1. Good Organic Gardening - January-February 2016

THE SEASONAL GARDEN | With Melissa King
WHAT’S HOT RIGHT NOW
Presenting some of the latest and greatest plants that will make
excellent additions to your garden at this time of year
‘M
other and
Child’ Rose
The plant: ‘Mother and Child’ is the
new sister rose to the beautiful ‘Mother
and Daughter’ rose, following in the
same tradition of raising funds for Motor
Neurone Disease Research. This newest
addition to the family continues the
celebration of the unique bond between
mother and child. It’s a stunning rose
that displays clusters of highly scented
lavender-pink flowers. With up to 10
blooms per stem, it flowers non-stop
from spring right through to autumn.
Growing: Roses like good drainage
and plenty of sunshine. Prepare the soil
well before planting with compost and
organic matter. Feed throughout the
growing season to promote a longlasting
display of colourful blooms.
Design: ‘Mother and Child’ is a hybrid
tea rose with a delightful fragrance, so
make a feature of it in garden beds or
pots where you and your family can
really appreciate the long-flowering
display and wonderful scent.
arigold ‘French
MSunset’
The plant: Now here’s a marigold with a difference.
‘French Sunset’ is a French-style marigold with fiery red
blooms that fade to bronze and deep gold, creating a
blaze of colour in the garden.
Growing: Grow ‘French Sunset’ in a sunny spot in fertile,
well-drained soil. Liquid-feed regularly and remove spent
blooms to prolong your flowering display.
Design: Make a feature of the flaming red flowers in
decorative pots, plant them en masse for a fiery display or
use them to add a splash of vibrant colour to the kitchen
or flower garden.
L‘Blonde oropetalum
’n’
Gorgeous’
The plant: The aptly named ‘Blonde ’n’
Gorgeous’ is just that, with cascading green
foliage and caramel-blonde new growth. In
spring and autumn the plant is laden with
beautiful tasselled white flowers. It grows
to about 1.5m tall and 2m wide. A plant that
looks good in every season.
Growing: Loropetalum ‘Blonde ’n’ Gorgeous’
grows best in a sunny or partly shaded
position in well-drained soil. It doesn’t
require any pruning unless you want to
shape it and has a low demand for water
once established. Give it a boost with a
slow-release fertiliser after flowering.
Design: Plant it en masse in garden beds
to contrast with burgundy-foliage
plants or make a feature of it in big
Oriental-style pots.
10 | Good Organic Gardening