Page 54 • The HERALD • 14th July 2022 v SEND ALL YOUR NEWS TO THE HERALD v RPD Landscapes Building & Paving • Patios • Driveways • Fencing • Turfing • Brickwork • All Property Repairs Free Estimates 07707 390791 023 8007 0386 ✿ DOWN THE GARDEN PATH ✿ The next Herald is out on 4th August Blackfield Gardening Club Meeting by Patricia Hedley-Goddard On Tuesday 16th June the club members attended a presentation given by Mr Brian Madders, entitled ‘Some Unusual Perennials’. Brian commenced his talk by saying that there are two types of Perennials, some which only last for a few years, and others which last for many years such as phlox, rudbeckia, helenium, astrantia, dahlia’s, hellebores, salvia’s, michaelmas daisies etc. Most gardeners have some of these perennials in their gardens, and the ones that ower from July onwards, need to be cut back once they have nished owering. e perennial campanula cretica is an example of a perennial that grows from seed, then only lives for 3 to 5 years. It dies down completely a er owering, so needs to be marked as to its position. Another rare but short-lived perennial is geum ‘jacobs jacket’. Unlike its more popular long lived geum, this one only survives for 2 to 3 years. ere is a rare beautiful golden yellow aquilega which only survives a few years. Most aquilega’s are cross fertilised by the bees and rarely stay true to their original colour. Many of the plants die completely a er owering, but the proli c seed germination in the soil ensures that new replacement plants survive. A popular perennial that owers for many years is the osteospermum. It ourishes on poor arid soil in a hot sunny position in the garden. However, there is a rare specimen called ‘Whirligig’, which is a blue daisy-like ower, each petal looking like a spike with a blue blob on the end. In the ‘aster’ genus there is the renamed ‘Little Carla’ which is covered with owers and requires either a sunny position, or semi-shade. is will ower for a long time. For a later owering aster, plant ‘King George’. Brian recommended many rarer perennials, but o en they do not give the value for money that the traditional perennials do. ey are just any ‘interesting’ variation of popular plants. ey rarely survive for many years. Brian also suggested that if your rudbeckia does not ower, it may be because the roots have been planted too deeply. Reference the salvia family, there is a vast selection to choose from ranging from low growing plants to the tall Salvia Amstad which does not ower until July through to October/November. It then dies down completely, and no green growth is visible until the following April. Some perennials which ower early in the year can be cut right back immediately a er owering and they will give a second ush of owers. Brian had brought a selection of perennial plants for sale, with him, and they were soon ‘snapped up’. ank you Brian for an interesting presentation. e next meeting will be on Tuesday 13th September for a talk by Mike Read titled ‘Hampshire, Nature in Trust’. Followed on Tuesday 11th October for a talk by Mrs G Drummond titled ‘ e History of the Drummond Family’. All meetings take place on the second Tuesday in the month and start at 7.30pm at St Francis Church Hall, St Francis Road (o West Common) Langley, SO45 1XP. ey are really looking forward to seeing members and visitors again (visitors £2). Enquiries please call: 023 8024 3795. Alpine Gardens Totton & District Gardeners’ Society hold their meetings at Totton 3 Score Club Hall on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, starting at 7.30pm. e next meeting takes place on Wednesday 10th August for a talk by Malcolm Calvert titled ‘Alpine Gardens’. Followed on Wednesday 14th September for a talk by Gillian Taylor titled ‘For the love of Roses’. eir Summer Show takes place on Saturday 13th August at the ree Score Club, Totton. It is an open show with 50 classes you can enter, oral art, general owers and pot plants, fruit and and vegetables, cookery, children’s classes and photography. To enter look on their website: www. tottongardeners.org for details of classes and entry forms. If you feel you can’t enter any classes go on the day. It’s open to the public from 1.30pm as well as a wonderful display of owers they will have a tombola stall, plant stall, cakes and drinks and entry is only 50p per adult, children free. New members are warmly welcome, for more details please ring Derrick on: 023 8066 8177.
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