bridgendppf The town by the river

Bridgend the town by the river

Welcome to
Alan's
Gardeners Calendar
April

Prunus
'Amanogawa'

PRUNUS AMANOGAWA – Lombardy Cherry

It is a small flowering Japanese cherry with very narrow, pillar-shaped growth and large semi double pink flowers which smell of almonds in late April and May. It has a number of common names, Pillar Cherry, Lombardy Cherry and Pole Cherry.

This tree is a popular tree for vey small gardens as it is so narrow, rarely exceeding 2m (6ft) wide with an overall height of 6m (20ft). The flowers stand straight on the branches and the young leaves are yellowish bronze.

Ornamental cherries grow best in full sun on moist fertile deep loamy soils. They will therefore grow well in most garden or parkland positions. Poor soils should have organic matter added during planting also add a hand full of bone meal fertilizer.

Amanogawa means ‘Milky Way Galaxy’ or ‘River of the sky’ in Japanese. This cultivar was first mentioned in 1886 and it was introduced into Europe around 1916 by the British plant collector Ernest ‘Chinese’ Wilson.

Chocolate Vine
Akebia quinnata

A pretty climber with delicate leaves and fragrant red-purple flowers in spring sometimes followed by purple fruits. Quick growing and vigorous. Any well drained soil in a sunny or part shaded position. Pruning can be carried out after flowering by shortening any wayward shoots and removing any that are damaged.

Purple three lobed Scented flowers are produced above the green foliage from March through to May followed by berries. It's height can reach 10 Metres (35 feet)

Akebia quinnata is fully hardy in the UK and will tolerate most soils, Acid, Neutral, Alkaline, Chalky, Clay, Sandy, which must be moist and well drained, plant in a sheltered or exposed position and is an ideal plant to cover walls or fences and be a great attraction for butterflies and bees.

Peruvian lily
(Alstroemeria aurea)

Alstroemerias are one of the longest and hardest performing plants you can grow. Under glass they can produce flowers three times a year.

Plant alstroemerias in a sheltered position in the Garden, in part shade or full sun, any time between May and August in good quality soil. Alstroemerias like a good soil, so give them plenty of organic matter around their roots, space them 60cm apart.

As they grow stake the plants so they don’t collapse in the wind or rain, you can keep picking the flowers by pulling them like you would pick rhubarb rather than cutting. This will leave plenty of room for the next generation of flowers and give you a more productive plant.

Mulch the plants well over winter and divide them every 2 years.

If you have a greenhouse, it is well worth growing alstroemerias inside as well. Pot them up into a 5 litre pot using a good quality multi-purpose compost and keep them frost free. Once they start to shoot in spring, feed and water well and they will continue to flower for months.

Alstroemerias brighten up the home or office. Place a drop of bleach in the vase of flower water before adding the arrangement and they will provide you with a good display that will last three weeks. Change the water mix every four days.

Anemone De Caen

Vibrant and lovely. Two words to describe Anemone De Caen. They are not very tall, so look lovely planted in the front of the border or along pathway edges. They look fantastic when planted in groups. Anemone De Caen is probable the most famous and sold flower bulb in the UK. You can see them often at flower shows. These 30-40 cm high species can vary in colour from white to dark red and blue to pink. Many of the flowers have a white border around the pronounced black heart. The species can be planted throughout the year in most soil types, but protect in cold temperatures!

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Est: 1940

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