As temperatures begin to rise, Åsa Gregers-Warg is keeping things cool with delicate pinks, whites and blues, alongside a tall, dark and handsome aeonium and a statuesque fennel
PHOTOGRAPHS RICHARD BLOOM
ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM ‘LANSDORFERGLUT’
This is both vigorous and floriferous with us. Like many other achillea cultivars, the flowerheads change colour as they mature. Pale buds open to a vibrant shade of deep reddish-pink, then gradually fade to shades of peach and a dull cream. I love the multi-tone effect as new buds continue to open above the grey-green foliage. If deadheaded regularly, it will flower all summer. Eryngium planum ‘Blaukappe’ makes a terrific companion, as do Allium sphaerocephalon and Salvia nemorosa, all of which revel in the same light soil. AGM*.
Height and spread 80cm x 45cm.
Origin Garden (species North America, Europe, Asia).
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun.
Hardiness RHS H7, USDA 3a-9b†.
Season of interest June – August.
AGAPANTHUS ‘ARDERNEI HYBRID’
The purple-tipped buds, dark anthers and pedicels contrast so well against the pure-white flowers. All our African lilies are grown in the ground, where they’re neither watered nor fed. Poor flowering can often be the result of excessive nitrogen, which encourages overgrowth of the foliage, or not enough light. If grown in pots, they appreciate a potassium-rich feed twice a month, from spring until flowering, and will usually tell you when they’ve become too congested by throwing fewer flowers. After division they often need a couple of years to settle in.
Height and spread 1m x 80cm.
Origin Garden (species South Africa).
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun.
Hardiness RHS H6, USDA 7a-10b.
Season of interest July – August.
AEONIUM ‘ZWARTKOP’
Each summer, we display Beth’s collection of succulents outside the greenhouse where we overwinter tender plants. The dark, nearly black in strong sunlight, foliage of this cultivar – recently a star of Sarah Price’s beautiful garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show – makes a wonderful contrast to silver-grey and pink succulents. With a tendency to become top-heavy, especially in spring when it produces large conical heads of bright-yellow flowers, it needs a sturdy clay pot. Easy to propagate by cutting off and rooting the tops, which encourages the plant to produce new rosettes. Water sparingly in winter. AGM.
Height and spread 1m x 50cm.
Origin Garden (species North Africa, Canary Islands).
Conditions Well-drained soil; full sun.
