Peter Dowdall: All the fun of the fair at Fota for plant lovers

Keep an eye out for this Brunnera 'Jack Frost' or other choice varieties at the upcoming Fota Plant Fair. Picture: iStock

I HAVE planted a lot of the beautiful purple Aubrieta Purple Cascade on a bank in my garden over the last couple of years. It is in full bloom now forming a magical carpet beneath a blast of white-flowering Hyacinth Madame Sophie.

The contrast is beautiful and striking, the rich purple really brought to life by the showy white Hyacinths. I love both of these spring flowering plants, I suppose nowadays they would be regarded as traditional or, dare I say, old fashioned, but for me, they are exactly what I want and where I want them.

How we use colour in the garden is a very personal choice. Purple is my favourite colour and thus this combination works for me but that may not be the case for others who prefer more muted or maybe brighter colours and it is these individual choices which make the garden your own.

There are some garden design tips and guidelines which really need to be followed for a garden to “work” but when it comes to colour and colour choices this is where it must be individual.

Working with contrasting colours creates a very vibrant and lively feeling, the aforementioned Aubretia and Hyacinth is one case in point. I also have masses of two different forms of Muscari growing beneath golden yellow Daffodils. Both the Muscaris are blue, in different shades and again the contrast with the yellow of the Daffs is very striking and lively.

Later in the season, the purple-flowering Verbena rigida and Verbena bonariensis contrast very brightly with the yellow of Rudbeckia Goldsturm, for instance.

Colour

The other way to use colour in your garden is to work with complementary colours and this will create a far more relaxed and gentle feeling amongst your planting.

Different shades of mauves and purples such as Allium Gladiator planted in amongst Lupin Persian Slipper and Nepeta Six Hills Giant is a combination that I have used to great effect as they are all different tones of the same palette mix flowering at roughly the same time, the Alliums beginning to fade as the others come into their best.

Favourite

Brunnera Jack Frost is one of my favourite varieties of the plant more commonly known as Siberian bugloss. I love the foliage which is mid-green in colour with a nearly metallic-looking variegation. It sends up short sprays of beautiful, pale blue, Forget-me-not type flowers and is a great underplanting under deciduous trees or shrubs.

There are other varieties of Brunnera worth growing such as Looking Glass and Hapsden Cream but you are unlikely to find these available at your local garden centre.

As we see fewer independent garden centres run by plantspeople and more plant sales in supermarkets and multiples, it is not surprising to see the choice available is diminishing as these will only concentrate on the bestselling lines.

If you want to see an increased plant choice available to purchase, it is essential that we all support, the independent, plant-oriented garden centres and specialist nurseries that live and breathe plants and flowers. They may not be able to offer you a special offer on Corn Flakes or toilet rolls, but they can offer you variety and any amount of garden advice.

A timely reminder so, that Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens, Carrigtwohill, Cork, will host its annual Fota House Plant & Garden Fair on Sunday, April 23, from 11am to 4pm.

The Fota Plant Fair is one of the highlights of the gardening calendar and is one of the largest Plant and Garden Fairs outside the Dublin area.

Numerous specialist nurseries from around the country will be in attendance providing visitors with the opportunity to purchase unusual and special plants, including rare trees and shrubs, and alpine, herbaceous and water plants at competitive prices. Advice from the plant specialists comes at no extra charge.

“It’s great to have the plant fair back to its usual format after several disruptive years of covid and we look forward to welcoming a large crowd of garden enthusiasts back to Fota again this year,” says Bryan Murphy, general manager, Fota House Arboretum and Gardens. 

“The fair will be held in the area next to our car park to facilitate purchasers easily transfer their plants to their vehicles while a 'plant creche' will also be in operation for those who wish to walk the formal gardens and arboretum and our award-winning Victorian working garden after their visit to the event. Visitors also have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the house itself, making for a great day all round at Fota”.

For all those with an interest in gardening, this is an event not to be missed. Volunteers from Fota House will assist with the running of the Fair.

Admission is €5, and the usual €3 per vehicle parking charge applies. Your ticket for this event helps directly with the continued conservation and restoration of Fota House Arboretum & Gardens.

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