Up for the cup at CHELSEA
ANEW compact clematis with weather-tolerant white flowers is set to make its glittering debut at this week’s Chelsea Flower Show. Named Clematis Guernsey Flute, it will shin its way up to a modest 5ft and produces masses of 5in wide flowers that cover stems from top to bottom, firstly from May until July, followed by another flush of blooms in early autumn.
The climber was developed by Raymond Evison at his nursery on Guernsey, and will be entered into the show’s hotly contested plant of the year competition. It’s likely to do well in the clash thanks to its novel blooms – buds look like champagne flutes as they elongate and start to open, while mature blooms have thick petals that keep them looking good longer.
According to Andy Jeanes, sales and marketing boss at the nursery, the newcomer will be ‘a game changer as far as white clematis are concerned’. He says its blooms don’t bleach in strong sunlight like some others and they deal with wind and rain in their stride, with individual flowers lasting for up to five weeks before they wither.
This desirable clematis will certainly find itself in the spotlight, but it won’t be the only newcomer introduced at the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual event, which opens on Tuesday and runs to Saturday. Scores of shrubs, perennials, climbers and more will be making their bow, many with characteristics that sets them apart from varieties already available.
IN THE world of shrubs, Philadelphus Petite Perfume White grows to around 5ft and produces masses of heavily scented white flowers from May until July. Bred by Hillier Nurseries, Mahonia Meteor has shoots that are deep red in spring, before turning dark green. Its 4ft tall stems are clothed with spine-free leaves and topped by spires of yellow flowers in autumn.
Several nurseries are expected to show new roses. Among them are Peter Beales Roses with its repeat flowering floribunda With Courage. Possessing copper-orange flowers with a sweet scent, it’s been named to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the RNLI. Elsewhere, Scentifall Yellow is a novel variety with a trailing habit that’s suitable for hanging baskets.
A climber that’s guaranteed to grab attention is Trachelospermum asiaticum Star of Milano, the world’s first variegated star jasmine with pink flowers. Ideal in sun or semi-shade, this twining evergreen vine will easily cover a 10x10ft space and, like all members of the family, its blooms will fill the garden with a delightful perfume from June to September.
In my experience, more perennials get their premiere at Chelsea than any other group of plants and this year is no exception. My top picks for 2024 include Scabiosa incisa Kudo Blue, which will join already available Kudo White and Kudo Pink. Papaver orientale Red Rumble is an oriental poppy with large red flowers carried on 3ft tall, thick stems that don’t flop during poor weather. Agastache Beelicious Pink is an eye-catching form of giant hyssop that was discovered in a Dutch garden in 2017. It has aniseed scented foliage and bottlebrush-like pink flowers from July to September, that at 8in long are about twice the length as normal varieties.
Initial supplies will be available from mail order nursery Hayloft Plants. As a fan of architectural plants, I’m looking forward to seeing Musa sikkimensis Ever Red, a hardy banana with huge paddle-shaped leaves adorned with red stripes. Its leaves are thicker than those of similar looking Musa sikkimensis Bengal Tiger, preventing them shredding easily. It also retains its vibrant leaf markings for longer.
The popularity of hardy succulents shows no sign of abating with
at least three fresh faces making their entrance. Mangave Praying Hands looks like an 8in high globe artichoke thanks to its rosettes of upward facing, curled leaves, while Delosperma Desert Dancers makes a 12in wide mat of red-purple foliage. Sempervivum Giants Gold Mine produces 12in wide rosettes of two-tone, gold and maroon leaves.
It’s not all about garden plants. Houseplant specialist Dibleys are hoping its new indoor begonia will emulate the success of the nursery’s Streptocarpus Harlequin Blue, which was named plant of the year in 2010. Stellar Storm forms a 12x12in clump of jaggededged leaves embellished by a repeat pattern of burgundy, silver and red-coloured bands.
•Suppliers include Dibleys Nurseries (dibleys.com); Hayloft (hayloft.co.uk); Hillier (hillier. co.uk); Peter Beales (classicroses.co.uk); Raymond Evison Clematis (raymondevisonclematis. com); Sarah Raven (sarahraven. com); Thompson & Morgan (thompson-morgan.com).