#oneadayplant

Today’s #oneadayplant is an unseasonably late flower on one of my favourite plants; Parahebe perfoliata (I’m not going to adopt the renamed name. It is and was P. perfoliata and that is just fine by me) (Digger’s Speedwell) . Parahebe, like Hebe and other allied Genera are going through (have been for a decade now) a name change to Veronica, so you may well also find it under V. perfoliata and the Speedwell bit of the common name makes sense when you look at the flower. . From South Eastern Australia, but perfectly hardy in the UK, it throws out single stems (weird as they don’t really side-branch at all) from the crown of the plant with perfoliate leaves (i.e. leaves that appear to have have a stem passing through their centre, actually, they are densely packed in pairs that overlap). At the tips, in summer, slightly pendant racemes of a very pleasing purple-blue flowers are formed. . Not a typical herbaceous perennial, but then not a shrub or typical sub-shrub either. An oddity and wonderful for it. . The foliage is evergreen and very leathery in a wonderful grey-green. Plants are often a bit straggly and uneven, but merge well with other plants, are great wedged in between rocks, or at the top of low walls allowed to hang over slightly. . It is way less common that it should be, perhaps because it can be miffy to root from cuttings, but I love it. There is a white flowered form and one with more toothed foliage called ‘Pringle’, I have never seen either and would dearly like them. . I like it here with Koeleria glauca (blue grass) as a differing texture in a simile colour. Needs sun and decent drainage. Can tolerate being very hot and dry at times, once established. Should be seen more. . #parahebe #parahebeperfoliata #veronicaperfoliata #derwentia #hebe #newzealand #seaustralia #plants #gardens #plantingdesign #koeleriaglauca #grasses #veronica #speedwell #gardening #gardeningadvice #iplantsman #gardeningtips #fleurs #fiori #blummen #bloemen #flores #foliage #glaucus #subshrub (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHpsbkbgWF7/?igshid=1cy0u0xhz1bai

#oneadayplant Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica (Striped Squill or Russian Snowdrop). Ironically there are native Snowdrops in Russia, so the second common name strongly implies it is a UK based common name only, lacking, as it does, accuracy or sense. A tough little bulbous plant, well worth growing, especially when partnered with Scilla siberica and other interesting ground huggers. The plants pictured are still extending flower, but it doesn’t get any bigger that 12-15cm tall. Ivory white flowers with a ghost of China blue stripes down each petal. I like the wiry black stems. #bulb #bulbous #plant #plants #bulbsofinstagram #garden #spring #winter #gardens #iplantsman #gardening #gardendesign #plantingdesign #ivory #white #snowdrop #squill #puschkinia #blue #china #flower #flowering #flowers (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8GdlDhA0Jk/?igshid=bgqw5tv5065b

Tulipa ‘Little Beauty’ #oneadayplant. I’m less keen on this dwarf Tulip than many others, but in years where the weather is kind, species and varieties that open fully and expose themselves to the elements do far better than on our usual rainy days. This year suits these plants very well and they have remained bright, well-formed and colourful for some time now. A good variety for pots and containers, but doing surprisingly well in competition with this lawn. #tulip #littlebeauty #red #white #blue #tulipa #spring #bulbs #garden #plants #landscape #plantingdesign #gardendesign #naturalizedbulblawns #gardening #gardeningadvice #gardeningtips (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4EuxagFAs/?igshid=fvdky681m0yk

Never forget that beauty can be only skin deep. Some plants are invasive thugs given a chance to establish and although gorgeous in flower will colonise land at the expense of other, more delicate plants. Probably a lesson for life in there as well. Chamaenerion angustifolium (Syn. Epilobium) (Rosebay Willowherb) #oneadayplant . Actually a native, but uncommon until we developed the train! Now a common plant on road edges and railway sidings. The reason for this is that the seeds have hairs that float on a breeze and so when a train rushes past a colony of plants, the slipstream sucks them out and drags the seeds further down the track for them to colonise another area. They do this well and choke out the ground to other plants. . They are very beautiful though. A tough call. Much easier to keep going that a Delphinium or Verbascum. . What we need really are sterile forms that can bulk up in a garden to great effect but not seed in the wild. The white flowered form of this species is reasonably often commonly grown in gardens. . #Chamaenerionangustifolium #chamaenerion #epilobium #rosebaywillowherb #fireweed #purple #flower #iplantsman #herbaceous #perennial #weed #selfseeder #train #trains #cars #roads #uknative #ukflora #wildflower #plant #garden #landscape #wildlife #countryside #invasive #toughplants (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBfSBRHAqYj/?igshid=r1rn7cavaq9q

Papaver cambricum (Welsh Poppy) both common colours #oneadayplant One for all my Welsh friends out there. I feel this plant better represents Wales than a Leek does. (Just my opinion) One of my favourite late spring plants. I’m drawn particularly to the overall elegance of the plant, the purity of yellow and orange saturation and the crinkles petals on the flowers. Seeds freely, but rarely rampantly. It is a welcome free visitor to any garden that I have encountered it in. I may have even spread seed from my gardens into those of willing friends in the past. Used to be called Meconopsis cambrica for anyone recognising the plant, but not the name. #papaver #poppy #meconopsiscambrica #papavercambricum #welsh #welshpoppy #orange #yellow #latespring #selfseeders #selfseeded #fence #timber #iplantsman #gardening #gardeningtips #gardeningadvice #plants #gardens #wildflower #pollinators #nativeflora #ukwildflower (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAPnse4ARkE/?igshid=hzjojix4zpfi

Magnolia stellata (Star Magnolia) still going strong! #oneadayplant Probably the best Magnolia for most UK gardens considering its smaller mature size and reliability in terms of performance. Let us not forget that it is also rather beautiful! The pink forms are fine and only marginally less floriferous, but I think either the species or cultivar ‘Royal Star’ are the way to go. Can be pot grown, though ultimately this will not benefit the plant unless you have an unlimited supply of ever increasing pot sizes. #tree #shrub #plants #garden #landscape #white #flower #star #magnolia #iplantsman #gardens #planting #plantingdesign #landscapedesign #horticulture #gardening #gardendesign #gardeningtips #gardeningadvice #flowers (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rJKnfgWWA/?igshid=17azynf6k0ar

#oneadayplant Cotoneaster lacteus. Never sure why, but the birds seem to come much later to the berries of this species than they do to C. horizontal is for example. An underrated evergreen shrub of good volume. Makes an excellent hedge or blob of topiary too. #hedge #topiary #plant #shrub #insects #bees #birds #flowers #berries #evergreen #shrubsofinstagram #cotoneaster (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B65EKUOAbhe/?igshid=13yn4j4kripgg

#oneadayplant Astelia chathamica ‘Silver Spear’ (the Chatham Islands kakaha). A classy little number (not actually very little once established). Everyone thinks that Astelia must be arid loving plants based on their look, but they need a surprising amount of water to do well. The best advice is that the roots shouldn’t sit in water, though weirdly, they often do in New Zealand and some plants grow as Epiphytes (up and on large trees and shrubs), so who knows what they really like. My experience of Astelia is that they can be challenging to get established, but once settled, they grow easily and well. The silvery-green strappy foliage is pretty unique in hardy plants and they can be absolute showstoppers like this beauty I spotted in London. #astelia #newzealand #shrub #perennial #subshrub #hardy #evergreen #iplantsman #silver #london #londonlife (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ll-dnAcmt/?igshid=1lv4mcfikdq4s