JEARRARD'S HERBAL
16th June 2024
Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal' .
The chilly weather has continued. It hasn't been cold in the garden, but it has been attentive. I don't take the weather for granted when I go out there.
Do I need a fleece or a waterproof? The answer has generally been no, but I have been paying attention.
Fortunately the weather did finally settle into some serious rain. It soaked the garden on Thursday and then returned on Friday night. The ground is wet,
a couple of trees that I planted recklessly the week before have been thoroughly watered, and the water tanks have refilled. In the range of possibilities for June weather, I would say it has been pretty good.
The herbaceous border has responded by erupting with weeds. It needs some serious attention and I can't see where the time is going to come from.
However, it has always had to endure periods of neglect, it seems to survive. Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal' shows how it is done. In the world of imagination
it sprawls languidly over a large yellow day-lily with magnificent delight. Failing that, it sprawls over any old weed it can find. The red campion is a particular favourite of both of us.
16th June 2024
Epipactis gigantea .
In the greenhouse the Disa have arrived at the first flush of astonishment. The early flowers have come to a peak and the beds are still full of developing spikes
for the weeks ahead. It's a debutante party, there is nothing old, cynical or past its best (unlike a real debutante party). It would be easy to overlook the quiet beauty of Epipactis gigantea
among the spectrum of colour but somehow the Epipactis shines out. It has been in flower for three or four weeks and provides interest in that embarrassing gap
when spring has shot its last bolt and summer is still bleary-eyed from sleep.
In common with most orchid growers, I want more. A few years ago I bought a selection of forms from nurseries and they did really badly. I'm not sure what went wrong
because this one is the easiest and most obliging plant imaginable, but only one survived. E. palustris has recovered enough to produce a bud and I have high hopes for a flower before long.
I'm not sure what went wrong. The plants I was sent were a bit feeble and very recent divisions but even so, I was surprised they did not establish. I paused in my exploration of Epipactis
while I considered the situation. I'm feeling more confident now, perhaps it is time to have another go.
16th June 2024
Eriolarynx australis .
Sometimes I have been in the right place at the right time and I have been able to reap the benefits. Sometimes I haven't. Good fortune and good timing
seem to have predominated over the years but there are one or two cases where I missed the boat, dithered when I should have acted. Eriolarynx
is a good example.
Back in the days of innocence, I still believed that Eriolarynx would be far too tender to survive here. The presence of a large shrub in a garden barely a mile away
did nothing to dent my conviction. There have been a number of colour variations available since then, and I have ignored them studiously.
Finally, this one almost jumped into my arms at a local nursery and my hard heart melted. It has been a delight in the Hedychium house. It would probably
be just as delightful outside. I wish I had more, I wish I could find more. I wish I hadn't been so lily-livered when I was young.
This is a stunning rich purple-blue. I want the pure blue one, I want the white one. Age and experience are very frustrating.
16th June 2024
Iris ensata 'Rose Queen'.
Age has also introduced an era of intolerance. I love Iris ensata, it has a smooth delight that is unmatched. I have grown quite a lot of cultivars
and almost without exception they have been wrongly named. Some, like 'Rose Queen', are easily identified. It is a single, elegant, pure pink with a natural iris-shape.
It is the only single, elegant, pure pink with a natural iris shape. Job done. The remainder have been growing in pots waiting for me to settle down and confirm names.
It hasn't happened, I finally lost all patience with them and planted them all in the garden. They can do what they like, I am past caring.
'Rose Queen' promptly responded by flowering and demonstrating its uniqueness. I imagine that when I calm down a bit I will wander around with tags so that I can identify them
all again at some point. There is no escape from obsession, but most importantly I want to luxuriate in the wonder of their flowers.
Secondarily, I WANT TO KNOW THEIR PROPER NAMES!