Selections from the Library Garden

Gary Leaver, from Avondale Nursery near Coventry, with a selection of the star plants that you can see in their display gardens at the nursery - 29 June 2024

The Library Garden is an integral part of the nursery at Avondale. It allows customers to see plants that are for sale in the nursery growing to maturity in a natural setting. Originally designed and planted by Brian Ellis, the garden and nursery is now owned and run by Gary Leaver along with a small team of trained horticulturalists. While there is something of interest to see all year round one of the best times to visit is summer and early autumn as there are National Collections of Sanguisorba and Michaelmas Daisies (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) along with a good range of grasses. Below are some of the other garden highlights to be enjoyed at this time of year.

Thalictrum ‘Ulrike’ is one of many varieties of Meadow Rue which can vary in height from 20cm to 220cm (8 inches to 8ft), in colours of yellow, white, pink or lilac. Thalictrum has a wide distribution, most commonly found throughout the temperate regions of the world. The flowers of ‘Ulrike’ are very delicate and can form a diaphanous screen when planted at the front of a border. Although one of the tallest, it tends to hold itself upright without staking unless planted in a really exposed position. Thalictrum are ideal in partial shade and grow well in a moisture-retentive soil.

Solidago or Golden Rod is often considered an old-fashioned plant or, worse, an invasive weed. However, there are a number of excellent and useful varieties for late summer and autumn which bring a splash of welcome colour into the garden. One of these is ‘Loysder Crown’ which grows to around 120cm (4ft) tall with an arching habit and  masses of lime green buds opening to lemon yellow flowers. You’ll often find the flowers covered in insects, and it is drought tolerant, making it an excellent plant for the future, addressing both biodiversity and adaptability to climate change.

An impressive plant for September and October flowering is Actaea simplex ‘Chocoholic’ also known as the Baneberry. The sumptuous dark purple leaves come into growth in early spring. Purple foxtail spikes open to racemes of scented pale pink flowers in late August and September which are great for pollinators. There are now a growing number of cultivars of varying heights displaying differences in leaf and flower colour. They perform best in partial shade which prevents the plants from drying out and the leaves from scorching. They are a very hardy species, the native range being Russia through to Mongolia and Western China, although they can be slow to bulk up. Plants are toxic if eaten so care must be taken especially with animals and children.

Of the number of coneflowers to be found in the garden, the showstopper has to be Rudbeckia submentosa ‘Loofahsa Wheaton Gold’, bred by Anthony Brooks of Elton Hall. A good mid-border plant with clear yellow flowers and a brown centre, it holds itself up well growing to a height of around 120cm (4ft). It works well with many of the grasses coming into flower from August onwards, and has the RHS Award of Garden Merit to add to its credentials.

Aconitum ‘Blue Opal’ is one of the Chinese aconites that can be said to have three seasons of interest. The new foliage in spring is very appealing, followed by the opalescent blue flowers in September above tall, self-supporting stems reaching 120cm (4ft). This variety performs well when grown in moist fertile soil in partial shade, although it can take more sunshine if planted in a reliably moisture-retentive soil. The final fanfare is the great autumn colour and the only real downside to this plant is its toxicity, so care should be taken when handling.

Salvia stolonifera is a more unusual species and only recently introduced. It is often sold as a plant for a sunny border but it is endemic to the cloud forests in Mexico, so does very well in a shady position. It is completely herbaceous and has a sprawling habit with upright spikes of deep orange flowers, and a long flowering season from late summer through to October. It offers a blast of colour to extend the season.

One of the most impressive grasses in the garden is the rarer Miscanthus ‘Emmanuel Lepage’ which bears  180cm (6ft) plumes of pinky-red flowers in September above dark green leaves with a central silver stripe. Miscanthus are quite dense grasses so often work well towards the back of the border or as specimen plants.

Kniphofia ‘Happy Halloween’ is hard to beat and often stops visitors in their tracks. This is probably the last plant in our garden to come into flower. As the name suggests flowering begins at the end of October when most other varieties have long gone over. A large plant growing between 150-180cm (5 to 6ft) tall, it needs a sunny position in a free-draining soil, and can be a useful structural or architectural plant within the border.

Aster trinervius var. harae is probably our last aster to flower, not opening until October and continuing well into November. It produces masses of lilac daisy flowers over attractive dark stemmed foliage. Native to China and Japan it grows to around 1m (3ft) tall and quickly forms a large clump in the border. It will grow in sun or partial shade but prefers a soil that doesn’t dry out.

The Library garden is free to access and is open daily, along with the nursery from March to September from 10am to 4pm. Gary and his team look forward welcoming you.

Gary Leaver is the owner of Avondale Nursery, situated just outside Coventry. The nursery has a wide collection of rare and unusual perennials and grasses, and home to three Plant Heritage National Collections; Symphiotrichum novae-angliae, Anemone nemorosa (both full status) and Sanguisorba (provisional status).

Website: www.avondalenursery.co.uk