Flowers for a long summer show

Herbaceous flowers are coming into their own now with lots of colour, and the borders should be great from now until the autumn frosts.

Some of the day lilies are already out. The one called Stella Dioro flowers very well in early summer, and brightens up the border early.

There are more than 30,000 different kinds of hemerocallis, as the Americans have been breeding them and they appear almost daily.

Most are orange or yellow, but some can be red or purple, and even black. They like the sun, but will flower in a woodland situation and are very hardy, and therefore useful in a bigger garden.

The flowers only last a day, but are remontant, or repeat-flowering, so they last for quite a time.

The oriental poppies are big and bold and can be white, pink or orange-red, with big splashes of black, and are quite spectacular.

Once they have flowered it is better to plant something in front of them to hide their remains, as they don't flower for a second time.

The dictamnus, or burning bush plant also comes out early and can be a purple-red or white. It has leaves filled with oil, which in hot weather turns to vapour, and if a lighted match is applied to the plant, there will be a pop as the vapour explodes.

I have tried to grow the perennial tropaeolum polyphyllum several times, without success, although once established it is difficult to get rid of.

It sprouts up early in the year, and quickly spreads over the ground. Then it produces wonderful yellow flowers which last for a long time through the summer. Then it dies back, so you must mark where it is, or you may dig it up by mistake.

The perennial honesty is a real standby. It makes a rounded bush, and the pinkish flowers appear early in the year.

It differs from the annual in that the seed heads are elliptical instead of round, and, of course, it always stays in the same place, whereas the annual ones turn up where ever they choose.

At this time of year I always feel that my border will look wonderful, all staked up and worked out for the colours to follow on one after the other, in perfect order.

Something nearly always goes wrong, but it is always nice to hope for the best. The best plan is to note down which flowers to move in the autumn.

By Pat Edwards