Stand and deliver

Alan Bloom reveals a selection of hardy tall plants, in a variety of stunning colours, that stand erect in garden borders without the need for sticks or stakes

- Alan Bloom

STAKING is one of the most tiresome of garden chores. It does not come so hard for gardeners who specialise in tall plants such as delphiniums that invariably need supporting, but for those who grow a variety of perennials in a border it is different. Quite often the job is postponed until it is too late, either because the ground is hard or because sticks are hard to come by, or simply because it is a tiresome job.

It is true that over-tall plants are often seen in too-narrow borders, or that the tall kinds used are naturally weak in growth. Some undoubtedly are, but the fact must not be overlooked that the conventional one-sided border encourages stem weakness because of the drawing effect of the backing, be it a wall, hedge, or fence.

For those who like tall plants at the rear, but yet who dislike either the task of sticking or the ugliness of the supports used, there are a number of subjects over 3ft (90cm) high that, in my experience, invariably stand unaided.

Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’ and its parent A. fischeri [A. carmichaelii] show their relationship to delphiniums with fine spikes of amethyst-blue in late summer and autumn. Of the two, the 4ft (1.2m) A.c. ‘Arendsii’ is taller, a little earlier, and more adaptable, for A. fischeri prefers a little shade and soil not dry. But both are easy plants with stems almost so strong they can withstand a gale.

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