Penstemon portrait

I Have grown penstemons in the garden for years. They have come and gone, some surviving several seasons, others lasting one summer. The hardiest seem to be the narrow-leafed, smallish-flowered reds and some of the blue seedlings often sold simply as Penstemon Blue rather than named.

There are many species and varieties of penstemon ranging in colour from almost black to pure white with purple, lilac, blue, red and pink in between. They flower from June or July until the first frosts, some continuously, others with a gap between flushes; all will flower for longer if they are regularly dead headed.

One of the darkest flowered is Raven with rich, deep purple velvety blooms, each flower marked with a splash at its throat. At the other end of the colour spectrum is Snowflake, also called White Bedder, with large, pure white flowers and long, mid-green leaves. The flowers are pink tinged as they age and, because of the size of the flowers and foliage, the plants needs protection from the cold in winter. I am growing this for the first time this year in a sheltered, sunny spot, where, with luck, it will survive.

Pink flowered varieties include Apple Blossom with small pale pink flowers and narrow foliage, Alice Hindley with pinkish mauve flowers and Evelyn.

Unlike many penstemons, Alice Hindley will cope in fairly fertile soil where it can reach up to 1.2m/4ft high while Evelyn is more compact, growing about half that height.

Sour Grapes was popular a few years ago but I found it to be wishy-washy with pale greyish lilac flowers. Garnet, on the other hand, is rich in tone with lovely wine-red blooms that glow in late summer and autumn sunlight. Rich Ruby is another good red with attractive white stamens inside its blooms.

Penstemons are easy to grow as long as they have well-drained soil - preferably alkaline or neutral - in full sun. Part shade is tolerated but flowering doesn't seem to be as good.

Most will thrive in poor soil and don't appreciate too much feeding, which will produce at lot of lush, leaf growth but not many flowers. Some are susceptible to winter cold, especially in wet soil, and will need a covering of straw or bracken to protect the crowns from frost. It is also a good idea to leave pruning until spring because the stems will also offer protection.

Cuttings can be taken in September to insure against winter losses and to replace any that are coming to the end of their time. Many are short lived and need removing after two or three years.

Take the cuttings from non-flowering shoots making then about 10cm/4ins long and trimmed just below a leaf node. Remove the bottom couple of leaves and reduce other large ones by about a half.

Root the cuttings, three or four will fit into a 9cm pot, in pots filled with equal parts of compost and grit or vermiculite placed in a cold frame. Leave until growth starts in early spring when the young plants can be potted up and grown on before planting out in May.

Harrogate flower show

THE Harrogate Autumn Flower Show will be held at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate from Friday, September 16-Sunday September 18, 9.30am-5.30pm. More than 90 nurseries will be showing their prize plants, vegetable championships will be held and plant societies will be holding their own autumn shows.

Tickets are on sale at the gate each day and cost £10 a person. They can also be booked in advance by ringing 0870 758 333 Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm. Tickets booked before noon on Tuesday, September 6 will each have a £2 discount. They can also be booked on-line at www.flowershow.org.uk or by post. Send a cheque made payable to North of England Enterprises Ltd to Harrogate Flower Shows, 4a South Park Road, Harrogate HG1 5QA.

Open Gardens

Sunday, September 4

In aid of the National Gardens Scheme

Bridge Farm House, Long Lane, Great Heck, six miles south of Selby. Large garden with mature tree, double herbaceous borders backed by newly planted hedges, interesting collection of perennials, hardy and half-hardy shrubs, small woodland area and pond. Open 11-4pm. Admission £2 adult, 50p child.

Cold Cotes, Cold Cotes Road, near Kettlesing, seven miles west of Harrogate off the A59 after the Black Bull pub. Large peaceful garden with formal and informal water, streamside walk, woodland glade and large herbaceous borders with late flowering plants. Featured in The English Garden and Yorkshire Life 2004. Open 1-5pm. Admission £2 adult, 50p child.

Cruckhouse Farm, Lower Norwood Road, Norwood, six miles west of Harrogate. A 20-acre small holding with a series of sloping gardens including an orchard, vegetable parterre, herbaceous border, water gardens, herb knot, rose trellis, loggia, rockery, double, mainly white-flowering shrub borders, wild life ponds and ancient wild flower meadows. Open 2-5pm. Admission £2.

In aid of St John Ambulance

Bolton Castle, near Leyburn. A small reconstruction of a medieval garden with a vineyard, herb gardens, bowlinggreen, formal and wild rose gardens and a maze. There are views of Wensleydale from the castle which is also open. Plants for sale. Open 10am-5pm. Admission £3 adult, 50p child.

Gardening TV and radio

Sunday

9am, Radio York, Down To Earth. With William Jenkyns. (Repeated on Wednesday at 8pm).

9am, Radio Leeds, Tim Crowther and Joe Maiden.

2pm, R4, Gardeners' Question Time. Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Biggs, Bob Flowerdew and chairman Gill Pyrah answer questions from gardeners in Essex. Meanwhile, Roy Lancaster chats with gardener and wine expert Hugh Johnson. The gardening weather is at 2.25pm.

Thursday

8pm, BBC2, A Year At Kew. It is plant auction day at Kew and at Wakehurst Place Steve Robinson is putting a contemporary twist on an old tradition.

Friday

8.30pm, BBC2, Gardeners' World. Sarah tidies the cottage garden and Joe assesses the ponds.

Readers' gardens

This week's picture has been submitted by Sheila Deighton of Aldborough Way, Leeman Road, York.

She says her garden is enclosed with fencing and features conifers growing from the patio doors right round. "Many of my shrubs give colour in the winter, although I do have many colourful plants which are only for summer," says Sheila. "Part of my garden consists of a patio on which I have many pots housing a selection of Japanese acers, begonias, marigolds and nasturtiums."

If you would like your garden to be featured here, send photographs to Readers' Gardens, Features Desk, Evening Press, York YO1 9YN or by email to features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 16:25 Friday, September 02, 2005