Hellebores, Astilbe and Royal Ferns
Plans for creating a stunning plant combination for all seasons.
This week in Cordressagagh the first crocus has popped its head up with its beautiful color purple and saffron stems. It’s forecast to snow in three days so I will be off to Enniskillen to buy some bales of barley straw to mulch that part of the garden I call The Way of Beauty. This I hope will protect the emerging spring bulbs from the worst of the frost and snow.
Main Image above by 👀 Mabel Amber, from <Pixabay
Here are this weeks main features.
Main Menu
Winter Hanging Basket Update.
The Shade Garden Develops.
Garden Design Research Resource.
Future Newsletter Plans.
Where to Buy
Winter Hanging Basket Update
Image by beauty_of_nature from <Pixabay
The Christmas cherry plants (Jerusalem Cherry) have shed all the beautiful red to orange berries. As an idea for the winter window boxes and winter hanging baskets, they are a fabulous plant to use in combination with trailing ivy. They really do add a splash of color all around the cottage windows and front door entrance during those dark days of December and January.
I have taken all the fallen berries and planted them up in a seventy-two modular seed tray. I haven’t tried this before, so it is an experiment to grow lots of these plants to add winter cherries and to give them away as Christmas presents (Christmas Presence).
I have potted up the spent Christmas Cherry plants into larger pots. The root system is well established, and the green stems are likely to harden off and from these new branches will form that will carry the new berries – at least that is what I think will happen.
The Shade Garden Develops.
Sue Manus, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This week the Hellebores (Lenten Rose) are starting to come into full bloom. My plan beginning early spring is to group these with hostas, ferns and astilbe.
The idea is that I have color throughout most of the seasons and different contrasts by way of shapes of leaves and heights of plants.
Hostas
Image courtesy of Farmer Gracy
I have ordered some hosta’s from Farmer Gracy. One of these is the giant named “Jurassic Park.” It has ribbed leaves and gives a pearlescent glow. The leaves are a kind of sea green. I might combine this huge Hosta with a smaller one called “Praying hands.”
I bought some of these last year and it will be interesting to see how they develop. I love the idea that I can have a plant in the garden that communes with Divine Intent by way of prayer.
This serves the purpose of having a contrast of leaf shape and leaf color. Hostas are really grown for the beauty of their leaves rather than the flowers.
Plant from – February to June. Flowers from June to August.
For more details on the Hosta plant see the article Unveiling the Enchanting Beauty of Hosta: The Perfect Shade-loving Perennial
Astilbe
Image courtesy of Farmer Gracy
I think I will plant white astilbe because the colors pink and red will clash with the sea blue of the giant Hosta “Jurassic Park.” I think the Astilbe Cappuccino from Farmer Gracy will be a great combination.
I will plant these white astilbes in pots and bring them along until they are well established. sure, is because last year I planted quite a few Astilbes in the fairy garden, and I am not sure if they will come back. I think they will but as it’s only the beginning of February I have time to wait and see.
For detailed information about Astilbe have a look at Unlocking the Secrets of Astilbe: Growing Tips and Tricks
Ferns
Image courtesy of Farmer Gracy
This morning, I did some research on what fern to combine with the Hellebores and I have added three of the Royal ferns to my basket for the next order I place with Farmer Gracy. This is a huge fern and will complement the large Jurassic Park Hosta.
As the summer ends this Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) transitions through different shades of gold, orange, and bronze. This gives me a different range of colors for later in the season.
Garden Design Research
I love to use the garden design website gardenia.net to do this kind of research that shows me which plants go well together and the various times they come into their own. This site breaks the seasons down as follows: -
· Spring
o Early
o Mid
o Late
· Summer
o Early
o Mid
o Late
· Autumn/Fall
· Winter
Highly recommended resource. I am not affiliated with gardenia.net but I want you to have the best information that I am presently aware of and resources that I use and find real value from.
Future Newsletter Ideas
In the coming editions of The Mindful Gardener Newsletter, I want to share with you a number of planting schemes for containers and window boxes for those of you who have little or no garden space but want to have the beauty of such displays shine out at you at different times of the year.
Finally, in each of these Mindful Gardening newsletters I will share with you links to the articles that I have added to the Mindful Gardening website (
). This includes detailed information regarding the plants that I am planting here in Cordressagagh including ideas around creating this garden as a place of sanctuary and well-being.
Here are this week’s posts which I hope you will find of value.
· Introducing the Top 10 Shade Plants for Any Gardener
· Connecting Mindfulness and Gardening – Nurturing Your Soul and Plants
· Discover the Enchanting Beauty of Dicentra Spectabilis Alba in Your Garden
As a writer I never quite know how I am doing.
Is this of value or is there something you would like me to include? So, any feedback or questions are of value. If you find this material of value, then please like or comment.
So, until next week have a great day, have a wonderful life, and become a Companion of Greatness that is seeded in you so that you might bless and be blessed.
Where to buy
Here are the sources from which I buy the plants that I add to the garden in Cordressagagh. In time I will have enough so that I begin to propagate from this stock. I live in Ireland, so this is specific to my location. For those in the U.S.A. the website gardenia.net have a database of suppliers for specific plants in your location.