Message from
In forum: Identify a plant
Thank you Elaine,
Hi Francesca, here are 30+ Erigeron listed in Shoot. Maybe take a look at Erigeron karvinskianus. It appears that the flowers in your photo haven't opened yet and they might be white with a yellow center.
I hope that helps?
Cheers, Nicola
Message from
In forum: Garden design
Try Erigeron karvinskianus. It's very low, its pink to white little daisy flowers bloom on and on well into autumn and it's as easy as pie to grow. Looks fantastic grown en masse. Unbeatable.
Message from
In forum: Garden design
May I be bold and urge you NOT to put shrubs around a multi-stem tree. I am an experienced garden designer and I would suggest a dramatic multi-stem such as yours deserves only the plainest, subtlest accompaniment. I would go for a single species low plant for 2-3m diameter around its base. How about Erigeron karvinskianus - pink and white daisy flowers look great en masse and they flower for ages. Keep it simple and it will help show off the tree.
Message from
In forum: Garden design
Hi, Margaret,
The crevices in the wall must be large enough to hold the root ball of the plant and deep enough for the roots to take hold. And though alpines typically need good drainage, there needs to be a some type of shelf or barrier at the bottom of the crevice to prevent the soil and plant from eroding. Once planted, they will need to be watered frequently to help them establish. Though not an alpine, have you considered Erigeron karvinskianus or Erigeron 'Profusion' - lovely daisy-like flowers and these plant thrive in crevices. They are drought tolerant when established, too. Wisley has used them in crevices in the stones in the steps and surrounding paving at the formal pond near the entrance to the gardens - gorgeous!
Kathy C
Message from
In forum: Garden Landscaping and Design Forum Event
Thanks so much for such a comprehensive and useful reply Kennett Garden Design! I am sure Jacky will be thrilled.
Here is an easy list of the plants mentioned:
Deschampsia cespitosa
Helictotrichon sempervirens
Scabiosa caucasica
Knautia macedonica
Succisa pratensis
Coprosma
Myrtus
Philadelphus Manteau d'Hermine
Rosmarinus
Lavender
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Astelia
Agaves
Phormium
Erigeron karvinskianus
Please show us how the garden looks when done and what you decide to plant!
Message from
In forum: Garden Landscaping and Design Forum Event
Nice climate down there for plants!
On a recent trip to Sicily I saw some wonderful wild combinations of grasses and wild scabious. You could repeat this look with Scabiosa caucasia, Knautia macedonica or Succisa pratensis.
Shrubs might include Coprosma, Myrtus (myrtle), Philadelphus Manteau d'Hermine (dwarf mock orange), Rosemarinus (Rosemary) and Lavender of course. Most of these are scented and I think a good evening aroma is key to a mediterranean garden. Best climber for aroma by far is Trachelospermum jasminoides - not actually Jasmine but this climber is much tider, more in control and has Jasmine like white (or now soft yellow version) flowers. But the scent is amazing!
Use a few spiky plants like Astelia, Agaves (better in pots) or Phormium for accent plants. And somewhere you ought to have some olive trees in terracotta pots. Erigeron karvinskianus is a great plant to have tumbling down some stony steps.
Hope this helps a little. Give me a shout if you'd like a planting plan.
Message from
In forum: General
Hi Pam,
A few suggestions which you might like:
Erigeron karvinskianus (awarded RHS AGM): http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/erigeron-karvinskianus?referrer=%2Fplant%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Derigeron+karvinskianus
Aubrieta – there are many suitable varieties: http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/search?p_q=aubrieta
Sedum acre – a lovely succulent: http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/sedum-acre-minus?referrer=%2Fplant%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dsedum+acre
Campanula carpatica: http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/campanula-carpatica?referrer=%2Fplant%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcampanula+carpatica]
Mountain rock cress: http://www.shootgardening.co.uk/plant/arabis-alpina-subsp-caucasica-schneehaube?referrer=%2Fplant%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Darabis+alpina+subs.caicasica
To plant these you should be able to simply mix seeds in with some soil, and press gently into the wall crevices. This should also be possible for the wild wallflower that you mention.
Caper plants sound a little more complex to start off from seed. You might find more success with cuttings. This should be done in early spring, you should select pencil sized stems from the base of the plant with ideally 6-10 buds on it. Dip in some rooting powder and put into a loose, well drained compost (plenty of grit added). With any luck these will root, and you can then push them into the wall as plugs.
Sounds like a lot of trouble but would be worth it if you were successful!
Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on.
Katy
Message from
In forum: General
Hi Sarah
I have some suggestions based on what I have sucessfully germinated:
Arisaema consanguineum (perennial good for shade but will take more than a year before ready to flower)
Erigeron karvinskianus (evergreen perennial good for sun)
Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum' (fennel - perennial good for sun, insects,scented)
Lavandula stoechas (Lavender good for sun, scented, insects)
Nicotiana (Annual, good for moths, scented)
Calendula (Annual, good for sun, insects)
How about some edibles too? Cherry tomatoes, Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, Parsley and Oregano are all easy to propagate from seed.
As a general point, I have most sucess raising veg (probably 100% certain of something germinating) and annuals (nearly as good as veg) from seed, whilst shrubs and perennials are the group where some plants need more than one try, that is why I have restricted my recommendations to those that I know are not particularly tricky.
Don't forget you can use the propagator for cuttings too!
I would also suggest that North-facing is not ideal and you are probably going to get some leggy seedlings - sometimes you can get away with transplanting seedlings a little deeper to shorten them, so you could try that with a few if necessary. Happy Growing! All the best, Marissa
Comment from
In forum: Erigeron karvinskianus
Erigeron karvinskianus (Mexican fleabane) has been used in The HESCO Garden by Leeds City Council for Chelsea Flower Show 2009.
Message from
In forum: New member
Hi, Janice! Thanks for the photo! Apologies for not replying sooner - I have been waiting for inspiration to hit and it finally has! I have a number of ideas for your wall planting depending upon the look you want to achieve. Here are a few thoughts:
-One of my favourite plants for walls and crevices is Erigeron karvinskianus. It happily grows in full sun and shallow soil and will seed in the most delightful places. I had it in the wrong place in my London front garden - far too shady -and it did great! It seeded all around the space in the crevices of our paving and didn't seem to mind the shade too much. I have seen this planted in the crevices of stone steps at Wisley and looks fantastic.
- If you want to go with the arid, sort of 'living roof' effect, you can plant different species of trailing Sedum. Sedum rupestre 'Angelina' or Sedum 'Gold Mound' will trail and provide colour with their golden-yellow leaves. I had 'Angelina' in my London garden (I transformed my back garden into a gravel garden) and it happily rewarded me with bright yellow blooms, too! You could plant any number of Sempervivum alongside the Sedum - they won't trail but will slowly spread their neat little rosettes. With all of these plants, once established you won't need to water them much at all!
- For year-round colour and scent you could plant a trailing Rosemary (one of my favourites, too!). Rosmarinus 'Blue Rain' is just one of the many trailing Rosemary cultivars available.
- If you like annuals, you could plant Lobelia at the top of the wall. If the winter is mild, it might not die and you would just have to shear it back in spring to rejuvenate it. So many colours to choose from, too. Or, if you like hot colours, you could plant Nasturiums (Tropaeolum) easily in situ from seed. Again, so many great cultivars out there to choose from.
Have a search on the site for these plants and see if any strike your fancy. I hope this is useful!
Happy planning!
Kathy C