Who doesn’t love spring? It’s too soon for wasps to spoil the party, too late for most of us to worry about icy roads and bad weather stretching ahead for months, yet there’s still time to plant while shrubs and trees are dormant.
The main problem with early spring is that the ground is often a quagmire. Walking on lawns can turn them into mud baths and trampling on beds can squash the air out of the soil. Everything should be handled with care in March but there’s still every reason to enjoy this time of optimism and growth.
Planting Top Performers
The best thing about spring for garden-lovers is the uplifting thought of adding some beauty to the borders. You probably know what you like but how do you choose a variety or cultivar of a particular species?
One way to decide is to look for plants that bear the RHS AGM (Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit) logo. The familiar marker with its cup-shaped design evokes a feeling of trust and acts as a seal of approval. These plants have been judged by the RHS to be reliable performers. The assessment requires that the plants are stable in form and colour, relatively resistant to pests and diseases, suitable for garden use and readily available.
Testing and assessment take place during a trial period that can last several weeks, months or even years. These trials are often carried out at RHS Wisley in Surrey. Results are judged by experts who assess the results using characteristics of the plants, together with performance. The results are validated by the relevant plant committee.
There are currently more than 7,500 plants carrying the RHS AGM and more are being added to the database all the time. Some, however, leave their glory behind if they are shown to have deteriorated or even become invasive over time. The AGM is subject to regular review and, since its inception back in 2002, more than 3,000 plants have been dropped from the list.
Some Popular Choices
During March, when many Camellias are in glorious bloom, some are more revered than others. A selection of those granted the RHS AGM include:
- The bright pink, semi-double Camellia ‘Leonard Messel’
- Bi-colour Camellia ‘Tom Thumb’, recognised for its compact growth, glossy foliage and beautifully small, rose-pink double flowers with white edges
- Semi-double, crimson-flowered Camellia ‘Mars’
- Camellia ‘Silver Anniversary’ with its beautiful peony form of white flowers and bright yellow stamens
Some Rhododendrons are already coming into flower, although most bloom from April onwards. A surprising number of these lovely spring shrubs have earned the coveted RHS AGM, including:
- Rhododendron ‘Scintillation’, an evergreen, compact variety which produces free-flowering purple-pink flowers with a golden blotch
- Rhododendron (also known as Azalea) ‘Golden Eagle’, a low-maintenance, deciduous variety with fiery orange-yellow flowers and attractive autumn foliage
- Rhododendron ‘Cunningham’s White’, a reliable evergreen with glorious trusses of snow-white flowers
- Rhododendron ‘Horizon Monarch’, an evergreen popular for its yellow flowers with pink streaks and disease resistance
There are several early spring blooms to enjoy now that March is here, but one particular shrub seems to have fallen from favour. It may be that Forsythia lacks structure or because the flowers contain little in the way of pollen or nectar. But its bright yellow blooms bring a welcome splash of colour at a time of year when we need it the most.
Forsythia ‘Lynwood Variety’ is a medium-sized, deciduous shrub that has the prestigious RHS AGM. Its tiny but profuse yellow flowers offer emergency food during a time of scarcity. Their bright colour attracts insects, which are an important part of the food chain.
The range of plants that carry the RHS AGM is extensive, from perennials, shrubs and trees to fruit and vegetables. You can search for particular plants or browse the tempting lists at www.rhs.org.uk.
