Plants of the month- Pansies and Buddlejas
This July for us, the plants of the month are Pansies and Buddlejas.
What are they
Pansies are bedding plants that are normally grown as biennials. They are renowned for the huge range of vibrant colours that they are available in. Pansies help bridge the gap between summer flowering bedding plants and spring flowering bulbs in essence giving fantastic autumn and winter interest to pots and borders. We have young pansies in 6 packs selling for £3 in our garden centres this July.
Buddleja davidii Harlequin
Buddlejas are deciduous shrubs that are known for being fast growing. You will end up with masses of elegant blossoms that can last from summer all the way through to autumn.
Why we love them
We love Pansies because they are so simple to grow and are great for beginners. They make such a difference in any garden due to their brightly coloured and large blooms. Pansies also have a very long flowering season meaning that we can enjoy their beauty for almost 7 months in some cases!
We love Buddlejas for many different reasons, including the sheer number of varieties and the unique elements of each one (we have 13 different varieties in store). Similarly we love Buddlejas for their ability to turn any garden into a wildlife sanctuary! They have often been referred to as the ‘Butterfly Bush’ as butterflies, bees and moths absolutely adore them.
Planting
Pansies are very adaptable and can work well as bedding plants or even in pots and containers. Ensure that wherever you plant them they are in a sunny spot and have well drained soil (read our compost guide to find out the best compost to use). Give the pansies space between them when you plant them our; whilst you want a busy look there must be ample space for any roots to expand and grow.
Buddleja davidii Nanho Blue
Buddlejas can be grown in most kinds of soil however they will require the soil to be free draining. They can be planted in full sunlight or partial shade but definitely need sun for some of the day.
How to care for them
Water Pansies roughly once a week and in the peak of summer you may need to water them twice a week. Encourage more flowering by dead heading the pansies by cutting off any dead or faded blooms. This should be done slightly higher than the first leaves. Also cut off any seed heads as the blooms will stop if you allow the pansies to go to seed.
Buddlejas should be watered regularly in summer if there is no rainfall. Be sure to deadhead any fading blooms to promote more growth. Avoid seedlings by removing withered flowers at the end of their season. Buddlejas will often need to be pruned back and the best time for this is in late Spring. It is of course a personal choice how much to prune your Buddlejas and they will usually bounce back from a thorough pruning as long as you do it in the right season. The usual height to prune Buddlejas to is roughly knee height but this can vary between plants.
The Buddleja varieties we have in stock
Photograph of the Buddleja Davidii White Boquet
Buddleja Globosa on our nursery
Buddleja davidii varieties;
Adonis Blue, Black Knight, Dartmoor, Empire Blue, Flutterby Peace, Flutterby Pink, Nanho Blue, Peacock, Royal Red, White Bouqet, Lavender.
Also;
Buddleja globosa, Buddleja Sugar Plum, Buddleja x weyeriana Pink Pagoda
