Michaelmas Daisies, Schizostylis and other autumn beauties to brighten your garden!
As the days shorten and the nights get colder it is very easy to think that the gardens are going to sleep…downhill all the way now? Well not so! Why not add a splash of colour with some autumn flowering cottage garden plants. There are so many that it is difficult to choose a few, so Michaelmas Daisies and Schizostylis are by no means the lot, yet they are a good foundation to start with.
The Michaelmas Daisies or ‘ffarwel haf’ as they are called here in Wales (farewell to summer) really take some beating. Preferring a moist sunny spot they are a riot of colour in a multitude of heights and shapes. We currently have about 60 varieties for sale and this number is growing every year… mad or what, but who can resist them. Easy to grow and needing little attention, the kaleidoscope of colours will cheer you through many a dull day. Even better they are 2 for £12 now!!
Schizostylis or Hesperantha as they are now called (I really don’t know why they keep changing names!) are another beacon in a potentially dull landscape. Lily-like flowers in multiple shades of pink and red, with the odd splash of white, adorn tall slender graceful stems. These flower for months, especially if the varieties are chosen carefully. Starting as early as August, there are some that will continue, weather permitting, until Christmas and beyond. To cap it all they are also a stunning cut flower. We have about 30 different kinds now so there is one for most!!
So there we go, hopefully a few to whet your appetite. See you soon, Rich
