Going With The Flow

One of Val’s golden rules is to grow the plants that do well in her garden – and that includes primroses.

- Val Bourne

ONE of the plants that does really well in my woodland garden, at the lower end of the garden close to the spring, is the primrose. It seems to like the cool, damp conditions at the bottom of the garden. I wanted to grow lots of snowdrops and hellebores in this patch, but my garden had different ideas. The snowdrops and hellebores struggled, but the primroses and lots of different wood anemones have thrived. Both are bee-friendly and both seed freely.

One of my golden rules is to grow the things that do well for me. It’s no good, for instance, wanting to grow moisture-loving asters and phloxes if you’re in East Anglia where the summers tend to be too dry. You’re far better to major in silver plants, such as lavenders and artemisias, and go with the flow – don’t try to drive water uphill.