Return of the natives as enthusiasts cut back (From Dudley News)

Return of the natives as enthusiasts cut back

7:00am Saturday 4th July 2009

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GARDENERS are likely to return to native plants that give value for money, with an emphasis on low-cost options and a merge of vegetables within the flower border.

So says Andrew Duff, director of garden design courses at Inchbald School of Garden Design (www.inchbald.co.uk).

“Next year is going to be much fluffier, but in a naturalistic way,” he says.

“Our native species need shouting about – we’ll see more of the viburnum, the oak and other plants which attract wildlife. We may still see manicured touches, but using native species.”

Colours will be moody – fewer brilliant colours, more blood reds and blacks, he predicts. Deep purple irises and blood-red aquilegias were the prevalent plants at Chelsea, while alliums, dahlias and tulips were not.

“People are only using things that are tried and trusted. They don’t want to splash out on designs that are going to be temporary. People are playing it quite safe. Now is not the time to make a mistake. They want cool, calm and subtle,” Duff says.

“Fashion has gone into the ‘80s, with shoulder pads and colours, and maybe gardens will start to come that way in the end. At Chelsea I was expecting moody blacks and greys but I also expected some big wow-factor fluorescent colours like oranges, which is what is happening in fashion – but not in the garden.

“But we are much more conscious about what materials we are using. Now we will see a bigger sweep of British natives coming in.

“There’s a lot of black – black walls, black fencing, black grasses – which is great for our grey skies. And there are some lovely blood reds. Black gives a great deal of depth to a small space. In a small garden it can be really effective.

“Glaucous blue yuccas work well in front of a matt black wall, and another great trick to exaggerate depth is to plant small-leaved plants at the back and large at the front. It tricks the eye into thinking things are further away.”

People are going to be growing more plants from seed because of the ongoing ‘grow your own’ campaign and the economic climate, he predicts.

"We may see a revival of the old species, such as purple runner beans, the blue carrots, which naturally have a better colour foliage,” Duff says.

“Mixing the vegetables in the border is really nice. It can work well. Space is at a premium and this is a good compromise, so you can have something pretty and have vegetables.”

The grassy, fluffy foliage of fennel works beautifully in flower borders, adding texture and movement, while the deep foliage of other vegetables can provide a good contrast in the flower border, along with pretty flowering herbs such as chives and thyme.

Ultimately, our gardens will reflect the release from the current stranglehold of the recession.

“Gone are the days of carefully manicured gardens,” Duff says.

“There’s a more rough and ready approach, a return to allowing things to look slightly out of place. Our houses have become very ordered and structured, and the garden will give us a release from that.”

Best of the bunch – Armeria (Thrift/Sea pink)

This pretty, dainty perennial, often found in seaside gardens, brightens up any border or rockery at this time of year, with pink, red or white flowerheads topping grass-like, densely-packed leaves. Thrift, which grows only to around eight inches (20cm) in height, looks great at the front of dry and sunny borders, is drought tolerant, long-flowering. Our native variety, A maritima, flowers from May to July and you can have different colours if you choose a named variety such as ‘Alba’ (white), ‘Laucheana’ (rich pink) or ‘Bloodstone’ (dark red). Another stunner is A 'Bee's Ruby' - a deep, shocking pink. The foliage is evergreen and the only aftercare they need is to deadhead the faded flowers to enhance the remaining foliage. On a sunny rockery, thrift goes perfectly with dwarf phloxes.

Good enough to eat - Globe artichoke As trends move towards ornamental edibles, make a space in your garden for globe artichokes, which sit as easily in the flower border as they do in the vegetable patch. The bit you eat is the base of the mature flower bud, which can be braised in stock, although I prefer to boiled them and then eat the fleshy part of the overlapping leaves dipped in vinaigrette before getting to the artichoke heart. They need a sunny, sheltered site with well-drained, moisture-retentive soil to which plenty of organic matter has been added. They can be bought as small, pot-grown plants, seeds or offsets and need to be grown three-foot (90cm) apart, or spaced in a flower border. Take off any flower heads produced in the first year. They crop best in their second and third years, after which they can be discarded. Weed and water plants well, especially during dry spells. If you only want one big flower head, remove side shoots on each stem. When harvesting in May and June, cut the immature flower heads with secateurs just above a leaf junction, before the scales start to open, or they will become tough. Good varieties include 'Purple Globe', which has pretty purple flower heads and tastes great.

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