A quick and easy way to add contemporary elegance to your garden
Part of the reason for this is their umbel-shaped flowers, which are similar to those of some of our loveliest and best-known wildflowers, such as cow parsley, hedge parsley, alexanders, pignut and wild carrot. Each umbel – technically known as a 'compound inflorescence' – is a thing of precise geometric beauty made up of a series of umbellets that radiate out from its centre, with each umbellet typically comprising a number of tiny flowers.
But it's not just their good looks that earns them a place in many gardens. Umbellifers' nectar and pollen-rich, umbrella-shaped, decorative blooms are also famously attractive to a diverse range of pollinating insects.
Yet another part of their great charm is that long after they have faded, the handsome silhouettes of those distinctive flowers can continue to provide long-lasting interest right until the first harsh frosts, while their often tall, hollow, grooved stems offer a safe berth for beneficial garden insects to overwinter.
READ MORE
White coriander flowers. Photograph: Getty
Ferula communis, the giant fennel. Photograph: Getty
All are members of what was long known as the Umbelliferae plant family but is now classed as Apiaceae. This huge group includes well-known garden favourites such as fennel, dill, lovage, coriander, celery, culinary parsley, angelica, ammi, bupleurum, astrantia and orlaya, as well as other lesser-known but equally graceful umbelliferous species. Examples of the latter include the pink-flowering Pimpinella major 'Rosea'; Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum); the towering, yellow-flowered giant fennel (Ferula communis); the stately Himalayan cow parsley (Selinum wallichianum); the statuesque, lime-flowered Peucedanum verticillare; and the lilac-pink flowering hairy chervil (Chaerophyllum hirsutum 'Roseum').
Astrantia japonica. Photograph: Getty
Wild angelica. Photograph: Getty
These plants, often used in naturalistic planting combinations, have become the hallmark of a now established style of gardening that's less strait-laced and more in tune with the planet.
Some, it should be said, are easier to grow than others. For example, the exquisite Bupleurum longifolium 'Bronze Beauty', a sun-loving perennial prized for its intricately beautiful flowers that look as if they were dusted in powdered gold, is notoriously short-lived as well as challenging to raise from seed (the latter must be sown fresh and exposed to cold winter temperatures). Meanwhile, fashionable annual and biennial umbellifers such as Orlaya grandiflora and ornamental carrot (Daucus carota), loved equally by gardeners and florists, can frustratingly fall victim to carrot fly.
Others, such as dill and common fennel, can become invasive when growing conditions are too much to their liking, self-seeding themselves around the place with abundance, or in the case of sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata), also spreading via their very vigorous root systems.
Another case in point is the famously persistent perennial weed known as ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), originally introduced as a medicinal herb used to treat gout before its unwelcome ability to rapidly colonise large areas of ground was recognised. That said, there's no denying the graceful beauty of its pale umbelliferous flowers, while it's also quite delicious fried in butter and garlic.
[
How to make the best of light and shade in your garden
Opens in new window
]
I should add another word of warning when it comes to this group of plants, which is to be ultra wary of those wild umbelliferous species that pose a risk to human health. Chief among them is giant hogweed, Heraclium mantegazzianum, a non-native perennial now naturalised through large parts of Ireland and found growing in damp ditches, woodland edges and along riversides.
Originally introduced as a garden ornamental – a cautionary tale if ever there was one – it's what's known as a phytotoxic species, where a combination of exposure to bright sunlight and direct contact with its sap quickly results in very painful blistering and then scarring of the skin. While easy to identify at this time of year when its lofty flower stems can reach a height of 5m, that task is more challenging when it's in its earlier stages of growth, making accidental injury more of a risk.
Others, such as hemlock (Conium maculatum), hemlock water-dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), fool's parsley (Aethusa cynapium) and lesser water parsnip (Berula erecta) are poisonous both to humans and animals (the Greek philosopher Socrates famously died of poisoning by drinking hemlock tea). Great care should be taken not to confuse them if foraging for other edible umbelliferous species such as alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) and wild angelica (Angelic sylvestris).
On the other hand, and as mentioned above, many of our kitchen garden favourites are also umbellifers. If you've ever let parsley, parsnip, coriander, celery or carrot go to seed rather than harvesting them, for example, then you've probably been both charmed and surprised by the beauty of their pollinator-friendly flowers, proof that they can be every bit as decorative and beneficial to nature as they are useful.
This week in the garden
Preserve the flavour of fresh garden-grown herbs for use later in the year by drying tied bunches in a cool, dry room, freezing the chopped leaves in ice cubes, or adding some sprigs of leaves to small, sealed bottles or jars of olive oil.
The last of the summer bedding plants are often for sale at bargain prices in garden centres and supermarkets at this time of year. Most are tired and badly rootbound by now, while time is rapidly running out for them to make enough fresh growth to give impact. But if you can't resist the temptation, then give them a fighting chance by cutting back all faded flower stems, gently loosening their root-balls and thoroughly soaking the latter in a solution of liquid seaweed before planting them into weed-free, friable, fertile ground, or a container filled with a very good quality compost. Take precautions against slugs and snails.
Dates for your diary
A Fiesta of Dahlias
June Blake's garden, Tinode, Blessington, Co Wicklow, every Saturday and Sunday in July from 2pm. A celebration of this remarkable genus of plants with free workshops, expert talks, plus tours of the garden.
juneblake.ie
Carlow Garden Festival 2025
Saturday, July 26th to Sunday, August 3rd, with expert guest speakers including Financial Times gardening correspondent and author, Robin Lane Fox (Huntington Castle, August 2nd); author and head gardener of Kilmacurragh, Seamus O'Brien (Burtown House, July 30th); British garden designer Sarah Eberle (Borris House, July 31st); organic kitchen gardener Tanguy de Toulgoët (Shankill Castle, July 30th); and Peter O'Mahony in conversation with Adam Frost (Arboretum Garden Centre, Leighlinbridge, July 26th), booking essential.
carlowgardentrail.com
.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Thought fuchsia and montbretia were native Irish plants? Think again
It's humbling to think how many of the different varieties of plants growing in our gardens, allotments, parks and public outdoor spaces are the legacy of previous generations. That much-loved variety of fruit tree? Very likely the work of plant breeders and nursery owners of the Victorian era. Your favourite rose? A thousand unknown hands and hundreds of years of expert plant selection almost certainly played a skilled role in bringing it into existence. Your favourite variety of daffodil, rhubarb, lilac, clematis, dahlia, beetroot or potato? The very same. On the other hand, it's chastening to consider how our insatiable hunger for new, exciting kinds of plants has inadvertently introduced species to parts of the world where some have subsequently become invasive, disrupting fragile, biodiverse ecosystems and threatening native plant habitats. Montbretia's super-tough underground structure enable it to withstand all but the most challenging growing conditions. Photograph: Getty Images Here in Ireland, for example, visitors to our little island could easily assume that the ribbons of scarlet-flowered, shrubby fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) and orange-flowering montbretia (Crocosmia x crocsmiiflora) that gaily festoon the damp roadsides, ditches and hedgerows of mild coastal counties such as Kerry and west Cork are native, when in fact nothing could be further from the case. READ MORE Instead, the former is a deciduous shrubby species hailing from South America that first arrived in Ireland back in the 1820s, and which, while technically not formally classed as an invasive, is surely close to being so. The latter, most definitely invasive, is a vigorous and remarkably resilient perennial from South Africa. Montbretia's super-tough underground corms allow it to withstand all but the most challenging growing conditions, making this naturalised hybrid perennial very difficult to control and almost impossible to eradicate once established. Japanese knotweed was introduced into Europe as a much-admired ornamental plant and a fodder crop. Photograph: Getty Images These are just two of a growing number of non-native species whose exceptional vigour and ability to outcompete other plants threatens the delicate balance of vulnerable ecosystems in the wild Irish countryside. Others include: Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica, formerly known as Fallopia japonica); giant hogweed (Heracleum montegazzianum); various non-clumping or 'running' kinds of bamboo, including certain species of Sasa, Sasaella, Pseudosasa, and Phyllostachys; the sprawling evergreen periwinkle known as Vinca major; Rhododendron ponticum; and the appropriately named mile-a-minute vine (Fallopia baldschuanica). Many of these names will be familiar to you already. Type the words Japanese knotweed into any search engine, for instance, and it's certain to come up with an array of articles detailing how this stately perennial plant was introduced into Europe both as a much-admired ornamental plant and a fodder crop. You can read about how, in 1847, it was awarded a medal by the society of agriculture & horticulture at Utrecht for being 'the most interesting new ornamental plant of the year'. And how William Robinson, the famous Irish man who looms large in the history of garden design, described it as 'handsome in rough places'. Dig a bit deeper and you can learn about how the Japanese knotweed plants that now populate large swathes of wasteland, roadside verges and river edges throughout Europe and the US are almost all clones, vegetatively propagated, of a single female parent. Sent to Kew Gardens by the German physician, plant hunter and explorer Philipp von Siebold, it quickly escaped into the greater London area, from where it leapfrogged its way across the city's parks, gardens and wilder spaces into the wider world. Giant hogweed was introduced into Ireland during the Victorian era. It can threaten the stability of river banks as well as human health. Photograph: Getty Images Such are its powers of vegetative reproduction (thankfully it doesn't yet spread by seed), that just a single root fragment can grow into a sizeable plantation within a few years, with the power to potentially undermine roads, driveways and building foundations. It has, without overstatement, been described as the supreme weed, and yet astonishingly was still being sold in Irish garden centres as an ornamental plant right until the 1980s. Many other similarly invasive species were introduced as ornamental plants for garden ponds, but now pose a serious threat to Ireland's waterways. Examples include New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii), whose dense, floating, carpeting growth habit is having a devastating effect upon native species by suppressing growth and germination, thus reducing the amount of oxygen in the water. Gunnera Tinctoria, Giant rhubarb, can clog waterways and crowd out native species. Photograph: Getty Images Another is the giant rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria, whose ability to clog waterways and crowd out native species is notorious. So is giant hogweed, another 'garden escape' that I wrote about in a recent column. First introduced into Ireland during the Victorian era, it can threaten the stability of river banks as well as human health. American skunk-cabbage, yet another once-highly prized garden ornamental perennial (Lysichiton americanus), which was adored for its statuesque growth habit and giant yellow flowers, has also become naturalised in some parts of our waterways. Such is its potential negative impact upon vulnerable ecosystems that the European Union has banned its sale and cultivation. It's easy to think of the story of invasive plants like these as a solely historic one belonging to the era of the great plant-hunters of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. But that would be misguided. Gardeners' curiosity and desire for novelty remain a constant and are now coupled with easy access to an often-bewildering range of species that can be purchased online as plants or seeds, sometimes from irresponsible nurseries or private gardeners blithely unaware of their potential dangers. Others are occasionally smuggled home in hand luggage from trips abroad. While the vast majority won't become invasive, there's always the risk that a handful will. Assessing the true scale of that risk is challenging, especially in the light of climate change, where constantly evolving growing conditions can lead to certain species gaining a foothold. For example, it might be a surprise to many to discover that the popular ornamental deciduous species known as tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is on the EU's invasive alien species of union concern. This means that it can't be imported, traded, or released to the wild, while measures must also be taken to prevent the spread of existing populations. While there are no records of it having naturalised in Ireland so far, this could change. If we're to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, then it's clear that gardeners have a key role to play. Practical measures include: sourcing plants and seeds responsibly; avoiding planting non-native species in the wild (this is illegal); avoiding accidentally allowing the seeds and root fragments of invasives to be transported outside our gardens and allotments; and taking decisive action when and if we find an invasive or potentially invasive plant species has inadvertently made its way into our garden or allotment. It's by no means an easy task, admittedly, but an important one. For a more detailed overview of invasive plant species, as well some excellent plant guides, see , , and This week in the garden Keep dahlias regularly deadheaded and liquid-fed, and make a point of regularly shaking any dropped petals off the foliage and stems to prevent disease setting in and spoiling the display. Lavender bushes should be lightly sheared back at this time of year after the flowers have faded, removing all the flower stems along with roughly 2cm-3cm of the top growth. This will help to keep the plants bushy and encourage a great display of their fragrant blooms next summer. But always avoid cutting back hard into old wood which can shock and even sometimes kill the plants. Dates for your diary Farmleigh House Plant Fair Phoenix Park, Dublin; Sunday, August 3rd (10am-5pm). Stalls by many members of the Irish Specialist Nursery Association, and a craft and food market, admission free, see . Wild Garden Adventures: Pond Dipping National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Wednesday, August 6th. A hands-on practical workshop exploring 'the weird and wonderful diversity of insects and mini-beasts living in and around the ponds at the National Botanic Gardens'. Suitable for children aged eight and over, pre-booking essential, see . Irish National Vegetable Championships The Showgrounds, Moate, Co. Westmeath, Sunday, August 24th (10am-5pm). The annual championship takes place as part of the Moate Agricultural Show and includes a new junior category. See for schedule and entry form.
Irish Times
26-07-2025
- Irish Times
The struggles and charms of variegated gardening
We need to talk about variegation. Or at least I need to talk about variegation, a subject that divides gardeners in much the same way that air fryers do chefs, or the reborn popularity of white socks neatly splits the generations (I hear you). Despite coming of age in an era when variegated aucuba (Aucuba japonica Variegata) was considered the height of elegance, Euonymus fortunei, 'Emerald and Gold', was a must-have, and variegated poplar trees (Populus candicans Aurora) were a ubiquitous sight along sleepy farm avenues, I've always struggled to like the former. I know the great majority of gardeners see much beauty in their variously splodged, spotted, striped and mottled foliage (hello Leucothoe fontanesiana, 'Rainbow'; Philadelphus coronarius, 'Variegatus'; Eleagnus 'Limelight'; Hypericum 'Tricolor' and Silybum marianum). But to paraphrase Gilbert and Sullivan, not me, no, never - or at least rarely ever. I've always been thus. Even my first encounter with the refined charms of the vanilla-scented variegated shrub, Azara microphylla 'Variegata', trained smartly against a wall, failed to fully win my stubborn teenage self over. It was a similar story when it came to my first teenage sighting of the elegant wedding tree, Cornus controversa 'Variegata', whose sculptural, tiered growth habit and gently drooping green-and-cream leaves make it a firm favourite with most. READ MORE As for the dubious charms of variegated spreading perennials such as Houttuynia 'Chameleon'; Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow'; and Polemonium 'Stairway', you can keep them. Instead, I belong firmly to that judgmental minority for whom variegated plants rarely get through the garden gate. The few exceptions to this ruthlessly self-imposed purdah include various variegated forms of the woodland's edge, spring-flowering perennial known as brunnera, a plant whose large, heart-shaped, silvered leaves with their intricate tracery of barely-there green veins are impossible to resist. Likewise, positioned carefully, ideally in an enclosed shady courtyard where it's grown in thoughtful combination with other handsome foliage shrubs, I can fully appreciate the ghostly charm of Fatsia 'Spider's Web', or the quiet beauty of Pittosporum 'Silver Queen'. The same goes for some of the more subtly variegated varieties of spurge such as the evergreen Euphorbia characias 'Silver Swan', and the lacy, silvered fronds of Athyrium nipponicum var. pictum. As the years have passed, I've also grudgingly come to concede that certain other kinds of variegated plants can light up a shady corner in a special way, or give an additional layer of interest to a planting scheme. But only, I think, when used with a particularly artful combination of flair and restraint. Part of the trick here lies in (a) never mixing silver/cream/white variegated plants with golden-variegated varieties, which almost always results in a queasy combination; and (b) rigorously restricting the use of variegated plants to just a handful of key varieties that are greatly outnumbered by non-variegated varieties. This way, much like wearing a brightly patterned top or tie, their visual busyness is counterbalanced by the restful foil of gentler tones. Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' Japanese aucuba, considered the height of elegance Putting aside the thorny subject of personal prejudices (I know when I'm on a losing wicket), the science of variegation is fascinating. In some cases, for example, it's the result of a virus, typically passed on to the plant by vectors such as aphids or other sap-sucking insects, as well as via soil-dwelling nematodes, fungal pathogens, mechanically (via infected tools) or even by infected seed, the usual consequences of which are less vigorous growth. Part of the reason for this is that variegated plants typically produce less chlorophyll (the green pigment in leaves) resulting in less photosynthesis, the process core to plant health. That reduced vigour also explains why most of the most famously beautiful 'streaked' varieties of tulips – for example, Tulip 'Semper Augustus', whose virused bulbs were exchanged for huge sums of money in Holland during the 'tulipomania' of the 17th century – almost inevitably became extinct. It's also not unusual to see some kinds of variegated plants revert to being non-variegated over time. In this case, naturally more vigorous, non-variegated growth initially appears alongside the variegated growth, before gradually becoming dominant. This is because some kinds of variegation are unstable plant traits that can be affected by various complex factors including light and temperature levels. Genetics also plays an important role, for which reason these kinds of variegated varieties can only be propagated vegetatively by cuttings or tissue culture, rather than from seed. The only way to help preserve variegation in a plant when the process of reversion begins is by ruthlessly cutting out any non-variegated growth whenever it appears. Kohuhu 'Silver Queen' (Pittosporum tenuifolium) Fatsia japonica Other kinds of variegation, such as that seen in the much-coveted variety of variegated house plant known as Monstera 'Thai Constellation', are naturally occurring mutations first discovered growing in the wild and then introduced into cultivation via tissue culture. In this case, the variegation is a stable plant trait that can be relied on to persist. Variegated house plants like these are much in demand throughout the world, from different forms of alocasia and philodendron to peperomia and calathea. Such is their rarity that a chosen few (for example Philodendron llsemanii) have become collector's items that are traded online for large sums of money, just like the beautifully virused tulips of the 17th century once were. Ironically – and again, much like those once much coveted varieties of tulips – their rarity is amplified by the very fact that their variegation often makes them very tricky to grow as well as to propagate. But that's not always the case. Just consider the humble spider plant, a popular, ultra vigorous, variegated houseplant that I do admire. The most commonly grown cultivar, Chlorophytum commutatum 'Variegatum', has green leaves smartly edged with white. But in the less common variety known as Chlorophytum comosum 'Vittatum', that variegation is reversed, with a central band of creamy-white edged on both sides by green. Almost unkillable, the spider plant forms a smart plume of neatly striped, grasslike foliage, from which baby plantlets regularly emerge on curving stems as if by magic. Much like strawberry runners, these can be easily encouraged to root by gently pegging them on to the surface of a small pot of damp compost and keeping them well watered. Alternatively, they can be left to dangle in pretty clouds beneath the parent plant, so long as the latter is displayed in a hanging plant pot suspended from a height. Grown this way, even the sternest of variegation-phobes, myself included, can't help but admire their curious, otherworldly beauty. This week in the garden Wisteria needs its second pruning of the year (the first is traditionally done in January) to encourage a well-proportioned, tidy growth habit and the plentiful development of flowers for next year's display. To do this, tie in any growth needed to extend its coverage, then use a sharp, clean secateurs to nip unwanted growth back to about 30cm. See for more detailed instructions. Keep a careful eye on climbing varieties of beans and peas, making sure that they're given sturdy, wind-resistant supports capable of bearing their weight, and regularly tying in any new growth as it develops to allow for easy harvesting. Dates for your diary Carlow Garden Festival 2025 From Saturday, July 26th to Sunday, August 3rd. Pre-booking essential, see A Fiesta of Dahlias at June Blake's garden Tinode, Blessington, Co Wicklow, this weekend from 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Free workshops, expert talks, plus tours of the garden, all welcome, see .
Irish Times
20-07-2025
- Irish Times
My dahlias are struggling this summer - what can I do to rescue them?
My dahlias are struggling this summer for some reason. The flowers aren't opening properly and the petals are going brown at the tips. The plants are growing in good, rich soil in a nice sunny spot in the garden where they've always done well before now. Any advice? T Dunphy, Cork Judging by your description, it sounds like your dahlias are suffering from thrip damage. These tiny, sap-sucking insects, which are hard to spot unless you look very closely, can sometimes infest dahlia plants at this time of year, causing deformation of both the flowers and leaves as well as discolouration. As is true of many kinds of insects that feed on plant tissue, they also spread plant diseases. A hot, dry environment suits them to a tee, which is why thrips are much more common in warm summers or on plants grown under cover in a polytunnel or glasshouse. To check if your plants are indeed affected, examine the flowers carefully and look for multiple tiny dark insects, each one no bigger than a poppy seed, moving rapidly among the petals. READ MORE The best long-term solution to keeping your dahlia plants free of this destructive little pest is to keep them well-watered, especially during any prolonged hot, dry spells. Always make sure to water around the base of the plants, gently soaking the soil so that it penetrates well below the surface. Although wetting foliage and flowers is generally not recommended when watering plants, gently misting all parts of your dahlias with a fine water spray will also help to rid them of thrips, which dislike a moist atmosphere. As the insects can overwinter as eggs with the potential to cause problems for your plants again next summer, I'd also suggest mulching the ground with a generous layer of well-rotted organic matter in spring. This will help the soil retain moisture as well as boosting plant health. In the short term, you could also use the biodegradable, organically-acceptable product known as Uncle Tom's Natural Soft Soap (from ). These kinds of insecticidal soaps have been used for centuries to treat a range of common plant pests including aphids, red spider mite and thrips. They only work when they come into direct contact, so need to be diluted in water and then applied liberally to all parts of the plants as a fine spray. The best time of the day to do this is in late evening when beneficial insects are much less active and temperatures are lower, reducing the rate of evaporation.
