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The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Five underrated shade-loving plants including striking fern that brings brilliant season colour & texture to flower beds
These plants are great to use where fussier plants fail to thrive BRIGHTEN UP Five underrated shade-loving plants including striking fern that brings brilliant season colour & texture to flower beds SHADY areas in your garden don't have to be boring, by selecting the right plants, you can transform dim corners into lush, vibrant retreats. Here are five underrated shade-loving plants, including a striking fern that will bring brilliant season colour to your garden. Dryopteris 'Brilliance' (Autumn Fern) 5 Dryopteris 'Brilliance' (Autumn Fern) Credit: Getty Horticultural expert Laura Root said in Homes and Gardens: "This is a shade-tolerant fern with fiery copper-red new fronds that mature to deep green. Advertisement "This variety of fern adds striking contrast and texture to shady beds." In addition, its "Brilliance" brings seasonal colour to a plant category known predominantly for being green. This variety of fern is low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and thrives in moist, well-drained soil. It is certainly a popular ground cover choice that offers a lively splash of colour and is easy to care for. Advertisement It's also one of the best underrated shade plants to use where fussier plants fail to thrive. Iris Foetidissima (Stinking iris) 5 Iris Foetidissima (Stinking iris) Credit: Getty It is one of two iris species native to Britain, the other being the yellow iris. Stinking iris thrives in full shade, particularly beneath trees in your garden. Advertisement It has architectural evergreen foliage and dull, purple-green flowers. But it comes into its own in autumn when its large seedpods split open to reveal rows of orange-red seeds that remain well into winter. Alan Titchmarsh's top 7 plants that 'transform ugly fences with gorgeous flowers & fragrance' & they grow for years It is known as "stinking" because some people find the smell of its leaves unpleasant when crushed or bruised, an odour that has been described as "beefy". The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Eranthis Hyemalis (Winter aconite) 5 Eranthis Hyemalis (Winter aconite) Credit: Getty Advertisement Aconites grow into clumps, eventually bearing masses of bright yellow flowers in late January and February. They thrive in damp shade so are perfect for growing in a damp, shady border or woodland garden. August gardening jobs The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the 10 gardening jobs to take on during the last month of summer - and the all important ones to remember if you're going on holiday. 1. Watering plants on holiday Think about how you're going to water your plants if you're going away. Irrigation systems are stupidly expensive - so ask a friend or neighbour to pop over. 2. Remember your houseplants! For houseplants use the upside down bottle trick - where you fill a wine bottle and then tip it upside down, spout down, and stick it into the pot - the water should seep out slowly. For smaller plants you can use a thick piece of cord running from a glass of water, into the soil - so it slowly takes it up over time. Be sensible with your watering - vistit for some tips on how to conserve water in August. But use as much grey water - ie washing up water - as you can to save such a valuable resource. 3. Dig for potatoes Second early potatoes should be ready to dig up. 4. Carry on deadheading Use either secateurs or just pinch off the blooms with your finger and thumb. With roses, make sure you're dead heading back to a set of five leaves, giving you the best chance of more blooms. 5. Plant strawberries You can actually plant strawberries in late august - which will be ready next year. For the ones you already have - if they've got runners springing off them - try and pot them up to make more strawberries for free. 6. Prune lavenders In late August once they've finished flowering cut back your lavender - always prune them back to the woody stems - but make sure you can still see some little buds. 7. Collect seeds A lot of plants will start going to seed now - so it's the perfect time to walk around collecting them to get free plants for next year - just make sure you label the envelopes. 8. Sow hardy annuals Towards the end of the month, sow hardy annuals in order for them to flower next year. Try and choose sheltered spots for them. 9. Cut back roses Prune back rambling roses and make sure they are all tied in. And in late August give your roses their last feed. 10. Keep on top of watering hanging baskets It's really important to keep hanging baskets hydrated - they are the first and the worst for drying out. The pretty plant is especially common in the east of England, and can be found in parks and woodlands. Winter Aconite however is not a native wildflower. It was introduced in the 16th century as a garden plant. But now centuries later, it is considered naturalised. Advertisement The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Digitalis Purpurea (Foxglove) 5 Digitalis Purpurea (Foxglove) Credit: Getty Our native foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, is a woodland plant that thrives in dappled or partial shade. There are many cultivars and varieties that flower in different colours and have different shaped blooms. Most thrive in partial shade but some require more sun and it generally produces enough seeds so that new plants will continue to grow in a garden setting. Advertisement It is the original source of the heart medicine digoxin (also called digitalis or digitalin). Aquilegia Flabellata (Granny's bonnet) 5 Aquilegia Flabellata (Granny's bonnet) Credit: Getty Aquilegias are a sweet, old-fashioned cottage garden plant with bonnet-shaped flowers, perfect for growing in partial shade. Aquilegia flabellata is a dwarf columbine, bearing blue nodding flowers over a compact mound of waxy grey-green foliage. Aquilegia flowers each have five sepals and five smaller petals. Advertisement Each petal has two portions: a broad portion called a blade that projects forward and an elongated base that forms a structure called a nectar spur containing nectar that projects backward. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it the prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh names five 'must-have' plants that can be added to any garden
Now that spring has well and truly sprung, it's the perfect time to look into refreshing your flower beds – and Alan Titchmarsh has a handful of suggestions that will be particularly useful for busy gardeners Many people will find themselves visiting the garden centre every spring, and buying plants to restock tired flowerbeds. But perennials – plants that live for more than two years – are the perfect low-maintenance solution for busy gardeners, providing blooms and foliage year after year. Alan Titchmarsh, arguably the nation's favourite gardener, says that perennials are 'the backbone of any garden,' and he's picked out five that he believes 'will be good in any garden.' Perennials are best planted in spring – between the beginning of March and the end of May – allowing them to establish a healthy root system before the summer heat. But there's little time to waste, so here's Alan's list of garden must-haves. Scabious 'Pink Mist' Alan says Pink Mist is a 'lovely' summer flower. It's a compact, somewhat hairy, herbaceous plant that forms a mound of grey-green ferny foliage with eye-catching deep pink 'pincushion.' flowers It's a good choice for less active gardeners, he says. It thrives with sunshine combined with well-drained soil, and, given the right conditions, needs little further care: 'Whenever you're choosing a plant,' Alan says, 'find out what it likes best, give it that and it will grow in spite of you.' Pulmonaria "Twinkle Toes" Pulmonaria is a beautiful early spring plant, Alan says, providing interest in your garden throughout the summer. The flowers can change colour as they mature, so you'll often see pink and blue flowers together on the same plant. They will attract bees and other pollinators, so they're a great choice for vegetable patches. But it's not just about the flowers. Long after they've died off, Alan says that 'the leaves will then take over and be interesting themselves.' Ferns Ferns, specifically Dryopteris, are ideally adapted to difficult conditions, Alan says: 'If you have a spot where very little will grow and it's a bit rooty and only ivy seems to do well there do, try ferns." While they're not the most exciting or glamorous plant, they will provide interest and ground cover where few other plants will do well. 'Some ferns are very good for dry shade,' Alan says, 'and that's one of the most difficult parts of the garden to get things established.' He adds that the very name Dryopteris is a clue pointing towards how the fern will do in poorly-watered areas: 'This is going in a shady spot under some trees in my garden.' English Lavender Another plant that is particularly attractive to bees and other pollinators is lavender. It's also pleasing to humans too: 'No garden should be without it,' Alan says. Lavender, he adds, 'is another great plant to put in the veg garden where it will attract your pollinating insects but anywhere else in the garden in a really sunny spot it will make a lovely low border.' Geranium 'Wargrave Pink' Geraniums will do well in any moderately fertile soil, apart from waterlogged soils. They are happiest in full sun, but will endure shady conditions too. 'Plant this where you've got trouble getting anything else to grow,' Alan advises. 'It's good for soil which is inclined to dry out.' If you already have geraniums, early to mid-spring is the best time to propagate them with a few careful cuttings.
