Blooming Evington!
Here we feature some of the flowering plants we’ve spotted around the Evington area this month. We expect you’ve seen them too but, if not, keep a look out when you’re on your walks! In case you see anything you’d like to grow, we’ve included a few ideas and links to help you.
If you have images of and information on your favourite blooms at any time, please email them to us and we’ll include them in the appropriate monthly section.
Hellebore
Hellebores are lovely and generally-evergreen plants that flower in winter and spring. They’re also known as the Lenten or Christmas rose. They are mostly quite hardy so will survive in shaded, moist conditions. I’ve just read that they struggle in sunny spots so we’ll have to keep an eye on ours to make sure they don’t dry out in summer!
If you fancy adding these to your patch, you might find they are still on sale but, if not, I would suggest looking out for them again in the autumn. Growing guide: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/hellebore/growing-guide
Snow drops
We spotted these from the footpath by the Spinney off Newstead Road. You’ll also so see them ‘naturalised’ on lawns and grass verges which means that they’ve been scattered in the grass and planted where they land. If you want to plant them now, you’ll need to buy them ‘in the green’ which means they’ve been grown in pots. It is far cheaper to buy them as bulbs so look out for them in September
Growing guide: https://woodland-bulbs.co.uk/product/double-snowdrops/
Primroses
There are lots of lovely displays of primroses around Evington at the moment. people have planted them in flower beds, rockeries and around grass verges. They are perennial plants, which means they’ll die back after flowering and then reappear next year. They are still available at reasonable prices, in garden centres and it might be worth buying some that haven’t flowered yet so that you get the best of their flowering time. We are also planting native primroses in our bog garden.
Growing guide: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/13901/i-Primula-vulgaris-i-(Pr-Prim)/Details
Dogwood (Cornus)
We love the bright read branches of the dogwood, after it loses its leaves in winter. So, although it’s not exactly blooming, it is blooming lovely. To get the best colour, it’s best to prune the branches right down in early spring and bring the bright-coloured stems in for display. The plant will regrow quickly and flower in early summer, with berries to follow. This pruning will also ensure the shrub can be kept to the size you want,
Growing guide: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=360
Honeysuckle – Winter beauty
Most people are familiar with the climbing honeysuckle, with its lovely flowers and scent. this version is a bushy shrub which loses its leaves in late winter and then produces many delicate-looking white flowers. the flowers are followed by black berries. Our plant is quite young so the display should improve year on year. Like most of our shrubs, we bought this one from the Barnsdale Gardens nursery near Rutland water as they always seem to do well – even in this north-facing aspect.
Growing guide: https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/54843/Lonicera-x-purpusii-Winter-Beauty/Details
Daffodils – Narcissus
Well, we don’t have much to tell you that you don’t already know about these, except to say that, if you want them to bloom in February to early March, be sure to choose the early varieties. We are particularly fond of the native daffodils that we have planted in our woodland bulb area but they will flower a little later – in April. If you want these reliable old favourites to bloom in your garden, look out for the bulbs on sale in September.
Growing guide: https://woodland-bulbs.co.uk/product/wild-daffodils-lent-lily-lobularis/
Crocus
We’re not sure this photo does justice to the lovely display of crocuses in the Sedgebrook Road Green Space. There are also some fantastic crocuses in Evington Park and in many gardens too. A good way to naturalise these in you lawn is to get a handful of bulbs and gently throw them on your lawn, then plant them where they land. As with most spring bulbs, September is the usual planting time for these favourites, although you can buy them now , in pots, ready to plant out.
Growing guide: https://woodland-bulbs.co.uk/product/crocus-mixed-species/
Bergenia
This lovely plant is flowering right now on the embankment by the edge of the village green on Main Street. We think it’s a bergenia but would be happy for anyone to email and correct us. If you want to grow a bergenia, you’ll need some nice moist soil and a sunny/part-shaded spot. We think the north-facing embankment is good as it’s below the level of the green so water-rich. If you look closely, you’ll also see a tiny yellow flower on the cyclamen in front of the bergenia.
Growing guide: https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/bergenia/growing-guide