Our favourite for brightening up summer shade Shade and Woodland Plants Group committee members

Fig. 1 Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Wave’

s we write these Peucedanum ostruthium young leaves can be cooked A profiles in the ‘Daphnis’ (fig. 2) looks and eaten and the root used heatwave of summer 2018, horribly like the variegated to flavour certain gins and garden shade seems even Bishop’s Weed that goes other alcoholic beverages. more necessary and desirable. everywhere if you plant it Probably not ideas to be Going from blisteringly hot out in the garden – though tried at home! sun to an area where the I’ve always loved it in a big ‘Daphnis’ forms fairly tidy temperature is several degrees pot standing in a summer clumps growing 20–25cm cooler and you can literally shade bed. tall and has spread to around feel the transpiration of the This plant is a lot better a metre, so far. In early trees is sublime. behaved, however, even if it summer the flowers look is called a masterwort like like Queen Anne’s Lace Ground Elder, Aegopodium. on 50cm stems. For me it Shade is no longer I’m sure it’s my imagination, grows well in an average, considered a problem but I love it because one woodsy-type soil in full- area to plant – in fact, minute it’s not there and I’m to-partial shade, but I’m with the wide range of looking at a patch of spring experimenting with a bit of shade-tolerant plants with shade perennials gently going it in full sun and moist soil to over… then next minute see how it copes. It’s bone- wonderful foliage now beautiful creamy-gold-edged hardy, surviving –13°C this available, shade has to be leaves suddenly appear as if year. Propagation is by my seen as a real advantage. out of nowhere, followed by preferred method of digging lovely delicate white flowers. a bit up with a spade. I got my plant from a Why the name ‘Daphnis’? We start with our chairman, Northants HPS Plant Fair It seems Mr Ferret and his Nigel Parkes-Rolfe, who is in 2014. Apparently it is a friend had named a new also the Derbyshire Group’s fairly ‘recent’ introduction aster as ‘Chloe’ (said to be representative with the HPS from France, where it was very nice as well) and the Conservation Group. He likes found in a garden in the ’90s. names are from the title of to squeeze as many plants According to the blog of one a 2nd century Greek classical as possible into his relatively of the guys who found the romance. Who knew that? I small suburban garden. plant, Philippe Ferret, the certainly didn’t.

14 I am always so pleased I also sat the plant on 5cm to see Cypripedium of grit. I left it unprotected parviflorum(fig. 3) come the following winter and it back each year because didn’t reappear until two

the first year after planting springs later. With that in ©Nigel Parkes-Rolfe it didn’t come back at all. mind, I now mulch and Every year since it has cover it from December to steadily increased in size, February using a big plastic along with my appreciation dome cloche sat on a metal of it. I know it’s not meant to Peony support frame. Not be the most difficult orchid wildly attractive, I accept, to grow in the garden but it’s but it seems to do the job the sheer size (7x7cm) and and saves the dog flattening beauty of the flowers that it while chasing pigeons! really do it for me. There are now eight Fig. 2 Peucedanum ostruthium I have looked at photos flowering stems on my plant. ‘Daphnis’ of C. parviflorum online Here in Derbyshire their and mine doesn’t always noses first show in April, it seem to match, so I suppose finally flowers in late May it could be a hybrid; but and just about lasts until I don’t really care. It’s a July.

North American Dactylorhiza foliosa x ©Nigel Parkes-Rolfe and even their botanists say saccifera (fig. 4) Dear reader, it is extremely variable but while I have still got your that it’s broadly similar to attention, please can I seek a the British and European bit of your expertise? I was natives. asked to recommend two I purchased the plant at a plants but I would really like 2013 Plant Heritage Spring some feedback on this one – Plant Fair at Felley Priory in there seems to be very little Nottinghamshire. It was in information on it. an 8cm pot with one stem Again it’s a plant I love Fig. 3 Cypripedium parviflorum showing. The seller had and it grows really well for split the plant from one in me, as you can see. However, her own garden, it was the is this a case of ‘nice plant, only one on the stall and she shame about the virus’ or wanted a very reasonable are the leaves meant to look

£5, so it had to be worth a like this? ©Nigel Parkes-Rolfe try. The only advice she gave I purchased it at an AGS me was to make sure it had Show in April 2015; it didn’t good drainage. have yellow marks initially, I’ve said that this orchid they appeared later that year. was easy, but perhaps I just Looking online I see there need to qualify that a bit. are two dactylorhizas with When I first planted it in similar yellow leaf markings the dappled shade of a silver and they are being sold as birch I was careful to mix a ‘Aurea’ or ‘Variegata’. lot of bark and grit into my Can anyone help me, Fig. 4 Dactylorhiza foliosa x acid-side-of-neutral clay soil. please? saccifera

151 spring, topped with terminal bell-like flowers. D. longistylum ‘Night ©Sue Lander Heron’, from the famous Heronswood Nursery, originated in China and was selected by Dan Hinkley for its wonderfully sinister dark-hued stems that remain throughout the winter. A classy plant. D. cantoniense ‘Blueberry Bere’ was found at altitude in Manipur, north- east . It’s an exciting new colour break having plummy-pink/lilac flowers. D. longistylum ‘Green Giant’ was discovered by Dan Hinkley in province; its stems emerge pink, white Fig. 5 aff. cantoniense ex ‘Leigong Chocolate’ and green and mature into green, growing to 120cm. Sue Lander, vice chairman read of them being planted But my favourite has to of the Group, has for once underneath a Norway spruce! be D. aff. cantoniense ex experienced moist shade this I grow several forms in Guizhou, collected in 2010 spring. neutral, woodsy-but-well- by Paul Barney of Edulis Disporum (‘di’ meaning drained soil in part shade. Nursery and now named two and ‘spora’ meaning According to the books ‘Leigong Chocolate’ (fig. 5). seed) are otherwise known they are evergreen in milder It flowered for me this year. as Fairy Bells. They are one climates, relatively disease A plant to be drooled over. of my favourite perennials free and scented. The flowers Pittosporum illicioides for adding height and grace are usually greeny-yellow var. angustifolium (fig. 6) to my shady plantings. In the but recently different flower was found in the mountain family there colours have been discovered. forests of Taiwan. This is an are around 20 species which Unfortunately I no longer evergreen shrub tolerant come from a huge area from have the name of my first of shade – in fact the leaves northern India to Japan, south acquisition – when I was elongate in shade to 20cm to Indonesia and north into new to gardening, keeping in length but only 2cm in the . The the label or logging the width, dark green and glossy. North American species have name wasn’t important, but Useful in the garden to shine now been reclassified in the of course it’s now highly out from a shady position. . relevant to identify and be The flowers are pale yellow Disporums are able to recommend a plant. and fragrant. Growing up to rhizomatous, have deeply Arising from a golden, 2m, mine is planted a metre veined foliage, bell-like flowers jagged-leaved petasites, the away from an imposing and attractive berries in the Disporum attains a height of glaucous conifer, therefore the autumn. They are easy to over a metre with bamboo- situation is very dry and shady. grow, even in dry shade once like stems that emerge like I have just started to ‘lift its established – I have recently asparagus spears in late skirts’ to reveal a pleasing

216 underplanting of epimediums, wood anemones, winter aconites and snowdrops, and to provide a host for climbers ©Sue Lander later in the year. I first saw it in the garden of Crûg Farm and was fortunate to purchase one, almost 10 years ago, from Sue and Bleddyn Wynn- Jones. Although it enjoyed a much higher rainfall in north Wales, my plant seems to have adapted well to its new situation in Essex, needing Fig. 6 Pittosporum illicioides var. angustifolium no additional watering and coming through every winter sun. Many evergreen shrubs this very narrow foliage is unscathed. It is a very tolerant, drop their old leaves in spring, hardly noticeable when shed. elegant shrub, useful for dark which can be unsightly in Altogether a lovely shrub for corners though it will grow in a small tidy garden, but shade.

Beccy Middleton is our Chile). It produces a slowly foliage and pendant yellow newest committee member. spreading, neat mat of flowers from late spring. It In addition to looking after evergreen leaves, with clear- needs some kind of support, our Facebook page, she works pink flowers which reach and is great growing through as Systematics and Display 50cm in Fife. It needs cool, shrubs: it never becomes Collections Supervisor at St damp soil in shade or part- so dense as to swamp its Andrews Botanic Garden. shade, and associates well with host but adds extra interest Ourisia ‘Loch Ewe’ primulas and smaller ferns. when the shrub has finished (fig. 7) is a hybrid between Climbing Dactylicapnos flowering. We have it growing O. macrophylla (native (syn. Dicentra) macrocapnos in full shade. It prefers good, to New Zealand) and (fig. 8) is a delicate leafy loam and doesn’t mind O. coccinea (a native of herbaceous plant, with ferny slightly alkaline soil. ©Beccy Middleton ©Beccy Middleton

Fig. 7 Ourisia ‘Loch Ewe’ Fig. 8 Dactylicapnos macrocapnos

173 Jan Vaughan looks after Disease Association. The conditions once established. our website pages as well as cultivar name was first The large, pure-white being chairman of the Society. published in Birchwood flowers are borne in the She has based her choices on Plants’ catalogue in 2003. leaf axils on upright stems the theme of ‘a whiter shade Melittis melissophyllum above a mound of bright of pale’. subsp. albida (figs 11 & 12) green leaves. The flowers White flowers in a shady also has white flowers. A are a typical mint-like shape spot have an ethereal quality, member of the Lamiaceae, with petals that flare open at especially on misty days or in this herbaceous perennial the end of a short tube into twilight when the light falling is 40cm tall and will form 1 upper and 3 lower lobes. on their petals is reflected. a clump around 40cm Melittis flowers are honey- White is the perfect foil to wide when mature. Native scented and the leaves, a tapestry of green leaves in to Southern Europe, it in true mint fashion, are both the deep shade at the is tolerant of quite dry aromatic. base of a wall and the dappled shade under trees and shrubs. There are many white- flowered hardy geraniums,

and many of them are easy ©Jan Vaughan to grow even in dry shade. One of my favorites is Geranium nodosum ‘Silverwood’ (figs 9 & 10), a more compact plant than G. nodosum, with large silver-white flowers held on wiry stems above palmate apple-green leaves. A rhizomatous perennial, it forms a slowly spreading clump, 20–30cm in height, with light green foliage that is glossy early in the year. The funnel-shaped flowers are white with silvery veins, 2.5–3cm in diameter; after the main flush of flowers in early June it continues to ©Jan Vaughan ©Jan Vaughan bloom sporadically throughout the summer. It was first discovered by Joan Taylor, a nursery owner from Hampshire, in a friend’s garden in Herefordshire. Mrs Taylor, who holds the National Collection of Geranium nodosum, decided to name the plant in memory of her husband and to donate any money raised from Figs 9 & 10 Geranium nodosum Figs 11 Melittis melissophyllum sales to the Motor Neurone ‘Silverwood’ subsp. albida

418 ©Jan Vaughan ©Wilma Keighley ©Wilma

Fig. 13 Rubus spectabilis ‘Olympic Figs 12 Melittis melissophyllum subsp. albida Double’

Wilma Keighley, treasurer knew far more than me anticipated to flower soon. and membership secretary. about woodland plants I was hoping my martagon I first saw Rubus and HPS committee work, lilies would make a stunning spectabilis ‘Olympic Double’ but I thought it would be show, but only one appeared (fig. 13) during a visit to the perfect way to learn – this year – no sign of my new Eggleston Hall Gardens near and it has been! I would white ones. Barnard Castle, flowering in recommend anyone who is At that time, this June, a very shady position inside slightly interested in getting Hydrangea macrophylla some church ruins in their a little more involved with ‘Blue Wave’ (figs 1 & 14), good demonstration garden. their local or specialist also known as Hydrangea That’s for me, I thought, and group to give it a go – just macrophylla ‘Mariesii hot-footed it back to the ring or email someone on Perfecta’ , was already nursery to find one. They the committee! forming its flowerheads. warned me it might sucker I live on the Herts-Bucks I planted this deciduous a bit. When I got home I border in the Chiltern Hills lace-cap in 2008 amongst looked it up and see that at 185m, and handmade some young acers, and top the RHS say it should have bricks were made on all the bed up with leaf full sun. Don’t care, it seems the site in the 1960s – mulch every winter. In this to be doing perfectly well, so we are on clay. My position it has small fertile and what else will have little unmanicured garden is open violet-blue flowers in the double carmine flowers in by appointment March–July centre and the sterile flowers full shade. for the NGS. around the margin are almost I couldn’t decide which white. Fig. 1 photograph was Diana Garner, secretary of the plants in my garden taken in early July and the since the Group was to write about, because I flowerheads hold their colour formed in 2015. am sure, like many of you, for many weeks. I gave it a I took on the post my favourite plant is the can of water every few days knowing that many people one currently flowering, or as we had no rain for weeks.

195 ©Diana Garner

Fig. 14 Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Wave’

(figs 15 & 16) hugs the ground with beautiful small kidney-shaped green ©Diana Garner ©Diana Garner leaves with pale veins and a pinky-purple marking on the leaves. The flowers have long red stems and are white with a pink edge. It spreads very gently by making new little plants attached by red stems – in fact, it is also known as Figs 15 & 16 Saxifraga stolonifera the Creeping Saxifrage. It’s planted at the edge The variegated green Arboretum. The foliage of my camellia bed in an and white tall shrub to shines out beautifully in area that gets wet in the the right in fig. 14 is the shade, but as a bonus in winter. This year it has been Callicarpa bodinieri var. late summer it is covered in flower for more than a giraldii ‘Profusion’ AGM with metallic-purple berries month. I bought my plant which I planted in 2006, which complement the blue from Daisy Roots Nursery purchased at the Tatton Park of the hydrangea. a few years ago, and it has flower show from Bluebell Saxifraga stolonifera been no trouble at all.

For details of the Shade and Woodland Plants Group meetings, talks and garden visits, see www.hardy-plant.org.uk/meet-us-at/specialist-groups/shadewoodland or email [email protected]

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