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HEPTACODIUM
miconioides
(previously Heptacodium jasminoides) A stunning plant giving a wonderful display of scented white flowers in September, often a difficult time for colour. This plant impresses me more every year! It is so easy to grow even on heavy clay. Introduced from China as recently as 1981, this large shrub is very hardy. It develops peeling bark and the glossy leaves are retained well into the autumn. The season is extended by the pink bracts which remain after the flowers have faded. It can even be grown as an unusual small tree by removing lower side growth. |
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As my appreciation of this genus increases, so I find myself searching out alternative cultivars.
They will perform best in a well-drained
sunny spot and can potentially grow large, making the evergreen
selections perfect where rapid screening is required. Indeed Hoheria can very
successfully be grown as trees, by cleaning off the lower growth
progressively to give a clean stem. Alternatively, the evergreens make a
fantastic hedge as their small leaves are not unsightly after clipping;
do this after flowering to minimise loss of bloom. |
| HOHERIA 'Borde
Hill' This one has even smaller leaves, but is still more or less evergreen. As I write this, the foliage has taken on a bronzy colour as a result of several cold snaps this winter where we have gone down as low as minus 11. Clearly it needs a sensible site, but they really are a lot tougher than you might think. Lots of small white flowers through the summer. |
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| HOHERIA 'Glory of Amlwch' (H. glabrata x H. sexstylosa) This large deciduous shrub or small tree has larger flowers than Stardust below - up to 3.75cm across. Perfectly hardy (indeed ours keeps it's leaves well into the winter in a fairly exposed position) but best in a sunny site with good drainage. I become more impressed with this plant each year. It is a truly magnificent sight in flower. |
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| HOHERIA sexstylosa
'Stardust' This evergreen selection was named by Roy Lancaster and flowers at an early age, producing dense clusters of star shaped white flowers during late summer. |
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| HOSTA
'Patriot' How did we end up with a handful of Hosta for sale I hear you ask...Well, we had a large clump in the garden which needed to be dealt with, and somehow a few bits ended up in pots, and the rest, as they say, is history! This is such a magnificent cultivar - the large leaves are conspicuously margined with creamy white and they're currently crowned with majestic flower spikes. Everyone should have a Hosta somewhere in their garden...and what better choice than this one! I haven't even had much of a slug problem with it...the leaves are sufficiently large and leathery that presumably there are easier pickings elsewhere. These are magnificent plants in 5 litre pots. |
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