MOST nurserymen will confirm that the plant they are most asked for is the one that will grow anywhere, requires little maintenance, has evergreen foliage and produces flowers year round. Of course, such a plant doesn’t exist, but the search reflects the current mode for all-singing, all-dancing, long-flowering plants. Meanwhile, as a result, fleeting beauties are often overlooked. A plant such as the Molly-the-Witch peony (Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii), for example, flowers for only a week, perhaps a few days more if you’re lucky, but who would not want to enjoy such exquisite beauty, however transient it may be? Unfortunately, it is now rarely seen in British gardens.
A similar neglect has befallen the mock oranges, Philadelphus, whose brief flowering for about a month in early summer is regarded as underperformance. They were once a stalwart of British parks and gardens, valued for their delicate white flowers that are filled with perfume. And what a perfume. Sometimes citrusy, sometimes spicy, it is guaranteed to turn heads during those few weeks in June and July. For its scent alone, this is a shrub that should be in every garden. For most of the year, it is unremarkable, but, from the moment the first buds appear to the last petal dropping away, it dazzles.
Denne historien er fra March 27, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 27, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
