There is a lovely spring plant growing in the shade under our holly tree this year. It has been in the garden for several years but never did well, mainly because it was moved a few times and always seemed to get crowded out by other plants.

The last move however seems to have been a good one and it has come up beautifully this month.

Hacquetia epipactis is a small plant, only 6cm tall, that forms a neat clump of rounded three-parted leaves and which is fairly insignificant for much of the year. It is in late winter and early spring, while the soil is still quite clear, that this little plant makes its mark, coming into its own with a crop of wonderful bright yellow-centred green flowers.

For lovers of green flowers, it is a good link in the garden with others of this hue, like some of the hellebores and early euphorbias, and gives a different dimension to these taller plants. It is interesting to note that the green flowers of Hacquetia aren't really flowers at all and the true ones are massed together to form the bright yellow centres. The five green 'petals' are modified bracts.

This low-growing plant prefers shade and can be grown under trees and shrubs as long as the soil isn't too dry, since it needs humus rich moist conditions.

Soil under an evergreen like our holly can get very dusty if it isn't looked after, but annual mulching and feeding keeps it fertile enough to support healthy growth. Grow this rhizomatous perennial with other low-growing shade lovers such as Viola labradorica whose dark purple leaves and paler flowers would give a good contrast to the colour of the Hacquetia.

Propagation is by division after flowering in spring, by using seed sown fresh in autumn or by root cuttings in winter. Division is only necessary every five or so years or when the plant has become congested, as root disturbance is disliked. Self sown seedlings will sometimes emerge, but not in numbers that will become a problem.

There is only one member of the haquetia genus and that is Hacquetia epipactis and from that only one variety has occurred. This is called 'Thor' and is a variegated variety that has to be sought from specialist nurseries, either through the Plant Finder or on the internet. 'Thor' has white variegation on every part of the plant and unlike its parent can only be propagated by division. It is very slow growing.

Weekend catchup

For the past couple of years in April I have loosened the soil around plants in the beds and sprinkled chicken manure on the soil, turning it in carefully and watering it well if the earth is dry. Care needs to be taken as many seedlings and herbaceous perennials are just below the surface. A word of warning though, if you intend doing this, chicken manure is very smelly, more noxious even than the teenager's trainers left to air on our back doorstep. The smell fades after a couple of days, if only the same could be said about that of the trainers.