Blog: a deciduous shrub, evergreen perennial and a bulb (of course)!
This month has been wonderfully spring-like although dry (it’s not always), making what to grow in April a little more complex than I had anticipated. Although the daffodils are riding high (Cheerfulness, Sweetness, Minnow, Thalia and Sundisc, I’ve decided to be utterly contrary and miss them out. Thanks to Vanessa Sundin for the lovely pictures.
This monthly blog post looks at which three plants have performed best in my garden. Just to make it more difficult for me, those plants must be easy enough for beginners to grow, freely available and reasonably priced. For a bit of variety, April’s top three are an evergreen perennial, a deciduous shrub and a bulb.
What to grow in April – Chaenomeles x superba Jet Trail
If you want a hint of Japan in your garden, try the deciduous shrub Chaenomeles, better known as flowering or Japanese quince. All-seasons performers, they’re great for a small garden. They come in a range of colours, from the classic C. x superba Crimson and Gold to the lovely pale apricot C. speciosa Geisha Girl.
However, Jet Trail is my favourite – simple, white cup-shaped flowers appearing just before the foliage emerges, now blooming with fresh new leaves. The flowers are almost luminous from a distance at dawn and dusk.
The edible golden yellow fruits, held on the plants until late autumn. In Japan, they’re called karin (flower pear). They have a very high pectin content and make excellent jams and jellies. You can use the rock-hard fruit like a traditional quince, simmering them with lots of sugar, as they’re very acidic. Use them to improve the set in other preserves.
It has spiny stems and a lax habit – I grow it trained against a trellis with a rambling rose. Height 1m x 1.5m.
Bergenia Admiral
It’s rare to find a hardy plant that fits into a tropical garden in winter but Bergenias are perfect. Also known as elephant’s ears, these evergreen herbaceous perennials have bold, glossy, rounded leaves. Although often grown in shade, they’re much more versatile. Flowers come in shades from white to deep magenta – my favourite is Admiral, with a real depth of colour.
During the coldest weather, Admiral develops bronze and crimson flushing to its oval, upright, dark green leaves. Ideal for beginners, Bergenias are low maintenance, drought-resistant, cope with a wide range of soils, and grow in the sun or shade. Give them a deep mulch after flowering. Height 30cm x 25cm.
What to grow in April – tulip Avignon
I’ve had a lot of trouble with my tulips this year. All bought in sales, several haven’t appeared as advertised! This variety is lovely and as far as I can tell, it is Avignon. Described as ‘fire red and orange flushed with raspberry-pink shaded orange towards the edge’ in the catalogue, I see no orange.
A tall single late tulip, it has withstood my garden’s windy conditions and very dry conditions. Just coming into its peak in late April, it will continue well into May. Height 65cm.
I hope that’s given you some ideas about easy plants that perform well in April. May’s when the competition gets much tougher!
