Garden Centre

Friday, August 31, 2007

Astilbe

As some compensation for the lack of cathedrals, good Spanish wine and excellent seafood in my garden, there is a current glory of Astilbes. The plant can be anything from a foot to four feet tall, depending on the variety you purchase, and is also known as False Goat's Beard.

In my opinion it’s an unbeatable plant for a damp border or pond-side – for several reasons:

1 – it’s good for almost the entire year, because the finely cut foliage looks attractive from early spring, and the flowers in shades of either cream, soft pink, or rich burgundy, are superb feather spikes that appear in early summer and will last until early autumn if the weather isn’t too hot. They all become a deep tobacco brown as the year fades, and you can leave them on the plant right through the winter, where they give some structural interest to otherwise empty borders, then before new growth appears in spring, you simply cut away any remaining flowers and foliage that remain and mew growth springs up strongly.


2 - you only need to buy one plant in each colour, assuming you want all three – because after two years, you can divide it and replant the pieces as a group, which looks very impressive. Even if you don’t want more plants (and why not?) Astilbe generally require division every four years or so, when decreased flower production tips you off that their roots are overcrowded. Simply dig them up in late autumn, divide by pulling clumps away from the main plant, making sure each new clump contains healthy shoots and roots. Plant the division, watering thoroughly and watch them spring to life!


3 – it’s almost pest-free, there’s virtually nothing that eats astilbe.

Labels: garden flowers, garden ponds

The All Seasons Gardener at 7:28 AM

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