|
| |
LET
NATURE GIVE YOU A HAND.
|
GardenSeeker
Ed. - David Hughes suggests that
'hand-weeding' might repay you
with some special rewards! Self
sown seedlings are a rich
source of new plants!
************************************************************
Before
firing away with that 'ready to kill'
weedkiller spray you have just bought,
stop and think. For 'weedkiller'
substitute the word 'plant-killer';
for it can also kill, or seriously
damage, many of your treasured garden
plants that it comes into contact
with. Now that's o.k. with the larger
plants (and weeds); you're not an
idiot; you can tell the difference:
You only aim at the weeds - problem
solved. But can you tell the
difference between a weed and a garden
plant when it is no larger than a half
inch across?
Many
garden plants scatter seeds all over
the place during late summer and
autumn, which germinate in abundance.
The little seedlings often over-winter
safely, and can turn into glorious
additions to your garden. They may be
from one of your own plants wishing to
perpetuate itself, or a next door
neighbours, or from even further away,
carried by birds, insects, or the
wind.
Perennials often seed themselves, and
are a welcome addition to any garden.
The same is true of biennials
(Foxgloves, Canterbury bells,
Forget-me-nots, and many others). They
normally scatter their seed, grow into
small plants during the summer and
autumn, over-winter, and then get
moving the following spring ready to
flower soon after.
Incidental
planting schemes
At
Great Comp Garden in Kent, weedkillers
are rarely used - even though there
are seven acres of ornamental gardens
to look after. There are many
ground-covering plants of course, but
all the weeding is done by hand. In
fact Eric Cameron - the man who built
Great Comp Garden - is probably
happiest with a weeding trowel or fork
in his hand and in amongst his
plants. He knows the difference
between a weed and a `plant' of course
and he carefully chooses which
seedlings are to be spared.
Some
of the `weeds' which have been spared
the hoe during the last year, include
a magnificent row of Verbena
bonariensis, Campanula lactiflora,
Althea (Alcea) rosea (Hollyhocks),
Oenothera perennis (Evening Primrose),
a stunning white form of Digitalis
purpureus (Foxglove) and some gorgeous
poppies (Papaver somniferum, which in
a less respectable life is also the
Opium Poppy) and who hasn't had one or
more of those in the garden from
goodness knows where - It certainly
gives a new dimension to the term
'weed' !
|
 After
taking the picture of the poppy seed
heads, I passed by a few days later to
find that they had disappeared. Upon
investigation, I found that it was not
a local hippy, but voles and field
mice, which shin up the stems, chop
off the seed heads and scoot off to
bury them. (Presumably to have a feast
when they are feeling a bit down in
the mouth)!
Many
plants do not come true from
seed. Any seedling has the
potential to differ from its parent
plant, but those from the species and
their forms generally come true. This
is not the same for seedlings from
cultivars and hybrids. (A cultivar is
in itself a variant of the normal form
of the species, and a difference will
often have been noted at the seedling
stage.) Distinct variation in
seedlings from cultivars and hybrids
are often to be found - particularly
with the annuals. Biennials on the
other hand, show fewer variations -
after all, this is the way in which
they normally survive from year to
year.
| Self-seeded
shrubs are
also found with some interesting variations.
I once found 32 Hebe seedlings in a nursery
pot - all seemingly different to the
possible parent. (I say possible parent, for
there were other Hebe types in the vicinity.
As the seedlings were all in the same pot,
it is reasonable to assume that the occupant
of the pot was at least one of the parents -
it takes two you know!) One of these
seedlings is now the proud co-owner of my
name - Hebe David Hughes The remaining 31
were considered unsuitable - after growing
on for two years - and therefore
discarded. |
 |
| I
have also found an interesting Pyracantha
seedling, which is `on trial' at present. It
originated from the gold berried Pyracantha
atalantioides Aurea. However, whilst sharing
the same general habit of its parent, the
berries start as a shocking pink, developing
orange and then on into deepest blood red.
Watch this space. |
 |
|
So, get to
know what weed seedlings look like
before you hack away with hoe, or aim
with the weedkiller. (Go careful with
the mulching as well) If in doubt,
leave them for a few days until you
can identify them.
If
there is a large batch of 'plant'
seedlings, either thin them out or
transplant them, pot some up, or let
nature take its course. If you do pot
them up, don't do what many gardeners
advocate, and only pot the largest
seedlings. Use some of the smaller
ones as well. After all, what would be
wrong with discovering a 'dwarf'
Foxglove. Even if you don't find a
rarity, think of the masses of colour
that could be yours for nothing - not
to mention the excitement and
anticipation.
|
|
Perennials
and Biennials, which often seed themselves.
|
Alchemilla
mollis
Anemone blanda
Althea (Alcea)
Aquilegia
Astrantia major
Cyclamen (Hardy types)
Dicentra spectabilis
Dianthus
Digitalis
Eryngeum gigantem
Eucomis
Euphorbia spps
Geranium oxianum cvs
Heleborus
|
Lunaria
(Honesty)
Lychnis spps
Mimulus spps
Myosotis
Oenothera
Papaver spps
Primula spps
Pulmonaria saccharata
Saponaria ocymoides
Sedums
Sempervivums
Silene armeria
Verbascum chaixii forms
Viola (incl Pansy) |
|
Shrub
seedlings to look out for. |
Aucuba
Azalea -deciduous
Berberis
Buddleia
Ceratostigma
Chamaecyparis laws.
Cytisus |
Hebe
Ilex
Mahonia
Pyracantha
Rhododendrons
Ribes
Ulex |
Top
of page
Read about A Berry Christmas!
| |
|
