This week I visited Marchants Hardy Plants, a wonderful nursery selling grasses and hardy perennials near to where we live in East Sussex, which currently has a 25 per cent off end of season sale.
I came home with seven new plants, which I have cunningly turned into six things to show this Saturday to join in with the perennially brilliant Propagator. I was unusually organised and got them all in the ground straight away, so here are my new garden stars.
1. Persicaria amplexicaulis
I went along armed with a list which proved really useful when faced with so many goodies. Owner Graham Marchant has a great range of Persicarias – he and his team grow all their own plants from cuttings. I had clearly in mind that I wanted a very pink, full-flowered variety and he found me this baby.
2. Aster cordifolius ‘Little Carlow’
I spotted this gorgeous lilac aster next to a swishy Miscanthus and it stole my heart. The label states: “Wiry stems support prolific numbers of inch wide lavender-blue flowers, enhanced by autumn light”.
3. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ and Salvia Uliginosa
Here is the Miscanthus with its “narrow silver-buff plumes”, next to the ‘Bog Salvia’ with its “small piercing sky blue flowers, not large but prolific and lasting well into the autumn”. I am hoping both will clump up nicely.
4. Astrantia ex. ‘Marchants White’
This is Marchants’ own variety of Astrantia, white blushed pink. I have placed this in the empty bed I showed in last week’s six.
5. Campanula lactifloria ‘Dixter Presence’
A Campanula was not on my list, but I could not resist this lovely blue one which was Christopher Lloyd’s own selection, promising “profuse bell flowers of mid-blue carried in large open heads”.
6. Geranium pratense ‘Southease Celestial’
I was planning to buy a blue geranium, but was flexible as to the variety, so I was pleased to spot the last remaining one of this variety named after a village near us. It doesn’t look much at the moment, but I have high hopes for it next year, as it promises: “huge cupped salvers of luminescent lavender-blue born in summer”. I have placed it next to our ubiquitous pink cranesbill for contrast.
Here is the empty bed now, looking slightly less empty. I have ordered bulbs for this spot from Peter Nyssen – pale apricot tulips and white narcissi. Next up is bare root rose buying – I usually treat myself to three new roses a year. For this spot I am thinking a shade tolerant climber or rambler – Paul’s Himalayan Musk, Cecile Brunner or Felicite Perpetue. Answers on a postcard please.
And here is what I am aspiring to – the beautiful garden at Marchants!
Interesting purchases that make me want to see them grow bigger and bloom… I still have to wait a bit.
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New plants, always exciting. Look forward to seeing them all grown up next year!
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An interesting selection of new plants. Persicaria is something that we never see in our local nursery and I like the look of it. It will be fun to see all those plants grow up.
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Ah, now that IS a lovely garden to aspire to. Sadly mine isn’t big enough for all those beautiful grasses. I shall look forward to seeing your new plants next year when they are bigger.
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Gorgeous colour of aster. Please post a picture of your cranesbill when in bloom.
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The first lesson of Six on Saturday is to remember that Mr Prop reads all the posts. So in the interests of his sanity we must never mention that place X is having a sale as he cannot resist a bargain and will fret so if he can’t get there! You’ve made some lovely choices and, like others, I look forward to seeing the results next year.
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I shall be more considerate in future!
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Oh dear, you still haven’t got your blue geranium from me! 😦 Still on offer if you want it. Love Saliva uliginosa, such an amazing blue and will be wonderful next to the grass. As for the roses, I have grown Felicite, she is very vigorous! (but very beautiful too).
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Thanks for the offer and for the recommendation of Felicite!
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tee hee! #6 ROX! When I got my Eastern red cedar, I so wanted to show it off, even though it looked like . . . well, like the weed that it is. It is sooooooo important to me because they are not native here. People understood that, and approved of it just because I enjoyed showing it off.
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Nothing better than new hardy perennials. It will be interesting to see what the Astrantia looks like
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Lucky you living close to this wonderful nursery. Little Carlow is one of my favourite asters.
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