other on the artist’s colour wheel and, in art theory, they are said to provide the perfect complementary contrast.
In a striking deviation from the usual green flush of new growth, nature presents a similarly engaging contrast in the vivid red new leaves of Pieris japonica, which strike a rich note against the mature, dark green leaves.
At the same time, sprays of pearly-white or pink-tinted flowers open, filling the air with their sweet, honey fragrance. This evergreen shrub requires an acid soil but, on our alkaline soil, we grow it in a raised bed or it can be grown in a container of ericaceous or lime-free compost.
With warming temperatures, April is a good time to plant summer-flowering bulbs, which include tubers, corms and rhizomes of plants such as dahlias, lilies, eucomis and gladioli. Begonias are best potted indoors and moved outside when all risk of frost has passed in May.
Over the next week, I will be planting up containers with corms of Acidant hera murielae or Abyssinian gladiolus.
Originating from east Africa, this sun lover is great for growing in pots as well as borders to provide a late-season boost of bloom from August well into autumn. It also makes a fantastic cut flower. The fragrant, lily-like flowers are pure white with a deep purple blotch at their centres.
Slender stems
Multiple blooms appear at the top of slender stems up to 1m tall and are attractive to a range of pollinators. Acidanthera can be quite slow to appear after planting, as they first develop their root systems underground and it may be late July before the erect, sword-like foliage emerges, after which they grow quickly.
If, like me, you choose to grow them in pots, keep them well watered once the leaves appear and I recommend adding liquid plant feed to the water every few weeks for best flowering.
When planting, use a good quality potting compost with added horticultural grit for enhanced drainage. If you plant the corms at a depth of 15cm, the flower stems will not need staking as they
grow.
Q&A: My camellia is not blooming
Camellia x williamsii ‘Jury’s Yellow’.
Why are there no flowers on my camellia? It is usually in full bloom by now and I miss its lovely colour in the garden? - Liam, Dublin
In most cases, a lack of flowers in spring is caused by the camellia plant not having enough water during the previous summer.
The flower buds start to form in late summer and, if the roots get too dry at that time, the buds either don’t form or they form but fall off before opening.
Make sure the plant stays nicely damp, but not soggy, throughout the year and particularly during July, August and September. Excessive or late feeding can also cause flower buds to abort. Do not feed any camellias, even those growing in pots, after the end of July.
Be vigilant for lily beetles as soon as growth starts. Remove and destroy adults, eggs and larvae as soon as detected to curb an infestation. Put a bag of barley straw in ponds to discourage algae and keep the water clear all summer.Keep cloches or large sheets of fleece handy to protect young plants and soft, new growth if late frost is forecast.Regularly water newly planted or transplanted trees and shrubs, as they can quickly dry out. Consistent attention from the outset ensures they establish successfully. 
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