Penstemon
Once a favorite of Victorian gardeners the Penstemon is a prolific and
reliable plant that will add color and form to the border later in to
the year and remains popular to this day. Penstemons come in a wide
range of colors and blend seamlessly with grasses and other herbaceous plants.
Penstemons can be grown from seed and are available on our
Links page.
How to grow
Penstemons
are easily grown in the garden. When you receive your
plants you should move them in to their final positions as soon as
possible. If you cannot plant immediately, ensure your plants are
watered and keep them moist and in a cool and bright space until
planting is possible.
Position
Penstemons enjoy a
sunny position in the garden and as they often flower on tall flower
spikes they are likely to benefit from some shelter, which can be
achieved with the use of garden screening or hedging. You may also wish
to add plant supports to avoid
stems snapping. A position near to walls or other garden buildings will help to
insulate plants and keep soil relatively dry.
Soil
Soil
should be deep, well-drained, fertile and moist. To improve soil
drainage further you may choose to add horticultural grit to soil. It
is essential that the planting area is not susceptible to water logging
as this is likely to kill plants when the weather turns colder. Prepare
your planting site in advance of planting by enriching the intended area
with plenty of organic matter, well-rotted garden compost or
multi-purpose compost will be fine. An application of general
fertilizer will help to promote strong and healthy plant growth.
Care
Water
your new plants well after planting to ensure they establish well and
get the best start possible. Plants will benefit from regular
applications of fertilizer at intervals throughout the growing season
and you may also wish to add a mulch of well-rotted garden compost,
manure or multi-purpose compost in the
spring each year as this will help to encourage good growth, conserve
water and keep roots moist throughout summer. Remove fading flowers by
hand or with
Ratcheting Pruners to encourage new
blooms and add your clippings to the compost bin.
Top Tip
Take
cuttings from plants and overwinter them in a cold frame or unheated
greenhouse as insurance for plants that may be lost during the winter.
Cuttings will be ready for planting out the following Spring.
