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Plant of the Day
Thursday 3 November 2022
A great plant combination is the ornamental grass Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose' (oriental fountain grass) and the herbaceous perennial Symphyotrichum 'Little Carlow' (aster). Both these plants save their best performance for the autumn.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day
Tuesday 26 July 2022
This Digitalis ferruginea 'Gigantea' (rusty foxglove) has nearly finished flowering but still makes a great plant association with the upright Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (feather reed grass) in the background.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day
Tuesday 4 January 2022
The leaves of Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum' (barrenwort) have taken on a red tint for the winter. This ground covering perennial will have delicate yellow flowers on wiry stems in the spring but for now the foliage forms a great contrast with ferns in this woodland border.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day
Saturday 22 June 2019
The contrast of the flower colours and forms with the pink, horizontal Achillea millefolium 'Lilac Beauty' (yarrow) and purple, vertical Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' (Balkan clary) provide a dramatic display. Both of these herbaceous perennials grow best in full sun. The pruned tree in the background is Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’ (weeping silver pear).
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day
Tuesday 26 November 2019
The wiry stems of Symphyotrichum pilosum var. pringlei (white heath aster) are still spangled with flowers. The white star-like blooms provided a display contrasting with the upright stems Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (feather reed-grass) and threading through the horizontal seed heads of Crocosmia.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day
Thursday 16 August 2018
A chance combination of the flat heads of the tiny yellow flowers of Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum' (bronze fennel) with the bold foliage of Vitis coignetiae (crimson glory vine) were a great contrast with each other and helped by the painted wall. Vitis coignetiae is a very strong-growing, large deciduous climber with tendrils for attachment, whilst Foeniculum is an upright, clump-forming perennial with delicate, fine foliage which is purple when young.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day Sunday 29 July 2018
A cool green plant association with the foliage of Solenostemon (coleus) and the flowers of Nicotiana alata ‘Lime Green’ (tobacco plant). Solenostemon (coleus) is a tender perennial grown for the foliage with insignificant pale blue flower spikes produced in the summer. Nicotiana are grown as annuals and being moth pollinated have flowers which are strongly scented in the evening.
Jill Raggett
Plant of the Day Saturday 11 November 2017 On a visit to Provender Nurseries, Kent, UK, the students and I were impressed by a display of the red stems of Cornus alba ‘Baton Rouge’ (dogwood) in front of the vibrant autumn colours of Cotinus ‘Grace’ (smokewood). This Cotinus cultivar is a silvery-purple foliage during the summer but if you prefer a green-leaved variety then there is Cotinus ‘Flame’.
Jill Raggett
