Plant Research for Planting Plans
As a garden designer, we have years of experience with plants, how they grow, what they look good with, what soil conditions and aspect they like. But with 300,000 plants listed in the RHS plant finder, we cannot know them all. So we have to do our research in order to find new plants, new varieties, new colours, new plant combinations.
Most designers will have their go-to palette. This is usually a robust set of plants that will be hardy, easy (ish) to look after, reliable, long flowering or have other key features. What we don't want to do is churn out planting designs that are the same as the previous. But we still require good plants. So how do we go about finding these?
Online Research - using online nursery catalogues, the RHS Plant Selector database, Shoot Gardening plant database for example.
Specialist Nurseries - we are lucky in the UK to have some wonderful specialist nurseries focusing on plant types such as Knoll Gardens for grasses or Barcham Nursery for trees. They supply quality stock and are always available for expert advice.
Local Growers and Nurseries - close to me I have the wonderful Marchants Hardy Plants and English Woodlands. You cannot beat the expert advice from people who have nurtured a plant from seed/cutting through to the end product. When you speak to growers, you know that their plants deserve to be honoured and respected and cared for.
Paper Catalogues - There are some great ones such as Sarah Raven, David Austin and a really great one I acquired years ago from a shady plant specialist!
Plant Fairs...
....to name just a few.
Today I went to a Plant Fair at Sussex Prairies to meet with an industry friend and to carry out some research. The benefit of a fair is that you have a whole menagerie of specialist plant nurseries all under the same roof - or rather in the same garden!
I use the time to seek out new plants for my gardens that I haven't used, and to chat to the growers who have so much knowledge on each individual plant.
Today there were a lot of Penesetum varieties I focused on, some of which I haven't used before. Small ones for the front of the border to taller ones suited for the middle of the border or for large swathes as a feature planting. Tall thin florets to wide bottle brushes - upright to pendulous - all are just glorious. Now I have seen more at the fair than I use in my usual palette, I've touched them, and discussed their behaviour and care with the growers, I know I can now confidently use these new ones in plant schemes, and so can expand the planting palette just that little further.
Sanguisorba are a real favourite of mine and look fabulous with some of the fine flowered grasses. I also spent some time investigating some varieties of these I wasn't familiar with. They come in so many forms - with small dark button like flowers such as Tanna (a regular of mine), or Joni, to long thin curved flowers like Skinny Mini (which I bought for my own garden and intend to divide and nurture!), and then the large fluffy S hakusanensis or Lilac Squirrel. And then there is everything in-between!
I was very struck with Veronicastrum 'Pink Glow'. Online research indicates this ranges from very pink, to the etherial off white I saw today. One to specify with caution as you may not get the colour you intend.
Verbena hastata is a species I haven't used for a while, and seeing it today has reminded me it is a fabulous plant and I must bring it to the fore in my plant choices again. Lila Spires was a particularly lovely one I spotted today.
Persicaria is another favourite - with P amplexicaulis 'Firetail' and P bistorta 'Superba' featuring in my usual palette, and now I shall add P amplexicaulis 'September Spires' to the list.
My plant Inspiration Book has 5 new pages filled with scribbles about plants as well plant notes with a corresponding armoury of photos, ready for me to to do some research back at HQ before adding them to the database. One aspect of my job I really truly enjoy.
If you would like to rejuevenate your borders and require a considered planting plan of plants suited to your site conditions, your style and that will suit the situation, then please contact me. Phone consultations are free.