6 EASY PROJECTS TO DO NOW!
Take a break from the norm and shake things up in your garden this summer with these KOOKY KNOCKOUTS
CANDYFLOSS EXPLOSION
Forming compact mounds of slender blue-green leaves in spring and summer, fabulously frothy Muhlenbergia capillaris, or pink muhly grass, explodes in early autumn into a haze of iridescent, pinkish flower plumes, making it look like an escapee from a candyfloss factory! The flowers last well into winter, before dying down to take a well-deserved rest, then doing it all again the following year.
It’s incredibly versatile: use it as a standalone focal point, plant en masse as weed-beating ground cover, mix it with pink echinacea daisies in beds and borders, or give it pride of place in a container. It’s easy to care for and tolerant of drought and salty breezes, making it a perfect choice for coastal gardens. Give it a warm sunny spot in well-drained soil mixing some soil improver into the soil first if planting in the ground or using multipurpose compost in pots. Height 1m Spread 50cm.
TIP Train the stems up a trellis, over a pergola or a rch, or on horizontal wires fixed to a fence or wall
BRING ON THE TRUMPETS
Campsis tagliabuana ‘Indian Summer’ is an exotic-looking shrubby climber perfect for a sheltered sunny wall. Commonly called trumpet vine, these large peachyorange flowers blast into action August to September, accompanied by lush green foliage. Plant it in a standout spot where it can be appreciated up close, mixing some soil improver into the soil first if planting in the ground or using multipurpose compost in pots. It might take a year or two to build up its framework of woody stems before flowering, but it’s worth the wait when the first flowerbuds start to open. Height 4m Spread 3m, but it can be kept smaller by cutting back the previous year’s growth to two to three buds.
BUTTERFLY MAGNET
Rostrinucula dependens ‘Happy Cascade’ looks a bit like a dangly buddleja. This deciduous shrub, meaning it sheds its leaves every year, is a real beauty, with its arching stems of silvery-white, pink-whiskered tassels that cascade toward the ground. The flowers last for ages – August to November – and are popular with butterflies, bees and other pollinators. It’s happy to grow in sun or part-shade in any moist well-drained soil in a sheltered position, with protection from cold winds. Mix some soil improver into the soil first if planting in the ground or use multipurpose compost in pots. He
