Our first meeting of the year drew a large number of members and guests to listen to one of our favourite guest speakers, Anne Godfrey of Daisy Roots Nursery.

Maybe one of the attractions  was the title of her talk ‘Good In Bed’ especially as it was on Valentines Day ! Of course it was about plants that have a long season of interest!

A very informative series of colourful slides depicted many of her favourite plants which she recommends for extending colour, structure and texture through the early Spring,Summer and Autumn months until frosts in November and December.

A few of Anne’s favourites:

Heucheras, native of North America, lots of breeding work includes new trailing varieties. Paler leaves cannot take strong sun and prefer dappled shade.

Viola, Corsica, azure blue flowers, with dead heading can flower continuously from March to October. Good in sun and light shade.

Again with continuous deadheading, Papavers can give colour from April to Autumn.

Geranium ‘Mavis Simpson’ will flower from May until early frosts and does not require deadheading.

Euphorbia ‘seguieriana’ with it’s brilliant acid green colour flourishes from June to Autumn.

Persicaria ‘polymorpha’ grows fast and can reach 8 feet in 8 weeks with changing flower colours through to late Autumn.

Origanum laevigatum flowers well from July until the first frost and is drought tolerant.

Chamerion augustfolium, a herbaceous perennial, creeps by root so beware!

Serecio polyodon, native of South Africa grows masses of stems with daisy like flowers but deadheading is essential to prolong flowering.

Sisyrinchium ‘quaint ‘n’ queer’ with pink upward facing flowers that only open up in good daylight.

Campanula ‘sarastro’, deep violet blue can grow up to 2 feet tall. 6 week flowering period but will flower again in September if cut back.

Erigeron karvinskianus, white flowers turning pink through Summer to frosts. Cut back in Spring.

Archillia  ‘salmon beauty’. Plant early June. Lots of varieties, second flush in September onwards if cut back.

Sedum ‘matrona’, deep pink flowers followed by dark seed heads in winter. Needs well drained soil.

Sanguisorba ‘swarming raspberries’ long term flowering, good for growing in Harpenden clay and attractive to hover flies.

Diascia personata  tough plant grows to 3-4feet but flowers all summer long.

Rudbekia ‘goldstrum’ , good for clay soils, flowers July onwards until the first frosts. Attractive to bees.

Salvia involucrata ‘Bethellii’, long pink flowers through Summer to first frosts.

The Daisy Roots Nursery is open every Friday and Saturday from March to October from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Telephone 07958 563355. http://www.dasiyroots.com