Verbena bonariensis (Argentinian Vervain) Summer flowering purple border plant

Verbena Bonariensis Origins

Verbena bonariensis lilac-purple flower heads look spectacular swaying gently in the breeze in the late summer sun. It is part of the Verbenaceae family and a wild growing native of South America where it is commonly called Argentinian Vervain. Indeed the name bonariensis is thought to derive from the Latin meaning 'from Buenos Aires'.

Verbena Bonariensis Cultivation

 Cultivated here in the UK as a herbaceous perennial, Verbena bonariensis can grow to over 4ft tall given the right conditions, and spread to a large clump of slender stalks which have clusters of flowers at the top which are slightly fragrant and loved by pollinating butterflies and bees.

Verbena bonariensis flowers from August through to October here in Southern England so is ideal if you want to add late summer colour. It is ideally placed in the middle or back of your herbaceous border given it's height. They are reasonably easy to grow, largely pest free although mildly susceptible to powdery mildew in Autumn. Readily available in the UK as a potted plant or from seed they do best in well drained loamy soil in full sun and are fairly drought tolerant. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground in early spring.

Verbena Bonariensis Propagation

Once your semi hardy Verbena has finished flowering and has succumb to the first frost you should cut your plant down two thirds.  Propagating Verbena bonariensis is fairly easy as every following Spring you will find that the dozens of seeds that your plant shed in autumn have sprouted shoots so you should have more than enough to transplant elsewhere or let naturalize if required.

Pictures : Top. The George Inn Pub, North Hampshire, Southern England, pictures 2-6 Verbena Bonariensis, Bottom. Enjoying a pint or a glass of wine at the George Inn.

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White Rambling (climbing) Roses Kiftsgate, Rambling Rector, Bobbie James & Wedding Day for walls, trees & pergolas

Rambling Roses

Rambling Roses as the name suggests are rampant growers, happily climbing on the walls of grand houses, country cottages, barns, trellis, pergolas, and stable blocks all over the UK. They are equally at home growing up trees and do particularly well growing through fruit trees in old orchards. They flower usually from late June to mid-September in the UK, and some varieties produce small red hips after flowering. Almost all are 'multiflora' that is to say they bear clusters of small flowers. They do best in full sun but will happily tolerate partial or dappled shade.

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Growing and Planting

It's best to ask yourself the question 'have I got enough space' before you consider growing one, as they can grow to 20ft or more tall and wide. Planting: As with all roses make sure the ground is frost free, then dig a hole at least twice the size of the pot for a potted rose or a significantly sized hole to backfill with compost if you have a bare rooted plant. Mix in a handful of fish, blood and bone or similar to your compost and mix well. Most roses have been grafted on to a stock so make sure the union of the bud is buried around 2cm below the soil. Soak the rose in a bucket of water for a while before planting and soak the ground again when planted to give your rose a good start.

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White Rambling Rector

The Rambling rector (above 2) is one of our most popular ramblers and is quite sweetly scented. The origins of this rose are somewhat vague but one perhaps can imagine a rather romantic scenario in that it began life in an English village, perhaps in the Vicars garden. Flowering from late June it is a good tree climber and ideal for a wall or pergola. It is shade tolerant, will cope with a North facing aspect, and is disease resistant although some blackspot may occur which will need treatment with a suitable fungicide. If you intend to grow this rose on a wall you should first affix some wires to support the main stems. These should be placed horizontally from 45-61cm  (18- 24 inches) apart. Tie in the main stems as they grow and remove any dead wood and heads when flowering is finished.

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White Ramblers Kiftsgate

Named after Kiftsgate Court Gardens which is situated near the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford on Avon. The Kiftsgate rambler originated in this lovely Cotswold garden (which is open to the public for information on Kiftsgate Court Gardens follow this link: here). It was planted there by the well-known horticulturalist and rose expert Graham Stuart Thomas in 1938 and named by him in 1951. They claim to have the largest Kiftsgate rose in England and say that every year their rose produces huge growth and already covers three trees. It I'm sure is a magnificent sight when in full bloom. Kiftsgate then ( pictured above courtesy Hal Hambrook) is a giant of a rose, so you will need plenty of space for this beauty.  I have two to look after, one on the side of a barn and the other on a grand country house. The main stems are sturdier than the Rector but do need support wires. Fairly disease resistant, but some blackspot fungus may occur. The need for pruning is limited to old growth but tying in stems and removal of flower heads and wayward shoots is desirable.

 

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White Ramblers Bobbie James

Bobbie James is another of the great classic white ramblers. (above courtesy Kurt Stueber) It has a heady powerful scent from its billowing flowers and is notable for its long rather fierce spines. It is thought that this is another Graham Stuart Thomas rose. He of course was the famous collector of heritage roses of Sunningdale Nurseries who by chance came to discover this rose in 1961 as a seedling in the garden of Lady Serena James at St Nicholas, her house, nr Richmond in North Yorkshire. Thomas named it after Lady Serena's husband The Hon. Robert 'Bobbie' James the well-known Yorkshire horticulturalist who created the wonderful gardens at St Nicholas. (The gardens are open to the public for information on St Nicholas Gardens follow this link: here )  Suitable for shaded areas, it flowers from late June onwards and is like other ramblers resistant to fungal diseases. Needs support if on walls but will happily climb up trees and over arches.  Lady Serena James incidentally died at the turn of the Millennium aged 99 and Graham Stuart Thomas passed on in 2003 having been awarded the Order of The British Empire OBE.

 

White Ramblers Wedding Day

The Wedding Day rambling rose must surely cover the front porches of many an English cottage since it is so often given as a gift to remind a couple of their special day. (above courtesy Kurt Stueber) It has a small creamy five-petal pointed flower which is very well scented. Again this Rose was discovered as a seedling in Worthing, in Sussex England. It is thought that Sir Frederick Stern first introduced the rose sometime in the 1950s. Ideally, as with all roses it should be planted in humus-rich soil but is really tolerant and will thrive in a north aspect and in partial shade. Eventually, your Rambler may need to be restored as over a period of years some of the original stems may get old. It is a good idea every few years then to thoroughly remove any dead wood and strip the main stems back. Cut out approx. one-third of the old stems particularly if they are showing signs of dieback or disease to the base, that will encourage new growth.  All roses benefit from a handful of fertilizer in March and again in June, lightly dug in around the base.

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Pictures: from top 1 cakes a plenty in celebration of HM the Queens Diamond Jubilee 2/3 Rambling Rector 4 Kiftsgate 5 Bobbie James 6 Wedding Day 7 Afternoon tea on a grand scale outside the village pub in celebration of HM the Queens Diamond Jubilee. General discussion and your views are welcome please say hello. I regret however because of my busy schedule, I am unable to answer many questions.  Please consider clicking a link of interest or visiting AMAZON from here for which I may receive a small commission to help me maintain this blog.  Thanks so much for visiting life between the flowers today, hope to see you back here soon.

Lily of the Valley Convallaria Majalis perennial ground cover plant

When Prince William married his bride Kate Middleton at the Royal Wedding in Westminster Abbey in London, one of the five flowers in Kate's bouquet was Lily of the Valley  (Convallaria majalis).

It is a native of the more temperate parts of the northern hemisphere and can be found in some regions growing wild in the clearings of woods and forests, since it tends to do best in partial or full shade. The national flower of Finland it is sometimes commonly called Mary's tears, this is because it is said that when Jesus died his Mother Mary cried at the foot of his cross and where her tears fell Lily of the Valley grew on the ground in abundance. Interestingly the name Convallaria majalis probably gets its name from the Latin convallis meaning steep or deep valley hence 'of the valley' and the Latin word maius meaning May which perhaps points to its flowering time in that month.

 Once established Lily of the Valley it is a prolific spreader, so is an ideal ground cover plant. However it should be noted that because of the denseness and spread of its roots, in my experience, I have found it quite difficult to dig up and remove in it's entirety so make sure when you plant it, that's where you want it. The plant is highly toxic so obviously it is not wise to ingest any of it's leaves or flowers and sensible to wear gloves and thoroughly wash hands after handling.

Lily of the valley sprouts single flower stalks among it's many green leaves. Each stalk usually produces 8-12 bell like white flowers that are very sweetly scented which is much of the plants appeal. There are other cultivars notably 'Rosea' which have pink flowers.  After flowering it produces green berries that ripen to orange or red fruits which are equally poisonous. Growing this plant is very easy, it will tolerate heavy clay or lighter loamy soils whether they are acid or alkaline. The only real note to mention is to plant it in a dappled shady spot which is mostly moist.

Pictures: 1 Westminster Abbey in London scene of the Coronations and weddings of the British Royal Family. The Abbey was begun in 1245 on the orders of King Henry III  Pictures: 2 Lily of the Valley. General discussion and your views are welcome please say hello. I regret however because of my busy schedule, I am unable to answer many questions. Sneaky advertising will be deleted sorry. Thanks so much for visiting my blog today.