Plant of the week

Verbena bonariensis

This ‘see through plant’ invades my herbaceous borders and looks absolutely great.

A lady I knew had eight fine herbaceous borders. Verbena suffused everywhere. She instructed her gardener to cut them back in December. He could do better than that, he pulled them out! She was bereft.

In point of fact, they should not have been cut back in autumn. Their winter survival is better if they are cut back in spring.

I still wonder why she was in despair. On my own sandy soil self-sown plants appear everywhere each May. I think she must have been one of those people who regularly tickle the soil. What a loss to the digger, no self sown plants. 

Bees and butterflies love the nectar rich flowers

Free standing and handsome 

Look through, they can be positioned front or back of the border. Anywhere! Not only that, they mingle so well too.