Unlike many gardeners, I usually say that I ‘like’ rather than ‘love’ most of my plants. However, on occasions, I too, can gush with the best of them – so here are my current November favourites which ‘I Loove’!
Chrysanthem Mei – Kyo This hardy plant has beautiful pink coloured flowers, (which have some blue in them) with a yellow centre eye. The plant grows to about two foot high and has been flowering already for about 6 weeks. It is very hardy and perennial and looks good with silver leaved plants and blue conifers. One unexpected thing about it is that it has a lovely sweet scent which carries on the air. It is happy in sun and well draining soil and grows for me in fairly damp conditions. The flowers also last well in the vase and look particularly nice with pink achillea. I have been dividing it this year and planting it in other parts of the garden and in pots for next year.
Also looking really good are the Crab Apples ( Malus) . I have three varieties in the garden. One is ‘John Downie’ which has reddy/ yellow apples, ‘Evereste’ which is covered in small reddish, round crab apples and ‘Golden Hornet’ a small tree with yellow apples. The birds haven’t eaten the apples yet and they do seem to stay on longer than some other varieties, particularly ‘Evereste’. So, three good garden trees to consider, especially for smallish and wildlife friendly gardens.
P.S. I was going to have a go at making crab apple jelly, until I realised that I would have to virtually strip one tree of all it’s apples to make a few jars, so that plan has been abandoned – I will have to wait for the trees to grow some more, and try again in a few years!